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The Many Benefits of Green Tea Extract |
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by:Oktay Özadam |
The Benefits of Green Tea Extract:
Anti-Aging, Anti-Cancer, Weight Control
One of the great advancements in nutrition in the twenty-first century
is the scientific confirmation of the many benefits of green tea
extract. Here are just a few. Green tea:
Lowers cholesterol
Slows arthritis
Prevents the growth of cancer cells
Assists weight loss
What accounts for the health benefits of green tea extract? Over 1,800
scientific studies have found that the active constituents in green tea
are powerful antioxidants. These are called polyphenols (catechins) and
flavonols. Epigallocatechin gallate (you can just call it EGCG) is the
most powerful of these antioxidants.
Milligram for milligram, EGCG has 25 to 100 times the antioxidant power
of vitamins C and E. A cup of green tea has more antioxidants than a
serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots or strawberries.
These abundant antioxidants power the benefits of green tea extract.
They keep DNA intact and they stabilize the membranes of cells.
These effects of green tea make it a powerful support in many health
conditions. Let's look at the benefits of green tea supplements in more
detail.
Green tea has been shown to lower "bad" LDL cholesterol and serum
triglyceride levels.
Who would have imagined that simple green tea could be as potent as
Lipitor or Zocor or Crestin with none of their side effects? Scientific
studies show that middle-aged men and women in Japan who drink 2 or
more cups of green tea a day almost always have normal cholesterol.
Scientists have also recently reported that if you drink green tea
after you eat a fatty food, less cholesterol will go into you
bloodstream.
And if you have high cholesterol when you begin taking green tea
supplements, your body will convert less of it into a form that clogs
your arteries.
Green tea protects your joints against osteoarthritis.
This is one of the least known but most beneficial effects of green tea
extract. Green tea prevents inflammation. When there is less
inflammation, there is less wear and tear on your joints.
Green tea prevents the growth of cancer cells.
The EGCG in green tea prevents cancer cells from growing by binding to
a specific enzyme. This health benefit of green tea is especially
important in cancers of the prostate, breast, and lung.
Researchers studied two groups of men who a pre-cancerous condition of
the prostate. One consumed the equivalent of 12 to 15 cups of green tea
a day. One did not. One year later, 30% of the men who did not consume
green tea supplements developed prostate cancer. Only 3% of the men who
took green tea supplements developed cancer.
Another of the benefits of green tea extract is support for women who
have breast cancer. Green tea provides chemicals that bind estrogen.
This hormone is not then free to stimulate breast cancer cells.
Women who consume the greatest amount of green tea before menopause
have the least severe forms of breast cancer when the disease occurs.
Women who drink green tea are less likely to have recurrences of breast
cancer after treatment. And most important of all, women who consume
green tea are 50% less likely to develop breast cancer at all.
Another of the benefits of green tea extract is protection against lung
cancer.
The Japanese have both the highest rate of smoking and the lowest rate
of lung cancer in the developed world. Japanese smokers who consume a
lot of green tea seem to be protected against lung cancer.
And green tea can even help you lose weight. In a clinical trial, men
eating a high-fat diet were given enough green tea provide the caffeine
in a single cup of coffee. Although this amount of caffeine has no
effect on weight loss, when the caffeine comes from green tea, it is
highly significant.
The green tea supplement boosted the number of calories burned by 4.5%.
While this is just 135 calories a day, the study showed that taking
green supplements could help the average man on a high-fat diet lose 18
lbs (8 kg) in a year's time. It could help the average woman on a
high-fat diet lose 11 pounds (5 kg). This is without eating less or
exercising more.
How Can I Take Green Tea?
The benefits of green tea extract are greatest if you take green tea
supplements rather than drink green tea. A study in the December 2004
edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirmed that
green supplements get more antioxidants into your bloodstream that
drinking green tea. Two capsules of green tea extract a day can provide
all the benefits of 20 cups of green tea-all you need to support even
difficult health conditions.
Green tea is safe and effective. Take 1 to 3 capsules of green extract
every day. It is better to take green tea supplements in the morning or
afternoon rather than at night. In the unlikely event of stomach upset,
take with food.
About the author:
Oktay Özadam has an avid interest in health and well-being and is a
senior editor of http://www.nutritional-supplements-health-guide.comThe
site discusses about vitamins, minerals, medicinal herbs, and other
health supplements.
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