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Green Tea Protects Against Heart Disease

green teaA few cups of green tea each day may help prevent heart disease, Greek researchers found. Green tea improves both blood flow and the ability of arteries to relax.

When volunteers were given green tea, they experienced almost immediate benefits.

Other studies have shown that black tea also has benefits for cardiovascular health. However, green tea might be even better because it had higher quantities of beneficial compounds called flavonoids, some of which are lost in the oxidation process that black tea undergoes.

Flavonoids are also found in cocoa, tomatoes and grapes..

Sources:

Dr. Mercola''s Comments Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Other than water, high-quality green tea is one of the most beneficial beverages you can consume. The evidence just keeps pouring in as to why you should pour yourself a cup of this green drink.

Green tea catechins are a class of polyphenols, which are naturally occurring antioxidants. The health benefits of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) -- the main active component of tea polyphenol's biological activity – are plentiful, including the prevention of:
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • High blood lipid
  • Arteriosclerosis
  • Cerebral thrombus
  • Prostate cancer 
  • Heart attack and stroke
Several studies have also found that EGCG can improve exercise performance, increase fat oxidation and prevent obesity, as it’s known to have a regulatory effect on fat metabolism. It can even help you to digest better!

Because green tea is the least processed tea, it contains the most EGCG of all tea varieties.

Are All Green Teas Healthy?

Absolutely not! Many green teas have been oxidized, and this process may take away many of the valuable properties. The easiest sign to look for when evaluating a green tea’s quality is its color: if your green tea is actually brown, it’s likely been oxidized.

When I drink green tea, I prefer matcha tea, and the color is a vibrant bright green and it is far less processed and of much higher quality than most green teas.

If you’re not familiar with tea you may have never heard of matcha tea. Rather than being steeped and strained like typical tea, matcha tea is made of tea leaves ground into a powder, and the powder gets added right into the water.

Because you are actually consuming the whole leaf, matcha tea is said to be one of the healthiest green teas out there.

Another thing to watch out for is purity. High-quality teas should be free of the potentially high levels of fluoride, lead, and aluminum that can be found in inferior green tea.

How Much Tea Can I Drink?!

There is a misconception that it takes pot upon pot of green tea to add up to any significant benefits. In reality, much of the research on green tea has been based on about three cups daily, including the study linked above. A cup of green tea will give you anywhere from 20-35 mg of EGCG, so three in a day will supply you with 60-105 mg. There are some studies that have used much higher doses than this -- upwards of 1,500 mg a day -- but as of now there’s now clear-cut evidence of exactly how much is best.

My advice? If you enjoy green tea, add a few cups to your day. And as always, listen to your body. If green tea doesn’t appeal to you, it’s probably not the best thing for your body.


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Comment on This Article Community Comments (35)
 
 
Posted On Jul 07, 2008
As the ancient Chinese would say "better go a few days without food but not 1 day without tea"....

Note not all Green tea's are created equal; be very careful in your selection, as a number of varieties are of inferior quality, high in Fluoride and even oxidized - make sure when you brew a cup it is actually GREEN, not BROWN in colour and for heaven sake please do not add milk to your tea, it cancels out the healthy benefits, if you must sweeten try a bit of raw honey or Stevia.

I believe Matcha is the undisputed King of teas.....

 
seg
Savvy User Savvy User, Joined On 11/2006
seg  
Replied

Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Jul 07, 2008
seg, I agree..matcha is the only tea I drink regularly.  When the cold and flu season hits, I drink it by the potful...!


rickdog
Users with negative points NoviceUser Joined On 1/2008
rickdog  
 
Posted On Jul 30, 2008

some variaties of oolong actually have more polyphenols and antioxitants that green teas.  there's a lot of marketing hype and low-quality research coming out of japan promoting greens.


 
 
 
Posted On Jul 24, 2008

Dear Chainsaw,

One way that fluoride, aluminum, DDT, and Dursban can get into one batch of green tea, and not another is from the source of water that is used to water the plants with.

It would be cost prohibitive for farmers or growers to have to distill or filter the water used to water the plants with.

This goes across the board to other plants too.

In areas where these chemicals are in the water, you can see how they are on and in the plants.

I doubt that the source of tea that the Mercola site sells, comes from an area where there is much pollution in the water... However, I would hope, and ask,  that the Mercola people run their own independent testing on any products that they sell, prior to listing it, for possible contamination along the chain from production to distribution, and put their own certification on the site page. It would go a long way towards making me feel more comfortable with some of the products that are being sold here, or anywhere for that fact.

For a thought provoking look at the green tea issue, you might want to pick up a copy of the book: "Politically Incorrect Nutrition" by Michael Barbee, C.D.C.

Barbaee states in that book that many batches of green tea have been tested positive for the contaminents above, and with at the  recommended dosages, can cause health problems, instead of providing health benefits. Something to consider when purchasing green tea, and especially non organic green tea, no matter how visible the company is on health food store shelves.

The book also covers many other issues that Dr. Mercola does, and most times are in agreement with what is said on this site.

With the high cost of buying organic food in these days of a deflated dollar, and the always present danger of payoffs to inspectors, it would be nice to have a site that only sold products that are independently tested and certified by people that can be trusted.


 
HealthfullLee4U
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 11/2007
HealthfullLee4U  
Replied

rmasi001
Novice User Novice User Joined On 6/2006
rmasi001  
 
Posted On Jul 24, 2008

Great idea.



Poiema
Novice User Novice User Joined On 7/2008
Poiema  
 
Posted On Jul 25, 2008

"...it would be nice to have a site that only sold products that are independently tested and certified by people that can be trusted."

That's why most of us are here. We trust Dr. Mercola, especially when he says that he independantly tests all of the products he offers. I'm not sure what more we could ask of him.


 
 
 
Posted On Jul 07, 2008
Green tea may also protect against severe sepsis:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108115608.htm


 
Anathema
Apprentice User Apprentice User, Joined On 2/2007
Anathema  
Replied

linmayn
Novice User Novice User Joined On 4/2009
linmayn  
 
Posted On Apr 21, 2009

Where does this tea come from?  If it comes from China, then forget it.


 
 
 
Posted On Jul 10, 2008
It's hard to drink enough tea to get all of the benefits.  Try a green tea supplement.  More info on green tea here: http://www.CNCAhealth.com

 
P Ross
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 1/2008
P Ross  
Replied

Miss Bliss
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 3/2008
Miss Bliss  
 
Posted On Jul 11, 2008
Thanks for the link P Ross. Yes, it is tough to drink all that tea.  Up to 7 cups a day is recommended daily to get benefits..
.
I tend to drink a fair bit of matcha when I am under the weather to keep my fluids up, and to alkalize my body. Seems to work for me  without too many side effects.

 
 
 
Posted On Jul 23, 2008

"Another thing to watch out for is purity. High-quality teas should be free of the potentially high levels of fluoride, lead, and aluminum that can be found in inferior green tea."  

OK, I've read this sort of statement time and again on this site, but I have yet to read how to evaluate the purity of the tea.  How does the fluoride, lead and/or aluminum get into one batch of tea and not into an other?  Is this a result of processing methods, the soil it's grown in, is it inherent to some varietals of the plant Camellia sinensis and not to others?  

One day soon I'll try Dr. Mercola's macha tea; for now I'm drinking sencha from http://www.peets.com. The people there take pride in the quality of their products too.  I'd like to further the cause for wholesome food and drink, I would like educate others as well as myself.  Please help me fill in the blanks.  Thanks.  


 
chainsaw
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 6/2006
chainsaw  
Replied

paulabob
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 10/2007
paulabob  
 
Posted On Jul 24, 2008

I do know that it has to do with the fluoride levels of the region the tea is grown in.  Also, always avoid instant teas.  Instant teas are processed with water during their manufacturing, and they pick up more fluoride that way.

My favorite tea is yerba mate.  Less bitter than green tea, and still lots of benefits.  I don't think there's ever been a study on its fluoride levels though, like what was done with green and black teas a few years ago.


 
 
 
 
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