TeaGreen Tea Health Benefits - Unlocking an Ancient Secret
Green tea has skyrocketed to fame lately due to findings that they are abundant in antioxidants. In fact, compared to its more popular, stronger, and more aromatic cousin, the black tea, green tea is said to be more gifted with antioxidants and hence is a more healthy beverage.
First of all, what are antioxidants and how are they helpful to the human body? An antioxidant is actually a molecule that can slow down the oxidation process. Do you wonder why a banana, an apple, or most white fruits turn brown when their skin is peeled off? That"s what we call oxidation.
Oxidation is just a stepping stone to the damaging process. What actually damages cells are free radicals, which are produced during oxidation. Free radicals are constantly present in the human body. However, their numbers can increase substantially when your body is constantly exposed to toxins from nicotine, alcohol, ultraviolet rays, and other forms of pollution.
In green tea, the main antioxidant is polyphenol. Polyphenol can neutralize free radicals and can thus reduce the body"s susceptibility to health problems. Through antioxidants like polyphenol, the cells become less vulnerable to damage. Because of this, aging can be slowed down.
This is probably the main reason why many Chinese people have reached very advanced ages. The health benefits of green tea have been known to Chinese scholars since the ancient times. That is why tea is among their most prized products. Japan, India, and Thailand, which are all in close proximity to China, all have a long history of tea drinking.
It is possible that these countries have discovered the green tea health benefits on their own. Either that, or they might have adopted the knowledge from nearby China. Practitioners in these countries have used green tea as a stimulant, astringent, and as a treatment for flatulence. ̉
One green tea health benefit that has not been proven but is being thoroughly studied is the possibility of it being able to prevent cancer. Although finding that cancer rates are much lower in Japan, where tea consumption is among if not the highest, cannot be enough basis to ascertain the speculation, it won"t hurt to take in more tea either.