For 4,000 years, the Chinese people have been using green tea as treatment for everything from headaches to depression. Today, studies are conducted in Asia and the west in order to produce hard evidence of the health benefits of green tea. In the 1994 edition of the Journal of National Cancer Institute, the results of an epidemiological study stated that one of the health benefits of drinking green tea is that it can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by up to 60%. Green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), giving green tea so many health benefits. EGCG - a power antioxidant - not only stops the growth of cancern cells but also destroys them but leaves healthy cells intact. A study at the University of Purdue concluded that a certain compound present in green tea can stop cancer cells from growing. Still another health benefit of green tea is its ability to lower cholesterol levels and improve the balance between good (HDL) cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol. The EGCG present in green tea lowers LDL cholesterol and stops blood from forming abnormal clots - a major cause of strokes and heart attacks. What makes green tea different from other Chinese teas like oolong and black tea is the process by which it is made. The health benefits of green tea owe much to how the Camellia sinensis leaves are steamed. Steaming retains the EGCG health benefit. With oolong and black teas, the leaves are fermented instead of being steamed. This causes the EGCG health benefit to transform into another less medicinally potent form. But green tea has more than just medicinal value. Drinking green tea can cause a person to burn down more calories. In 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition claimed that men who take both caffeine and green tea burn more calories than men who only take caffeine or a placebo. Yet another health benefit of green tea is it destroys bacteria. Drinking green tea can help prevent food poisoning and prevent tooth decay. A substance found in green tea kills the bacteria that causes food poisoning and dental plaque. Green tea has countless health and medicinal benefits. It's nothing short of a miracle.
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