Green tea is one of the oldest beverages in the world. And one of the healthiest. It’s been revered by Asian cultures for thousands of years. Lately, modern science has caught up.
Researchers first noticed that certain Chinese populations have much lower cancer rates than those in the West. Then they realized green tea’s anti-cancer properties. Further research showed that green tea is a rich source of polyphenols. These plant chemicals have powerful antioxidant properties.
Green tea’s most potent polyphenol is called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Studies show it neutralizes free radicals 100 times more effectively than vitamin C. And 25 times more effectively than vitamin E.
Many foods contain small amounts of EGCG. But a report published by the US Department of Agriculture showed that green tea has far more than any other source. One cup of green tea contains about 180 mg of EGCG.1
This is a big reason why green tea has such great health benefits . It assists in weight loss2… improves brain function3… and slows the effects of aging. But it has other, more important benefits you need to know…
It can even prevent and treat disease, including cancer.
In a study, originally published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers gave a standardized form of EGCG to patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). This type of blood cancer is very slow growing. But it is also very hard to cure.
Researchers treated 33 patients with EGCG dosages ranging from 400 mg to 2,000 mg.
The patients took EGCG for one month. By the end, one patient experienced a partial remission. A third of the patients had more than a 20 percent decrease in the number of lymphocytes in their blood. And 11 out of 12 patients with swollen lymph nodes before the treatment showed a reduction in swelling by at least 50 percent.
The form of EGCG that was used in the study is not available to buy. However, several reputable companies produce EGCG as a supplement.
Men: Protect Your Prostate with Green Tea
Two recent studies also show that the compounds in green tea protect the male prostate.
Researchers in Italy studied 62 men with a pre-cancerous prostate condition. Typically, about one-third of these men would get prostate cancer in the long run. The researchers gave 30 of the men a placebo. The other 32 took a daily extract of green tea. The result? Nine men in the placebo group developed cancer. And of those that took the extract, just one developed the disease.
These findings are consistent with other studies as well. A Chinese experiment showed that men who consumed the most green tea were two-thirds less likely to develop prostate cancer.
Of course, the anti-cancer properties of EGCG are only the beginning. In 2010, a group of researchers reviewed 105 different studies on the effects of green tea. They found a strong connection to many other health benefits.4
These include a reduced risk of heart disease. They also found anti-inflammatory effects. This would explain the relief experienced by arthritis sufferers. They also found a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and other brain benefits. Elderly green tea drinkers even require less disability-related financial assistance.5
If you or someone you know is fighting cancer (or just about any degenerative disease), taking a green tea extract or an EGCG supplement would be a great idea. And even if you’re currently the picture of health, do as the Asians do. Enjoy a warm cup of organic green tea as often as possible.
However, always choose a brand with minimally processed tea. Processing strips the tea of many of its health-giving properties. For example, decaffeinated green tea has only about a third of the EGCG content of regular tea. Flavored tea has even less. Most bottled teas are also very low in the compounds that have benefits. Loose leaf is the best choice.
Ed Note: If you’re looking for more information on prostate health then you should watch the special video we’ve prepared that lays out EXACTLY what you need to know about prostate cancer… and how to keep it from ever affecting your health.
References:
1US Department of Agriculture. USDA Database for the Flavonoids Content of Selected Foods Release 2.1. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/Flav/Flav02-1.pdf
2http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22777108
3http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18614745
4http://www.cmjournal.org/content/5/1/13/
5http://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2012/01/24/ajcn.111.023200
Tweetables:
Green Tea contains EGCG, which neutralizes free radicals 100x more effectively than vitamin C. Click to Tweet