The Chinese have known about the health benefits of green tea for hundreds of year. They've used it for centuries to treat everything from headaches to depression. More and more studies both in Asia and the west are confirming that green tea provides some very important health benefits.
The secret ingredient in green tea is a powerful antioxidant called epigallocatechingallate (EGCG), which is known to inhibit growth of cancer cells and kill cancer cells without hurting healthy tissue. It is also known to lower cholesterol levels which can lead to heart attack and stroke. There is also more and more research showing that green tea can help dieters. It seems to help increase your bodies metabolic rate, inhibit the absorption of fat and can act as a natural appetite suppressant. It has been shown to be an effective means of preventing blood clots, dental decay as well as inflammation in the body (like arthritis). It can also help strengthen your immune system.
With all these benefits, it's a great idea to drink green tea regularly. Just be careful how much you drink, especially close to bedtime. It contains caffeine - about 1/3 to 1/2 of what you'd find in a regular cup of coffee. I also just discovered that drinking any variety of tea (including green tea) can inhibit your ability to uptake iron. So if you know you're on the low side, avoid this tasty beverage around meal time.
A question came up yesterday at Boot Camp regarding the benefits of decaffeinated green tea. It looks like the health benefits are still there; you just need to drink more of it to get equivalent benefit. Take a look at this link:
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