Green Tea Health Benefits - The Best Supplement In The World?

For 4,000 years, the Chinese people have been using green tea as treatment for everything from headaches to depression. However, it is only in recent years that the Western world has caught up and realised the heath benefits of drinking green tea.

The benefits of drinking tea and specifically the health benefits of green tea have been the subject of many a test study.  In addition to the claims of green tea being an excellent antioxidant, additional benefits may include the prevention of cancer, protecting your heart, preventing arthritis and protecting your liver.

Preventing Cancer

One health benefit of green tea may be its ability to prevent cancer.  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%. Based on this possible correlation between the regular use of green tea and a lower risk for cancer further research is being undertaken.

Preliminary findings suggest that the health benefits of green tea may prevent cancer in many of the body’s vital organs.  These organs include the urinary bladder, the entire upper and lower digestive tract and pancreas.

Protecting Your Heart

An important health benefit of green tea is the antioxidants found in green tea. These antioxidants have shown promise in reducing levels of cholesterol, minimizing cardiac disease and controlling hypertension.  Specifically, a daily cup of tea, eight and a half ounces, was consumed by those participating in a case study.  After 25 years, participants had fewer incidents of heart attacks compared to those who did not drink the green tea.

Additional studies show that antioxidants were beneficial in minimizing the bonding of blood cells. The implications of this benefit would be the reduction in clotting which is associated with strokes and heart disease.

Preventing Arthritis

Another health benefit of green tea is the possible prevention and soothing of arthritis and its painful symptoms.  Research has shown a strong component of green tea to be its ability to perform as an agent to reduce inflammation.  Certain studies suggest that the antioxidants in green tea delay the arthritic process as well as minimize the painful symptoms of those affected with arthritis. 

Protecting Your Liver

Another health benefit of green tea is the possible protection of your liver.  Preliminary research suggests a strong correlation between the antioxidants found in green tea and the function of the liver.  The liver acts as a filter within the body and rids the body of toxins.  Some of these toxins include the ingredients found in alcohol, the air we breathe, food eaten, water consumed, cigarettes smoked, and so on.  The health benefit of green tea strongly indicates a protection of the cells that comprise the liver as well as stimulating and strengthening the immune system within the body.

Other Health Benefits

Aside from medicinal value, green tea can also offer other health benefits, especially in the fitness field. Drinking green tea can cause a person to burn down more calories. A recent study on the health benefits of green tea shows that the drink can help dieters. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999, men who take both caffeine and green tea burn down more calories than men who only take caffeine or a placebo.