What Can Green Tea Do For You

Many health benefits have been associated with drinking green tea. One of these benefits is preventing cancer. A substance found in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG, is said to aid in destroying cancer cells without harming neighboring tissues.

An epidemiological study published in the 1994 edition of the Journal of National Cancer Institute stated that green tea can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by up to 50%.

Studies on the effect of green tea and cancer have been conducted in Asia and the United States. One study was reported in the 2003 International Journal of Cancer regarding its findings on a controlled study of Asian American women and it found that those that drank green tea had a significantly lower risk for breast cancer.

All of the studies that have been conducted so far show that drinking green tea and eating foods rich in polyphenol reduce the risk of heart disease. Green tea helps to strengthen the blood vessels that provide oxygen to the heart and the brain.

Green tea also helps to lower cholesterol by improving the ratio between LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.

One of the major health issues in the United States is obesity. Studies show that more than half of the population is overweight or obese. There are many diet plans on the market today. Some of them are dangerous to one's overall health. Diets that have green tea ingredients are safer.

The antioxidants in green tea delay the reaction of gastric and pancreatic lipases in the body. These enzymes convert calories into fat which prevents the fat from being stored.

Although many researchers agree that the antioxidants in green tea are of benefit to a person's health and well-being, research is continuing to substantiate the claims in controlled research projects.