6 Reasons Green Tea Works

[yuiyoshida]

Green tea originates from southwest China and has been appreciated all over the world for over 3,000 years. Incipiently, it wasn't consumed as a beverage. People ate and chewed on the leaves, much like people did with coffee beans in order to increase physical endurance. Eventually, they began to cook and boil the leaves in water to make tea and it remained a permanent staple. Green tea has more health benefits than black tea because of the way it is prepared, making it extra special. Green tea is processed in a way that enhances the oxidants like the antioxidant polyphenols because it is not fermented. An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules. They come up frequently in studies as they preserve the body and the cells from contagions and they protect us free radicals caused by oxidation. Researchers believe green tea has the power to reduce cholesterol, heart attacks, fight cancer, help with diabetes and help people lose weight. A study from the University of California found that drinking 3 cups of green tea a day also reduced the risk of ischemic stroke by 21 percent. This is suspected to only be the beginning of the many advantages of this drink. Here are 6 reasons green tea can serve your health.

Arteriosclerosis happens when the artery wall thickens, hardens and narrows the pathway for the blood to flow. The causes of the condition can be from smoking or having high cholesterol to cause plaque to build up as a knob in the wall. This bump continues to grow and forms a blockage. Some studies indicate that antioxidants like what is found in green tea may help prevent atherosclerosis in some people.

The catechins found in green tea may reduce blood clotting and they do this by improving blood vessel function. Green tea thins out the blood like physical blood thinners like the drug Coumadin. This blocks the formation of thromboxane A2, which can cause a stroke. Scientists from the Harvard Medical School tested green tea on clot-prone mice and determined that rutin was the most efficient chemical at preventing clots in the arteries and veins. "This discovery suggests that a single agent can treat and prevent both types of clots," the study found. “It’s not always fully appreciated that the majority of Americans will die as the result of a blood clot in either their heart or their brain,” said senior author Robert Flaumenhaft, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. He said half of all morbidity and fatalities in the United States can be credited to heart attacks or strokes.

Researchers believe green tea reduces the prospect of heart disease by lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Harvard Medical School also found that drinking green may decrease the risk of heart disease. They weren't the only study. The European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation found that people who drink green tea had better blood vessel function 30 minutes later. Although green tea is consumed less in the "Western world than black tea, it could be more beneficial because of the way it seems to improve endothelial function."
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Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/wellness/health/6-reasons-green-tea-works.aspx#rBSduTAkf3Gy3KCg.99

[lunasun]

1. Green tea ice cream , matcha lattes, it's all good and there are many types of green tea

Some are regional specialties in China
I believe the many Japanese teas are differentiated by the array of processes and timing of harvest more that geography
It's all good !

[masmdu]

2. 3 cups a day of sencha (green tea)

2 cups as part of my breakfast/lunch smoothie. 1 cup for after work tea.