To Tea or Not to Tea by Dr. Maria Luque
Tea is the second most consumed drink in the world, right after water. Since ancient times, green tea has been considered by traditional Chinese medicine as a beverage with many health benefits ranging from reduction in cardiovascular disease (CVD), blood pressure, and cholesterol, to body weight control and bone mineral density
Key points:
Green tea contains numerous components with antioxidant activity: polyphenols (especially catechins), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), minerals, vitamins.
Catechins are powerful antioxidants and have been shown to inhibit certain cancers, improve blood flow in the cardiovascular system and reduce LDL cholesterol oxidation
Green tea contains more catechins than black or oolong teas.
The strong antioxidant potential of catechins, and especially EGCG, are widely demonstrated.
Catechins possess antidiabetic, anti‐inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Recent studies suggest that green tea may:
o Protect against certain types of cancer
o Help with weight‐ and fatloss through its thermogenic properties and by interfering within the sympathoadrenal system and fatty acid synthesis
o Contribute to reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease
o Increase bone mineral density, and it has been identified as an independent factor protecting against the risk of hip fractures
o Decrease cholesterol absorption and plasma levels
o Decrease systolic and diastolic blood pressures.
o Raise levels of serotonin and/or dopamine in the brain, which control both the appetite and satiety response
The positive effects found suggest a daily intake of 4‐5 cups of green tea per day
•Supplementation with green tea extract (400‐500 mg per day) is more beneficial than drinking tea because it has more active compounds than brewed tea and is easier absorbed by the body
Negative side effects:
o Some people that are very sensitive to caffeine will have trouble sleeping o However, green tea contains less caffeine than coffee: there are approximately 30‐60 mg of caffeine in 6‐8 oz ounces of tea, compared to over 100 m in 8 oz of coffee