Many users of green tea prefer it not simply because it is a pleasant drink, but because they believe it has major health benefits as well. Is there any truth in this? If so, what are these health benefits?
Health claims for green tea cover many areas – it is supposed to be beneficial for treatment of multiple sclerosis and arthritis, to help the functioning of the brain, to neutralize free radicals in human cells (helping to preserve them), and to lower the body’s levels of cholesterol, so reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease or heart disease. It is this latter claim which has received the most publicity and it has prompted many scientific studies to be done.
These studies mainly focus on large populations of green tea drinkers (numbered in the tens of thousands) in Japan, who drank five or more cups of green tea a day. The results of the studies, published in peer-reviewed publications like Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Journal of the American Medical Association appeared to show that green tea did prolong life, mainly due to its effect in reducing the risk of death from heart disease or cancer. It also cut the risk of dementia.
Another study by Yale University looked closely at the ' .. average 1.2 liters of green tea consumed daily by many people in Asia' and concluded that its antioxidant properties were likely to be the main reason for the well-known low incidence of heart disease in Asia (despite very high consumption of tobacco in the same population). In addition, the consumption of green tea was found to improve the function of the liver, kidneys and pancreas, and to prevent allergies, tumors and viral infections. The study concluded 'The evidence is strong that green tea consumption is a useful dietary habit to lower the risk for, as well as treat, a number of chronic diseases.'
Green tea has also been found to stimulate the body’s metabolism, which may be helpful for those looking to lose weight.
The publicity given to such findings has meant that green tea has passed into public consciousness as a drink worth taking up, especially as an alternative to coffee.
The problem with these conclusions has been that the benefits of green tea appear to be available only to those who are willing to drink five or more cups of green tea a day, or who actually like the taste. Now however, it is possible to buy green tea extract online, so that the benefits of green tea are available to you by simply taking one capsule a day.
To see more information about green tea extract, and reliable online sources for this important health supplement, see nutrition-information.net.
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Source: http://www.articlealley.com
Source: http://www.articlealley.com
