Green Tea: Antioxidants Catechins and Weight Loss

Green tea has traditionally been one of the more popular beverages in eastern culture whereas black tea has been more commonly consumed within the U.S.A., England, and Canada. Black, green, white, and Oolong teas are all made from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. Herb teas are unique in that they are blends of selected herbs, spices, fruits, or other plants, and generally do not contain caffeine. Herb teas are not made from the Camellia sinensis plant as are oolong black white and green tea.

There are many reasons why you should be going green in your choice of tea. It is the method in which green tea is processed which makes it so different from other types. It contains less caffeine yet has increased antioxidants and Catechins, plus a wealth of health benefits that the black variety cannot equal. The antioxidant rich green tea leaves have much to offer. Studies show that this beverage may have the power to extend life expectancy by providing protection from cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

These are just a few of the reported health benefits that sipping a few cups each day can provide. There are many advantages to adding a cup or two of green tea into your daily regimen. While the Black and Oolong varieties lose much of their antioxidant content when they are processed, the green and white tea are processed so as to maintain their rich composition of antioxidants. It is this action which make this beverage so much healthier a drink for us to consume. The green leaves are steamed rather than fermented (which is the method most other teas are subjected to). This process is what allows the Polyphenols within the green leaves to remain at a higher level than that of black or oolong. Polyphenols are super antioxidants and green tea contains up to five times more of these than the black or Oolong do. There is a definite advantage to drinking a green tea vs one made of the standard black leaf. The high antioxidant levels within green tea are why this beverage maintains its health advantage over the others.

The powerful antioxidants levels of green tea may have the ability to extend life expectancy. An eleven year study conducted in Japan followed 40,530 adults who drank varying amounts of green tea. The study showed that those individuals who drank five or more cups of Green tea daily had a significant increase in their life expectancy. The study results found that if you are a woman and you consume five or more cups of tea per day then your risk of dying can decrease by about twenty-three percent. If you are a man drinking five or more cups of green tea per day you can reduce your odds of dying from any cause by up to twelve percent. The study showed that men who drank five or more cups per day reduced their odds of dying from cardiovascular disease by a possible twenty-two percent. Women in the study group reduced their risk by thirty-one percent.

Catechins are powerful antioxidants which reduce the number of free radicals within the body and this tea maintains a very high quantity of them. One of the most powerful antioxidants within Green Tea, Epigallocatechin-3-gallate prevents damage of heart muscle cells from inflammation. Catechins also act as a blood thinner which helps to prevent unusual blood clotting from occurring. They are believed to contribute largely to the powerful health benefits found within green tea. By reducing the number of free radicals roaming within the body antioxidants may effectively reduce the risk of developing heart disease and other age related illnesses.


Catechins are powerful antioxidants which are extremely efficient in repairing free radicals which are unstable cells within our body. Catechins are plant polyphenols that are also known as Tannins. These catechins, or polyphenols, are largely responsible for the bitter tart taste in a strong cup of tea or glass of wine so also bring a bit of a bitter grassy taste to this beverage as well. They are also the reason why it is important to brew this beverage in a gentle manner to reduce the potential bitter bite that can accompany its creation.

Drinking five or more cups of green tea per day may even help you lose the extra weight that you have been carrying around with you. The catechins within this infusion are super antioxidants that are able to speed up the body's metabolism as well as the body's fat burning capabilities. The results of studies involving green tea found that consuming 690mg of catechins per day over 12 weeks did serve to reduce body fat. The catechins seem to focus their fat attack on the extra weight that gathers around the waistline. So sipping a cup of two of a green leaf tea just may actually help you to burn that hard to lose fat. The studies indicate that catechins may indeed be useful in the fight against obesity if you are willing to sip at least 5 cups of this antioxidant rich beverage per day. The caffinated variety was found to work best in the weight loss achieved.


The facts are that this beverage contains four basic types of catechins: gallocatechin (GC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin (EC), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The most efficient of these is EGCG which acts as a very powerful antioxidant.Statistically speaking green tea is a nutritious drink and there is no controversy surrounding this fact. If you are a man drinking five or more cups per day you can possibly reduce your odds of dying from a stroke by about forty-two percent. If you are a woman drinking this same amount daily then you can possibly reduce your risk of dying of a stroke by about sixty-two percent. Green tea dilutes the blood so may prevent unusual clot formation from occurring.

The antioxidants within this tea help to promote heart health by destroying the free radicals that cause damage to the body. It is believed that the health benefits of this beverage can go even further and aide in preventing cancers from forming. Research shows that a few cups daily will help in our fight against breast cancer, colon cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, and tumors within the brain. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate fights cancer. It is a powerful antioxidant that is believed to seek out and destroy cancer cells. These compounds also help prevent the formation of new cancer cells so it may be able to slow down the course of some existing forms of cancer. Which is a nice benefit to drinking this relaxing beverage.

Did you know that green tea also has powerful antibacterial properties? These antibacterial properties make it ideal as a soothing bath or spa ingredient. Seriously, tea really isn't just for sipping anymore, you can pop a green leaf bag into your bathwater to receive the wonderful heath benefits that this plant offers. You can also use a green tea solution for cleaning surfaces in your home.

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