January 19
Scientific Name Hibiscus
For many, Green Tea seems to be just another one of a long line of health related products that people have gone mad over recently; but is it any different from any of the other so called natural remedies?
In this article we’re going to find out a bit more about what goes into Green Tea, then we’ll look at the health claims made for it, and finally we’ll see if any of these claims can actually be backed up by science.
Let’s start with an extremely brief History Of Green Tea.
There appears to be references to Green Tea, in Chinese literature, going back as far as 5,000 years ago, however, it now seems to be associated with cultures in Japan, Asia, South Korea, and the Middle East, too. It made its way into Europe sometime in the early 1600’s.
It is said that it was discovered by Shien Non Shei, who, after tasting the juice of the leaves, decided that they would taste better mixed with water. It is also said that it was actually discovered by the Emperor called Shen Nung when a tea blossom fell into a cup of hot water he was drinking.
The sugar and milk appears to have been a much later European contribution to tea.
What goes into Green Tea?
The major differences between Green Tea and Herbal Teas‘ aren’t just what go into them; they’re also what come out of them.
The only real link between Green Tea and Herbal Tea is the name ‘Tea’. Green Tea is made solely from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis (The Tea plant), and Herbal Teas may be blended with things as diverse as: chamomile, lemon, lavender, citrus blossoms, mint, liquorice, orange, fennel, nettles, hibiscus, roses, rose hips, jasmine, rosemary, thyme, vetiver, valerian, willow, St. John’s Wort, etc, anything other than Camellia Sinensis.
A more scientific break down of the ingredients of Green Tea shows that it contains: Caffeine, tannin, theobromine, saponins, theophylline, wax, fat, polyphenols (catechins in particular), essential oils, carotene, vitamin C, vitamins A, B1, B12, K and P, magnesium, fluoride, iron, calcium, strontium, copper, nickel, and zinc. There are also trace elements of molybdenum and phosphorus.
I’m feeling thirsty already.
What are the health claims being made for Green Tea?
Some of the claims being made for it are that it can help prevent, or even treat cancer. It can treat multiply sclerosis and impaired immune systems. It is said to help prevent both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. It can reduce the risk of heart disease, and tooth decay. It also helps to improve rheumatoid arthritis and your cholesterol levels. There are also a number of minor claims like increasing fat oxidation and metabolism so as to help with weight loss.
Is there scientific evidence for the health benefit claims?
There seems to be some conflicting opinions on whether Green Tea has any proven medical or health benefits.
According to Dr. Katja Boehm and colleagues (posted at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/cam/green-tea-review ) “…Drinking Green Tea remains unproven in cancer prevention, but appears to be safe at moderate, regular, and habitual use.”
However, the same website also reports that “Two studies in China, where green tea is a mainstay of the diet, resulted in promising findings. One study involving over 18,000 men found that tea drinkers were about half as likely to develop stomach or [sic] esophageal cancer as men who drank little tea, even after adjusting for smoking and other health and diet factors. A second study at the Beijing Dental Hospital found that consuming 3 grams Of Tea a day, or about 2 cups, along with the application of a Tea Extract, reduced the size and proliferation of leukoplakia, a precancerous oral plaque.” ( http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/prevention/tea ).
So, at the moment, there doesn’t appear to have been enough studies done to say conclusively that it can do all that it claims, only that it doesn’t appear to cause any further damage. Some of the things contained in it are known to be beneficial to you i.e. the antioxidants, so the chances are that it may have some positive effect on you.
So there we have it. We’ve discovered that Green Tea could be called pure tea and Herbal called a generic tea, as it can be blended with roots, leaves, flowers, and bark from other plants but it doesn’t include Camellia Sinensis. We’ve heard some of the health benefits that drinking it is supposed to have on you, and we’ve seen that the scientific evidence is, at the moment, fairly inconclusive.
Based on all of that, are you going to take up drinking Green Tea?
For other interesting health related articles head over to Better-Health-fitnes.info
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