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Is
This Simple Drink Nature’s Most Powerful Anti-Oxidant?
Scientific evidence now suggests that just a
few cups of green tea a day can have a dramatic effect on your
well being
The news today is all about the
extraordinary growth of the Chinese economy, but is there a
danger that in importing Western affluence the Chinese may also
import our levels of the characteristic diseases of affluence
– obesity, diabetes, heart attack, stroke and even cancer?
Perhaps, but probably not, so long as
traditional Chinese medicine retains its focus on promoting the
balance and harmony of the entire human organism; on unleashing
and then harnessing the body’s own incredible healing
powers.
The Chinese approach is becoming
increasingly popular in the West, but fortunately there's no need
for you wait until you’re ill or to consult a specialist
practitioner to derive the benefits. As amazing as it may
seem, as simple a change as incorporating a few cups of green tea
a day in your routine can deliver dramatic improvements in your
well being.
Tea became widely known in China during the
Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) but there’s evidence that its
health promoting qualities had been known to the enlightened for
at least four thousand years.
It was used first as an aid to good
digestion, stimulating the absorption of nutrients from food; and
also became known as a powerful anti-oxidant and detoxifying
agent. These qualities alone, common to all teas, would be more
than enough to make it a very valuable health supplement. But
there’s much more to green tea than this.
What makes green tea different from the more
common black varieties is the method of production. Crucially,
leaves for green tea are steamed rather than fermented,
preventing the destruction of the vital EGCG compound. If
you’ll forgive a little scientific jargon, EGCG is short for
Epigallocatechin Gallate, one of a number of catechin polyphenols
that occur naturally in tea. EGCG is a very powerful
anti-oxidant, the preservation of which has been indicated by
research to make green tea anything up to ten times more potent
than the more common fermented varieties.
The power of EGCG and related compounds in
green tea may be illustrated by comparison with the so-called
“French paradox”. Reputable recent research
has indicated that the relatively low incidence of heart disease
in France, despite the traditionally high fat national diet, is
due to the significant quantities of resveratrol found in the red
wine which is also liberally consumed.
Like EGCG, resveratrol is an anti-oxidant
polyphenol, but a 1997 study at the University of Kansas
demonstrated that EGCG is up to twice as powerful. Other
research has credited EGCG with the ability to reduce total
levels of cholesterol as well as improving the ratio of
“good” (HDL) cholesterol to “bad” (LDL)
cholesterol and protecting against the abnormal blood clotting
which is a major risk factor for both heart attacks and strokes -
still two of the biggest causes of premature death and
disablement in the Western world.
But if there's one single disease that's
most characteristic of Western society today it must surely be
obesity; as a look around your local gym or shopping mall will
quickly confirm. And in truth, many of the killer diseases
of affluence, most notably diabetes and cardio-vascular problems,
have chronic obesity at their root. Swiss research
published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in
November 1999 suggested that green tea possessed thermogenic
properties and promoted fat metabolism at a faster rate than
could be explained by its caffeine content alone. Or in
layman’s terms, green tea is a powerful fat burner which can
be a very useful tool in any weight loss program.
Finally, and perhaps most excitingly of all,
there’s increasing evidence that the anti-oxidant effects of
green tea may even have positive effects in the fight against
cancer. In a major step forward, University of Purdue researchers
recently isolated EGCG as the compound responsible, suggesting
that the amount contained in as few as four or five cups of green
tea a day may inhibit the growth of cancer cells without
apparently harming healthy tissue.
Now of course, no one is claiming green tea
as a cure for cancer, obesity or any of the conditions mentioned
above. But there no longer seems any doubt that just a few
cups a day of this very inexpensive and simplest of drinks can be
an invaluable addition to your daily health regime.
Steve Smith