Green tea is, like all true teas, made from the plant Camellia sinensis. The difference between green teas and other types is that green tea is far less processed, leaving more of the beneficial antioxidants, phytochemicals and other components that make tea so healthy.
Antibiotic Properties of Green Tea
Egyptian scientists presented research at the Society for General Microbiology's 2008 meeting showing that drinking green tea while taking antibiotics boosts the activity of the antibiotics, making them more effective against potentially resistant strains. Components in even a small amount of tea seemed to reduce bacteria's ability to resist being killed by the antibiotics.
A single cup of green tea contains up to 200 mg of catechins, components shown to have an antibacterial effect.
Camellia Sinensis for Dental and Bone Health
A March 2009 study published in the Journal of Periodontology by Dr. Yoshihiro Shimazaki of Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan found that drinking one or more cups of green tea a day reduced periodontal disease. Green tea drinkers had healthier gums and teeth, and the more tea they drank, the more beneficial effects were seen.
In other recent research, scientists in Hong Kong have found that green tea works to stimulate bone formation and help slow the breakdown of old bone. The compound epigallocatechin (EGC) in green tea seems to be the active component to its bone building activity, but scientists think it also works best in concert with other things found in green tea. This finding means that green tea offers promise as a natural therapy for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis, and can be used alongside other natural methods of preventing bone loss.
Weight Loss With Green Tea
Green tea can be a great addition to a fat burning diet. Studies in Japan and the Netherlands have shown a correlation between green tea consumption and weight loss. In these studies, participants drinking green tea lost weight, lowered their body fat and had lower LDL cholesterol levels than non-drinkers. Other research has found that green tea increases people's metabolic rate, allowing them to burn off calories more quickly.
Green Tea and Longevity
A 2006 JAMA study found that Japanese tea drinkers lived longer than non-drinkers. This effect was more pronounced in women, but both sexes benefited from frequent tea consumption.
Green tea has also been shown to have an effect on the most common and deadly diseases today, including multiple types of cancer, heart disease, stroke and coronary artery disease.
Drink Tea for Maximum Health
In many of the studies, researchers found that the more tea individuals drink, the more health benefits they gain. For the best health, experts recommend 3-5 glasses of green tea a day, five days a week. More tea won't hurt, however, and there are some indications that tea drinkers who consume more than this amount get added health benefits.
How to Make Green Tea Even Better for Health
Adding sucrose (found in sugar) and lemon to green tea helps boost its nutritional punch, according to a recent study at Purdue University and published in the journal Food Research International. The ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, in the lemon and the sucrose in sugar both help increase the absorbability of catechins found in the tea. These catechins play a role in fighting heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.
References:
Kushiyama et al. Relationship Between Intake of Green Tea and Periodontal Disease. Journal of Periodontology, 2009; 80 (3): 372 DOI: 10.1902/jop.2009.080510
Cabrera, C.; Artacho, R.; Gimenez, R.Beneficial effects of green tea—a review J Am. Coll. Nutr. 2006, 25 ( 2) 79– 99
Ko,C.; Lau, K.M.; Choy, W.Y.; Leung, P.C. Effects of Tea Catechins, Epigallocatechin, Gallocatechin, and Gallocatechin Gallate, on Bone Metabolism. J. Agric. Food Chem., 2009, 57 (16), pp 7293–7297
Bridget Coila - I'm a cell and molecular biologist, freelance writer and photographer currently living in Beijing, China. I'm fascinated by science, ...
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