Health benefits of green tea -- how and why

Green tea contains, almost 30% of its weight, a powerful anti oxidant named EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate). EGCG belongs to the family of compounds known as polyphenols, which are know for their variety of health benefits which including substantially lowering of LDL levels in the blood, inhibitting abnormal formation of blood clots which lead to strokes, inhibit growth of cancer cells etc.

 

What made polyphenol famous was a variety know as Resveratol found in the red wine and it was associated with limiting the harmful effects of smoking and fatty diets. University of Kansas researchers in 1997 found that EGCG of green tea is twice as powerful as Resveratol !!

 

What are polyphenols? what are anti oxidants and what are free radicals ? here is the answer:

The chemical compound known as a phenol is characterized by an aromatic benzene ring with a hydroxyl group (OH) attached. This makes sense that poly-phenols refer to a chemical substance with more than one phenol group. Phenols function as potent antioxidants, reacting with free radicals. Phenols are responsible for the bright coloring in many fruits and vegetables. These fruit and vegetable phenols protect the plants from damage by disease and ultraviolet light.

Polyphenols are phytonutrients or phytochemicals. Phytonutrients are biologically active compounds in food. However, these phytonutrients are not classified as essential nutrients. This is because the body does not depend on these nutrients for proper bodily function. Phytonutrients do play a vital role in affecting our health just as significantly as vitamins and minerals do.

Polyphenols are classified as flavonoids, which is a class of phytonutrient. Polyphenols can form complexes with metal cations such as iron, zinc, and copper. This reduces the absorption of the mineral. This is beneficial because excess levels of these cations promotes the generation of free radicals. Polyphenols are potent free radical scavengers in the body. Polyphenols also protect and regenerate other dietary oxidants such as vitamin E.

A number of chronic diseases have been thought to be caused by free radical damage such as cancer, aging, and heart disease. Antioxidants protect the body from free radical damage. What are free radicals? Free radicals are caused by cigarette smoking, radiation, pollution, and herbicides. Free radicals are atoms with unpaired electrons in the outer shell. The unpaired electrons make free radicals unstable. Free radicals want only to be stable. Free radical stability requires the electrons to be paired. Free radicals are extremely reactive and will oxidize the nearest molecule.

Oxidizing causes the free radical to gain an electron but also creates another free radical. This creates a chain reaction continuing until the disruption of a living cell. Free radicals can attack proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and DNA of our body cells. However, DNA is usually preferred. DNA and free radical interactions usually result in mutations that adversely affect the cell cycle and potentially lead to malignancy. In fact, researchers believe this is how many forms of cancer arise.

Antioxidants protect the body from damaging oxidation reactions. Antioxidants safely interact with free radicals to prevent damage to vital molecules. Antioxidants donate an electron to the free radical, hence stabilizing the free radical and preventing damage. The antioxidant is stable with or without the electron, making this a win-win situation.

Why green tea is green and why black tea is black

The secret lies in the way both teas are manufactured. Leaf buds and young leaves of a plant known as Camellia Sinensis are used in making both green and black tea. For making green tea, after picking the tea leaves are steamed for drying completely. After complete drying the green tea retains more poly-phenols and nutrients. While in-case of black tea the leaves are dried partially through roasting and then allowed to ferment. This leads to their turning into black tea.

Green tea extract helps faster removal of facial wrinkles

According to a team of German experts -- a lotion made from green tea extract and a combination of LED light therapy is far more effective at removing wrinkles of face than conventional methods. In fact it works ten times faster than a similar anti-wrinkle treatment that uses just the LEDs alone.

The researchers have used photo-therapy, for more than 40 years to help heal wounds. But now in a similar technique when used daily for several months scientists have used high-intensity LEDs, similar to those used in automotive tail lights and computers, to help reduce skin wrinkles .

The researchers said they applied a daily combination of LED light and green tea extract to the facial wrinkles of a human volunteer for one month. The combination treatment resulted in smoother skin, including “less pronounced wrinkle levels, shorter wrinkle valleys, and juvenile complexion” .

source: www.khaleejtimes.com

how to prepare perfect green tea

I find following method best in preparing green tea.

Heat water only till around 65 - 75 degree celsius (just before water is about to boil, if you end up with boiling water, then let it cool down for around 2 mins.) 

Then pour it on the green tea leaves.

Brew for just 1 to 1.5 minutes. Not any longer !

and drink the fresh taste of green tea.

If you use boiling water and brew for long you can end up with a bitter green tea. So you will never get to like green tea. Most likely result would be that you would be left without so many benefits that green tea offers.