The Health Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea has cooling properties that aid in rehydration, calming the mind and eliminating toxic heat and phlegm. An ideal drink for the season of summer, green tea has flavours that range from bitter to sweet both in initial taste and aftertaste. The first health aspect that comes to mind when looking at green tea is it is high in antioxidant, which boosts the immune system.

The source of the rich antioxidants found in green tea is from a compound called flavonoid. The major elements of this antioxidant are kaempferol, catechin, EGC and EGCG. EGCG inhibits the growth of cancer cells, killing them without harming healthy tissue. Because of the way green tea is processed, the EGCG compound is not oxidised and remains at optimum levels compared to semi-fermented and fermented teas (Oolong, Black, Pu'Er). These other teas are not as effective in preventing and fighting various dis-eases.

Traditionally green tea was used to relieve indigestion and aid in regular bowel movements, lethargy, heat exhaustion and headaches. Renowned for clearing toxins in the body as soon as they form, diseases have less time to manifest into life threatening illnesses, which is why daily green tea consumption is essential to optimising our health. This is a classic example of preventative medicine.