Green tea is a health drink. This drink is contain many important stuf tou aour body. For antioksidan, keep uoung, and fresh your braing. Can green tea prevent or ease Alzheimer's disease, that devastating disease that can rob you of your ability to learn, reason, communicate, remember and carry out daily activities? Well, no one's saying that yet. But recent studies of the effects of green tea's catechins on animal brains are intriguing:
Delayed brain aging
A study of mice genetically programmed to age rapidly found that taking in green tea catechins on a daily basis prevented oxidative damage to the DNA in their brain cells, slowed memory loss and delayed brain aging.¹
Reversed mental deterioration
Another study of rapidly-aging mice measured the extent of their brain degeneration over time.² Mice that received green or oolong tea as their sole source of drinking fluid for 16 weeks reduced degenerative changes to their brains and actually reversed their mental deterioration. (These mice actually got smarter!)
Improved memory-related learning
Long term administration of green tea catechins to young rats lowered levels of damaging free radicals in a part of the brain that's vital to memory processing.³ The catechin-consuming rats also experienced improved memory-related learning ability, compared to those that didn't receive the catechins.
Less buildup of plaque
Finally, mice specially bred to develop Alzheimer's disease developed up to 54% less beta-amyloid buildup in their brains when they were given daily injections of the green tea catechin EGCg.4 Beta-amyloid plaques are believed to be a major cause of the brain cell death and dissue loss seen in Alzheimer's disease.
Of course, the big question still looms: Does green tea have the same effects in humans as it does in mice and rats? While few human studies of green tea's effects on brain function exist, one published in 2006 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition offers hope.5 Researchers gathered information from 1,003 Japanese men and women age 70+, measured their cognitive function, and tallied the frequency of their green tea consumption. After analyzing the data, the researchers concluded that, A higher consumption of green tea is associated with a lower prevalence of cognitive impairmenmt in humans." In other words, the more green tea they drank the less likely they were to have problems related to thinking and memory.
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Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Sunday, February 1, 2009
A Cup Of Green Tea
You have to imagine it –a steaming, fragrant cup of green tea. The clear, pale green liquid gives off a delicious aroma somewhat like wet hay mixed with the scent of apples or pears. You lift the cup to your lips and take the first sip. The comforting liquid rolls over your tongue and eases down your throat, brightening and warming as it goes. Its slight astringency freshens your mouth, making it feel naturally clean. This warm, delightful beverage is soothing, especially if you take a moment to sit and sip it slowly. But at the same time, it’s also stimulating, giving you a much needed pick-me-up in the morning or the middle of the long afternoon. Is it any wonder that tea has been enjoyed for nearly 5,000 years – and that it’s the world’s most widely consumed beverage, next to water?
Yet green tea is a lot more than just a delicious and satisfying drink -- it also has medicinal properties that are nothing short of amazing. Way back in the year 1211 the Japanese monk Eisai wrote that "Tea is a miraculous medicine for the maintenance of health. Tea has an extraordinary power to prolong life." And today, scientific are confirming that what Eisai said may be true, finding that green tea can boost the immune system, inhibit the cancer process at virtually every stage, regulate cholesterol levels, assist in weight loss, fight free radical damage, and ward off viruses, fungi and food-borne bacteria. It also helps inhibit dental plaque formation, lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, slow cognitive decline, and may even help increase the lifespan. Virtually no other substance on earth can claim such a wide range of health benefits!
I’m Nadine Taylor, a Registered Dietitian with a great interest in the healing power of foods. I have been so impressed by the science behind green tea’s health benefits that I started collecting green tea studies and information about ten years ago and eventually wrote a book about it. My aim in this column is to bring that knowledge to you, explaining how green performs its health-promoting "miracles," telling about the fascinating history and customs of tea drinking, and revealing some interesting new tea tidbits. (Did you know that green tea extract can grow hair?) My articles and question-and-answer column will appear monthly, and I hope you’ll join me. And don’t forget to bring along a nice hot cup of green tea!
What is Green Tea, Anyway?
Green, black, oolong, herbal – what’s the difference? Well, first of all the word "tea" is correctly used only when it refers to leaves taken from the Camellia sinensis bush. And that means that herbal teas really aren’t tea – only green, black and oolong tea are the "real thing." That said, the way the Camellia sinensis leaves are processed will determine which of these three choices the end product becomes.
To make black tea, the freshly picked tea leaves must be fermented. Fermenting occurs when an enzyme in the tea leaf called polyphenol oxidase combines with oxygen, so the leaves are left in the sun to wither and dry for 18-24 hours, then broken up to encourage further fermentation.. Then firing the leaves stops the fermentation and dries them. Making oolong tea is similar, although the withering and fermenting processes are shorter, resulting in a partially-fermented leaf. But to make green tea the leaf isn’t fermented at all – in fact, just the opposite! The tea leaves are steamed almost immediately after picking in order to stop the fermentation process, after which they are rolled and dried.
The health benefits of the resulting tea will largely be determined by whether or not the tea leaf has been fermented. The fresh tea leaf contains large amounts of catechins (pronounced "CAT-i-kins"), powerful disease fighters and potent antioxidants that give green tea its health-enhancing abilities. But when exposed to air and polyphenol oxidase, the catechins change into completely different compounds called theaflavins and thearubigens. The theaflavins and thearubigens, which give black tea its distinctive taste, aroma and dark color, do have some health benefits, but not the same wide-ranging antioxidant and disease-fighting prowess seen in the catechins.
So in green tea manufacturing, it’s extremely important to rush the freshly picked leaves from the field to the manufacturing plant, being careful not to break or bruise them. There, the leaves are steamed or pan-fired immediately to inactivate the polyphenol oxidase. Afterwards, it’s safe to roll, twist, dry and package the leaves without worrying about obliterating the catechins. Yet even after the manufacturing process has been completed, green tea catechins can be destroyed if exposed to oxygen for too long. That’s why you should always keep your green tea in an air-tight container, even if it’s already in tea bag form. Remember: oxygen is the catechins’ worst enemy.
Yet green tea is a lot more than just a delicious and satisfying drink -- it also has medicinal properties that are nothing short of amazing. Way back in the year 1211 the Japanese monk Eisai wrote that "Tea is a miraculous medicine for the maintenance of health. Tea has an extraordinary power to prolong life." And today, scientific are confirming that what Eisai said may be true, finding that green tea can boost the immune system, inhibit the cancer process at virtually every stage, regulate cholesterol levels, assist in weight loss, fight free radical damage, and ward off viruses, fungi and food-borne bacteria. It also helps inhibit dental plaque formation, lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, slow cognitive decline, and may even help increase the lifespan. Virtually no other substance on earth can claim such a wide range of health benefits!
I’m Nadine Taylor, a Registered Dietitian with a great interest in the healing power of foods. I have been so impressed by the science behind green tea’s health benefits that I started collecting green tea studies and information about ten years ago and eventually wrote a book about it. My aim in this column is to bring that knowledge to you, explaining how green performs its health-promoting "miracles," telling about the fascinating history and customs of tea drinking, and revealing some interesting new tea tidbits. (Did you know that green tea extract can grow hair?) My articles and question-and-answer column will appear monthly, and I hope you’ll join me. And don’t forget to bring along a nice hot cup of green tea!
What is Green Tea, Anyway?
Green, black, oolong, herbal – what’s the difference? Well, first of all the word "tea" is correctly used only when it refers to leaves taken from the Camellia sinensis bush. And that means that herbal teas really aren’t tea – only green, black and oolong tea are the "real thing." That said, the way the Camellia sinensis leaves are processed will determine which of these three choices the end product becomes.
To make black tea, the freshly picked tea leaves must be fermented. Fermenting occurs when an enzyme in the tea leaf called polyphenol oxidase combines with oxygen, so the leaves are left in the sun to wither and dry for 18-24 hours, then broken up to encourage further fermentation.. Then firing the leaves stops the fermentation and dries them. Making oolong tea is similar, although the withering and fermenting processes are shorter, resulting in a partially-fermented leaf. But to make green tea the leaf isn’t fermented at all – in fact, just the opposite! The tea leaves are steamed almost immediately after picking in order to stop the fermentation process, after which they are rolled and dried.
The health benefits of the resulting tea will largely be determined by whether or not the tea leaf has been fermented. The fresh tea leaf contains large amounts of catechins (pronounced "CAT-i-kins"), powerful disease fighters and potent antioxidants that give green tea its health-enhancing abilities. But when exposed to air and polyphenol oxidase, the catechins change into completely different compounds called theaflavins and thearubigens. The theaflavins and thearubigens, which give black tea its distinctive taste, aroma and dark color, do have some health benefits, but not the same wide-ranging antioxidant and disease-fighting prowess seen in the catechins.
So in green tea manufacturing, it’s extremely important to rush the freshly picked leaves from the field to the manufacturing plant, being careful not to break or bruise them. There, the leaves are steamed or pan-fired immediately to inactivate the polyphenol oxidase. Afterwards, it’s safe to roll, twist, dry and package the leaves without worrying about obliterating the catechins. Yet even after the manufacturing process has been completed, green tea catechins can be destroyed if exposed to oxygen for too long. That’s why you should always keep your green tea in an air-tight container, even if it’s already in tea bag form. Remember: oxygen is the catechins’ worst enemy.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The Benefits of Green Tea
Green tea is a drink that the most reported as have many healthy benefits. The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. Green is a miracle drink. This tea besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue
What is the secret of Green tea to prevent cancer? The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.
Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.
New evidence is emerging that green tea can even help dieters. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.
Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market.
What is the secret of Green tea to prevent cancer? The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.
Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.
New evidence is emerging that green tea can even help dieters. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.
Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Drink Tea to Prevent Cancer
Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, second in popularity only to water. People in China and India have long associated drinking tea with good health. Now researchers around the world are studying the potential health benefits of tea, particularly as it relates to the prevention and treatment of various types of cancer. The primary focus of this research is on a particular substance, called an antioxidant.
What Are Antioxidants? During the process of normal metabolism, our cells are constantly forming harmful substances called free radicals. These free radicals are hazardous because they are molecularly unstable and must steal electrons from other molecules in the cell in order to become stable. Unfortunately, this electron theft can damage both proteins and DNA, leaving the cell vulnerable to cancer.
To guard against the harm caused by unchecked free radicals, our cells have developed ways to absorb some of them before they have a chance to wreak their full havoc. In addition, our diet contains substances called antioxidants, which do essentially the same thing. Fruits, vegetables, and certain teas are particularly rich in these antioxidants. Because of their protective effect, some researchers believe that high consumption of antioxidants can reduce the risk of certain cancers.
Which Antioxidants are Found in Tea?
Catechins are the type of antioxidants found in tea. All black or green teas come from the leaves of a single type of evergreen plant called Camellia sinesis. When the tea is ready, it is picked, rolled, dried, and heated. This is green tea. To produce black tea, the leaves are allowed to ferment and oxidize. This presumably explains why green tea contains higher levels of antioxidants than black tea. Research has shown that steeping either green or black tea for about five minutes releases as much as 80% of its antioxidants. Instant iced tea, on the other hand, contains almost none.
What Are Antioxidants? During the process of normal metabolism, our cells are constantly forming harmful substances called free radicals. These free radicals are hazardous because they are molecularly unstable and must steal electrons from other molecules in the cell in order to become stable. Unfortunately, this electron theft can damage both proteins and DNA, leaving the cell vulnerable to cancer.
To guard against the harm caused by unchecked free radicals, our cells have developed ways to absorb some of them before they have a chance to wreak their full havoc. In addition, our diet contains substances called antioxidants, which do essentially the same thing. Fruits, vegetables, and certain teas are particularly rich in these antioxidants. Because of their protective effect, some researchers believe that high consumption of antioxidants can reduce the risk of certain cancers.
Which Antioxidants are Found in Tea?
Catechins are the type of antioxidants found in tea. All black or green teas come from the leaves of a single type of evergreen plant called Camellia sinesis. When the tea is ready, it is picked, rolled, dried, and heated. This is green tea. To produce black tea, the leaves are allowed to ferment and oxidize. This presumably explains why green tea contains higher levels of antioxidants than black tea. Research has shown that steeping either green or black tea for about five minutes releases as much as 80% of its antioxidants. Instant iced tea, on the other hand, contains almost none.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Drink Tea, and Keep Your Mind Young
Another new study shows that green tea may protect an aging brain. Green tea is very popular in Asia and has long been deemed as a soothing health tonic. Japan has a lower rate of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia than the U.S. and other Western countries, and it could be attributed to the high levels of green tea consumption.
Researchers from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that seniors in Japan who drank one or more cups of green tea a day were half as likely to show cognitive and memory problems as those who drank less. The more tea the subjects drank, the lower their chances of having mental difficulties. Members of green tea-drinking cultures usually consume three cups a day.
Green tea contains the potent compound EGCG, which seems to inhibit the production of beta-amyloid, a toxic protein that clogs the brains of Alzheimer’s victims. Other studies show that EGCG may prevent heart disease, certain cancers, bacterial infections and the spread of HIV.
Researchers from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that seniors in Japan who drank one or more cups of green tea a day were half as likely to show cognitive and memory problems as those who drank less. The more tea the subjects drank, the lower their chances of having mental difficulties. Members of green tea-drinking cultures usually consume three cups a day.
Green tea contains the potent compound EGCG, which seems to inhibit the production of beta-amyloid, a toxic protein that clogs the brains of Alzheimer’s victims. Other studies show that EGCG may prevent heart disease, certain cancers, bacterial infections and the spread of HIV.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Tea for Health, De-stress with Tea
Although the relaxing properties of tea have been speculated for some time, scientific evidence was lacking. Several recent human studies have shown that drinking tea four times a day for six weeks, enables people to recover faster from stressful events. This is due to a decrease in the hormone cortisol, which causes stress. Scientists speculate that ingredients in tea may affect neurotransmitters in the brain.
Theanine is a compound found almost exclusively in the tea plant, Camellia sinesis. Also found in one species of mushrooms and two other Camellia genus species, theanine is an amino acid being studied for its calming properties. Theanine comprises 50% of the amino acids in tea, and one to two percent of the dry weight of tea leaves.
In studies with rats, theanine was able to cross the blood barrier of the brain, increasing alpha-brain wave activity. This brain activity is a sign of induced relaxation. Of the four brain waves, Gamma, Theta, Alpha and Beta, Alpha waves create a relaxed physical and mental condition while the brain is awake and alert. Gamma and Theta waves are present during sleep, and Beta waves signify an awake and excited state.
Theanine is also known to improve concentration and ability to learn, support the immune system and lower cholesterol. A small study with Japanese university students showed that a relaxed and alert state of mind began about 40 minutes after the students took a 200mg theanine supplement.
More studies are being conducted to help understand the effect of theanine in tea.
Theanine is a compound found almost exclusively in the tea plant, Camellia sinesis. Also found in one species of mushrooms and two other Camellia genus species, theanine is an amino acid being studied for its calming properties. Theanine comprises 50% of the amino acids in tea, and one to two percent of the dry weight of tea leaves.
In studies with rats, theanine was able to cross the blood barrier of the brain, increasing alpha-brain wave activity. This brain activity is a sign of induced relaxation. Of the four brain waves, Gamma, Theta, Alpha and Beta, Alpha waves create a relaxed physical and mental condition while the brain is awake and alert. Gamma and Theta waves are present during sleep, and Beta waves signify an awake and excited state.
Theanine is also known to improve concentration and ability to learn, support the immune system and lower cholesterol. A small study with Japanese university students showed that a relaxed and alert state of mind began about 40 minutes after the students took a 200mg theanine supplement.
More studies are being conducted to help understand the effect of theanine in tea.
Drink Tea and safe Your Health
"Drinking tea is actually better for you than drinking water. Water is essentially replacing fluid. Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants, so it's got two things going for it," said Dr. Carrie Ruxton, nutrition team leader.
In a recent study by The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dr. Ruxton and her team from King's College, London, found that tea is healthier for your body than plain water. Tea not only re-hydrates the body, but it also contains disease-fighting antioxidants. Because of these antioxidants, drinking tea may offer protection against heart disease, stroke and many types of cancer including: lung, mouth, breast, pancreas, colorectal, esophageal, bladder and skin.
In a recent study by The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dr. Ruxton and her team from King's College, London, found that tea is healthier for your body than plain water. Tea not only re-hydrates the body, but it also contains disease-fighting antioxidants. Because of these antioxidants, drinking tea may offer protection against heart disease, stroke and many types of cancer including: lung, mouth, breast, pancreas, colorectal, esophageal, bladder and skin.
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