Do you drink tea? What is your favorite tea? How often do you drink it?
Let’s have a little, “Tea Talk”. After water, tea is the most popular
drink in the world. In addition to its great variety of tastes,
drinking tea has been associated with many health benefits including
prevention of heart disease and cancer.
So, what is the key ingredient for tea’s benefits?
Catechins — a potent and effective form of polyphenol antioxidants.
Green tea is chemically characterized by its abundance in catechins.
According to research, a typical cup of brewed green tea contains, by
dry weight, 30–40% catechins, while equal amount of Oolong tea contains
roughly 16% and black tea 3–10% catechins.
What is the science behind tea’s cancer protective effect?
Cancer protective benefits of tea catechins have been attributed to the following areas:
1. Antioxidant properties, which positively impact on the ability of the body’s cells to handle oxidative stress.
2. Enhancement on immune functions through its nutrients’ absorption
and anti-microbial effect. Tea catechins can inhibit pathogen growth
and modulate immune cells and inflammation markers.
3. Promotion of weight management through its effects on metabolism and
metabolic enzymes. While increasing your metabolism, tea catechins also
intensify fat oxidation and themogenesis, helping burn body fat
naturally.
4. Protection against digestive and respiratory infections.
5. Inhibition on cancer cell growth, which is related to the diminished
tumor growth and metastases observed from scientific studies.
In Bushman’s literature review (1998) on green tea and human cancer,
which examined a total of 31 human studies and four reviews, the
majority of these studies indicate that tea consumption is associated
with reduced risks for cancers of the colon, urinary bladder, stomach,
esophagus, pancreas and lung. New findings also showed that high
consumption of green tea was closely associated with decreased numbers
of lymph node metastases among pre-menopausal Stage I and II breast
cancer patients.
Any substitute of green tea?
Sure.
Tegreen 97, produced by Pharmanex, provides a highly concentrated,
proprietary extract of green tea catechins. Each Tegreen 97 capsule
contains the catechins equivalent of seven cups of green tea without
the caffeine. With other polyphenol antioxidants as its constituents,
Tegreen 97 is one of the most potent antioxidant products on the
market, providing your body with maximum protection for critical cell
structures such as DNA. Interestingly, studies from Pharmanex also
showed that Tegreen 97 can have a significant beneficial effect in
managing serious health conditions such as weight gain and need for
blood sugar control.
It is recommended that consumers select a tea extract that is
decaffeinated and standardized for total polyphenol contents and/or
catechin concentrations. When shopping the tea market, please be aware
of all of this. Also, Pharmanex Tegreen 97 meets all the criteria.
Photo credit: by Kanko
