While no one food or beverage can guarantee a life free of illness, in recent years there have been many studies that support what people in The East have believed for generations: The health benefits of premium green tea are diverse and plentiful. Along with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle, there is much research to support the health benefits of green tea and we have compiled just a small sample for you.
How it Works
Premium green tea is a
varietal of the Camellia sinensis bush. Green tea leaves are not oxidized or fermented. Green tea is processed with
a three-stage system of steaming, rolling and firing the tea leaves which retains crucial molecules called
polyphenols, which are strong antioxidants. These polyphenols, specifically catechins, and their effects on the body,
have led researchers to support the health benefits of green tea.
1) Cardiovascular Health
A Japanese study published by the Journal of the American Medical
Association [1] followed 40,000 people over an 11-year period and determined that those who drank at least five
cups of green tea daily were significantly less likely to suffer from cardiovascular complications and death,
particularly from stroke. The results were attributed to green tea’s polyphenols and their effects on helping to
prevent the thickening of artery walls.
2) Cholesterol Levels
A study published in the British Medical Journal [2] of over 1,000 Japanese men over the
age of 40 who drank large quantities of tea, daily, showed that cholesterol levels remained balanced over time. They
concluded that the anti-inflammatory compounds contained in green tea help to limit the absorption of cholesterol.
3) Weight Loss
Published in the British
Journal of Nutrition[3], a study was conducted on the health effects of green tea catechins in overweight and
obese men. Over time, a lower body mass suggested that green tea’s catechins may increase metabolic function and
decreased body weight.
4) Aging and Cognitive Function
Research published in Molecular Nutrition & Food
Research [4] found that the properties contained in green tea helped to improve cognitive function in the part
of the brain that controls short and long term memory. Catechins contained in green tea are believed to have aided in
increased brain cell production during the study.
5) Reduced Stress
Research published in The American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition [5] recently found that individuals who drank five or more cups of green tea daily were much less
likely to suffer from stress than those who drank one cup or less a day.
Furthermore, the ritual of steeping green
tea encourages a relaxing, Sip-by-Sip lifestyle.
The health benefits don’t end here; green tea and the effects of its antioxidants are currently being researched as an aid to treating and preventing diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Chronic Fatigue and many other ailments. It is time to discover why many tea enthusiasts have long enjoyed this nourishing beverage that contains so many healthful antioxidants. If you are new to tea, we hope that you have enjoyed learning about the health benefits of green tea. With a wide variety of premium green tea bags and full-leaf loose green teas available, we encourage you to give them a sip. Cheers to your health!
[1] Kuriyama S, Shimazu T, Ohmori K, et al. “Green Tea Consumption and Mortality Due to Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and All Causes in Japan: The Ohsaki Study.” JAMA. 2006;296(10):1255-1265. doi:10.1001/jama.296.10.1255.
[2] Imai, K., and K. Nakachi. “Cross sectional study of effects of drinking green tea on cardiovascular and liver diseases.” British Medical Journal 18 Mar. 1995: 693+. Health Reference Center Academic. Web. 5 Jan. 2015.
[3] A. L. Brown, J. Lane, C. Holyoak, B. Nicol, A. E. Mayes and T. Dadd (2011). Health effects of green tea catechins in overweight and obese men: a randomised controlled cross-over trial. British Journal of Nutrition, 106, pp 1880-1889. doi:10.1017/S0007114511002376. [4] Yang, Chung S. et al. “Cancer Prevention by Tea: Animal Studies, Molecular Mechanisms and Human Relevance.” Nature reviews. Cancer 9.6 (2009): 429–439. PMC. Web. 6 Jan. 2015.
[4] Yanyan Wang, Maoquan Li, Xueqing Xu, Min Song, Huansheng Tao, Yun Bai. Green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) promotes neural progenitor cell proliferation and sonic hedgehog pathway activation during adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 2012; 56 (8): 1292 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201200035
[5] Hozawa A, Kuriyama S, Nakaya N, Ohmori-Matsuda K, Kakizaki M, Sone T, Nagai M, Sugawara Y, Nitta A, Tomata Y, Niu K, Tsuji I. Green tea consumption is associated with lower psychological distress in a general population: the Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Nov;90(5):1390-6. Epub 2009 Sep 30.
