Today many product information labels make references to green tea. Green Tea, Black Tea - Isn’t tea, just tea? What’s wrong with the black tea my mom still drinks every day? And what is the green tea and cancer bit I’ve read about? Where does that come into play, and does it help?
Let me try to answer these questions.
As it turns out the Camellia sinensis plant is the source for both teas. The difference is black tea is run through the fermenting process and green is not.
So that’s the process, now what is the benefit that people are always talking about? Research reports that because the green is not fermented, it retains a chemical, EGCG (epigallocatechin gallete), which is reported to be a potent antioxidant.
Antioxidants guard our body tissue from damage by free radicals. Our bodies are full of free radicals. They are produced within the body and our environment bombards us with them from exhaust, waste and other things in our every day live.
If you go back to your days in school science class, you may remember a discussion on atoms, molecules and electrons. A free radical is an unpaired electron that is highly unstable.
These unstable electrons in the body can cause cells to be damaged or destroyed. Research shows that some of the cells most likely to be effected by this destruction are cells are involved with health conditions that appear as we age. In other words, free radicals are directly linked to things as life threatening as cancer, so here lies the link between green tea and cancer.
One of the best ways to neutralize these free radicals and the damage they can cause is with antioxidants. Antioxidants come in many forms and our bodies can absorb them in many ways. Fruits, vegetables, red wines and green teas are some of the best sources.
The antioxidant EGCG contained in the tea reduces and may stop the growth of harmful cancer cells. It does this in a way that does not destroy healthy cells.
In summary, it seems that black tea and green while originating from the same plant, consuming the green one, can actually have some potent health benefits that are lost in black tea. The controlling of free radicals in the body with antioxidants can have a significant effect on your health later in life.
Eating right is one step to combating disease. When looking at green tea and cancer, don’t forget to look for nutritional supplements that contain important ingredients like green tea extract and be sure they are in measurable amount that will actually benefit your health.
Elizabeth Ruby is passionate about good health and is a firm believer in taking quality nutritional supplements. Check out her web site at http://www.your-natural-supplements-site.info/ to find out more about good healthy supplements and which one she feels delivers the best totally balanced supplement on the market today.
