1. The use of green tea as a medicine began thousands of years ago, at first in China and then spreading throughout Asia.
2. Like water, green tea has no calories.  Regular green tea has a water content of 99.9% and it can rehydrate the body.
3. Green tea is sugar-free, even though it has somewhat of a sweet taste.
4. Green tea contains many nutrients including manganese, zinc, chromium, selenium, and a multitude of vitamins.
5. The tea contains substantial amounts of vitamin C and other vitamins and nutrients.

Catechin

1. Japanese teas contain a bioflavonoid known as catechin which has antioxidant and antiviral properties.  The highest traces of catechin are found in tea leaves grown in full sunlight.
2. Adding boiling water to green tea is bad for the healthy catechins in the tea. The water for green tea should be 160 to 170 degrees.
3. Tea leaves grown in full sunlight like sencha contain the most traces of catechin.
4. The vitamin C in a lemon makes it easier for a person to absorb the catechins in green tea. Therefore, you should add lemon or lemon juice to green tea.
5. Dairy or milk makes it more difficult for a person to absorb the catechins of green tea.  Dairy products contain casein. Casein inhibits the absorption of catechin from tea, and blocks the healthy effects that catechin provides.  Non-dairy milks such as soy, almond, or coconut are naturally casein-free. These are the perfect additives and will not affect the body’s ability to absorb the catechins.
6. The antibacterial and antiviral catechins in green tea can be effective in treating influenza and cancer.  Antioxidants found in tea help the body recover from a cold quickly.
7. According to the study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the catechins commonly found in its leaves can penetrate into the eye tissue; protecting it from glaucoma and other eye diseases.
8. The catechin in matcha are proven to inhibit angiotensin. This means there is less contraction from blood vessels which leads to lower blood pressure. Lower blood pressure means a lower chance of stroke, heart disease, kidney failure, and a whole host of other health problems. Higher levels of catechin equals lower blood pressure with matcha than either common green or black teas.
   
   Read more about catechin.

EGCG

1. The antioxidant catechin in matcha helps to slow down the aging process. Catechin prevents free radicals from destroying body cells. One specific catechin, EGCg, is known for its cancer-fighting properties. matcha contains over 100 times more EGCg than any other tea on the market. (www.naturallivingideas.com/10-amazing-benefits-of-matcha-green-tea/)
2. A person’s metabolism is increased by drinking green tea.  Green tea boosts the metabolism and thus promotes weight loss.  Many weight loss supplements therefore contain green tea as an ingredient.  Some studies have found that EGCG in green tea may help a person to drop a few pounds.
3. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking EGCG in green tea has been linked to a lower incidence of depressive symptoms.
   
   Read more about ECGC

Polyphenols

1. The fact that green tea is processed differently than black tea is why the green tea has more health benefits.  Green tea is not fermented like black tea, and therefore it retains a greater amount of polyphenols and antioxidants which provide its health benefits.
2. Green tea contains polyphenols that prevent the growth of tumors.  
3. Scientists believe that the polyphenols in green tea are responsible for its health benefits. Polyphenols are strong antioxidants. They also make green tea taste a bit bitter. Black tea contains less polyphenols than green tea. (University of Maryland Medical Center, http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/green-tea)
4. Brewed hot tea has more polyphenols than either iced tea or instant tea.
5. The antioxidants in green tea also prevent the growth of abnormal cells.
6. It was found in one study that the risk of developing prostate cancer was 48% lower in men who drank green tea.
7. Researchers have found that people who drink green tea regularly reduce their risk of breast cancer by 22 percent, colorectal cancer by 57 percent, and prostate cancer by 48 percent.
   
   Read more about polyphenols

Tannins

1. Green teas contain tannins that reduce the body’s ability to absorb nutrients like folic acid and iron. It is therefore best to drink green tea between meals rather than with them.  
2. It is believed by some that green tea reduces the risk of esophageal cancer.
3. Dr. Kristi Pado Funk of Pink Lotus Breast Center has claimed that drinking three cups of a green tea with the potency of a Matcha a day decreases breast cancer risk by half.
4. Drinking a strong brew is recommended to treat stomach ailments.  Is extremely high in fiber, aiding in digestion.
5. Matcha has 30 times more fiber than regular green tea. This makes sense because drinking matcha means you are consuming the entire leaf. Fiber is important because it helps you control your weight, reduces the risk for diabetes and diverticular diseases, and helps keep you regular.
6. The fiber in matcha can help lower your cholesterol. matcha contains 314 mg of fiber because it is crushed tea leaves. Regular green tea has only 10 mg of fiber.
7. Green tea can relax the muscles that support the bronchial tube benefiting those with asthma.
8. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition stated that consuming this tea boosts energy expenditure, allowing you to burn up to twenty-five percent more calories during your workout.
9. Green tea intensifies fat oxidation levels as well as the rate a person’s body converts food into calories.
10. Matcha increases thermogenesis (the body’s rate of burning calories) by up to 3 times faster. Drinking a cup of Matcha will increase your thermogenesis from 8-10% up to 34-35% of your daily energy expenditures.
11. Green tea intensifies fat oxidation levels as well as the rate a person’s body converts food into calories.
12. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found it can increase the body’s rate of burning calories from 8%-10% of daily energy expenditure to between 35% and 43%.
13. According to Ochner, by substituting 1 to 2 cups of green tea for a can of non-diet soda every day for a year, you will save over 50,000 calories. Healthy cells have been found to be helped by green tea in all growth stages.
14. Researchers have found that people who drink green tea at least ten times a week have healthier and stronger bones than people who do not.
15. Green tea lowers the level of LDL or “bad” cholesterol in the body.
16. Between green, black, and oolong, green tea contains the most antioxidants. Many scientists believe that antioxidants reduce signs of aging, reduce the risk of cancer and reduce the risk of heart disease because antioxidants block free-radicals.  Some researchers have found that both green tea and black tea can help reduce the risk of heart disease by controlling high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  Green tea has been found to improve blood flow and lower cholesterol.  The 2013 studies also discovered green tea helped to prevent congestive heart failure.
17. Green tea also prevents clot formations which are the main cause of heart attacks.
18. Scientists believe that green tea helps the lining of blood vessels to stay relaxed and to be better able to withstand blood pressure changes.
19. Men who drink green tea usually have lower cholesterol than men who don’t drink green tea according to a population-based study. Another animal-based study found that green tea may block cholesterol from being absorbed by the intestines.  
20. Not only does green tea reduce bad cholesterol in a person’s blood, it also makes the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol better.
21. Green tea helps with the regulating of glucose levels and prevents the rising of a person’s sugar after eating.  Both fat storage and insulin spikes are prevented by green tea.
22. In animal-based studies, green tea helped prevent type 1 diabetes. It also helped to regulate glucose levels in animals with type 1 diabetes. Scientists believe that drinking green tea could help manage type 2 diabetes as well.  Drinking green tea is believed to help a person with diabetes keep his or her blood sugar stable.
23. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), which is part of the NIH, has been studying green tea. The NCCIH is currently studying green tea’s effects on the liver and the safety of giving green tea who are HIV-positive.
24. Matcha is packed with more antioxidants than regular green tea. Just 1 gram of matcha contains 1,384 ORAC units (oxygen radical absorption capability). The higher the ORAC units, the more antioxidant effect it will have on your body. It takes 10 cups of common green tea to get the same antioxidants as one cup of matcha. (www.matchsource.com/health-benefits-of-matcha-tea)
25. The USDA recommends 3,000- 5,000 ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity), units per day.  ORAC experts at Tufts University discovered it possesses an amazing twenty times more ORAC than pomegranates or blueberries, both antioxidant-rich sources.
    
    Read more about Tannin

This article is a chapter of my published book Green Tea Mania: 250+ Green Tea Facts, Cooking and Brewing Tips & Trivia You (Probably) Didn’t Know. You can get the book from Amazon from here.   You can find more great articles related to green tea and health on my blog, Japanese Green Tea, and Health.

Images provided and copyright held by author

[adrotate group=”5″]