The Amazing, Historic, Powerful Green Tea

By Author: David Juan
Total Articles: 90
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Green tea is one of the most healthful beverages on the
planet. It is a constant topic of medical studies around the
world. It is ancient and its chemical properties make it
potentially helpful in a range of conditions. This begins a
multi-part article in which I examine how the ancient
beverage helps battle many conditions, including cancer.

Tea drinking started in China about 5,000 years ago.
Legend has it that tea was discovered by a Chinese emperor
at this time when leaves from a bush nearby blew into his
boiling water. Long ago, Traditional Chinese Medicine

recommended tea for healthy individuals trying to prevent
various diseases. During the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD),
tea drinking as well as tea trade flourished in Asia.

True teas all come from the "Camellia sinensis" shrub.
Once the leaves are plucked from the tree, the way they are
processed determines what kinds of tea we get. Black teas
are crushed and then exposed to oxygen before they are
dried, whereas green teas ...
... are non-fermented. Oolong teas
are "partially fermented." All teas contain a group of
chemicals known as "polyphenols" and are especially high
in flavonoids. However, the types and amounts will depend
on the way the teas are processed.

In green tea, the major polyphenol belongs to the family
known as "catechins." It also contains many other
beneficial chemicals: caffeine; gallic acid; theophylline;
theobromine; theaflavins; and theanine.

More than one million Americans are diagnosed with
cancer each year. Another 500,000 die of cancer each year.
In Asia, drinking green tea and eating soy are linked to a
lower cancer rate and fewer deaths. What green tea really
does in terms of preventing cancer is culled from mostly
large population surveys -- also known as epidemiological
studies. In parts two, three and four of this series, I'll
examine specific cancers with respect to green tea.

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