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Green Tea
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Green tea contains vitamins, minerals, volatile oils, and caffeine but the primary constituents responsible for the herbs medicinal and antioxidant effects is catechin. Catechin is believed to be responsible for the majority of green tea’s health effects. The green tea catechins make up approximately 30% of the dry weight of green tea leaves. Of the catechins, EGCG is the most abundant one in green tea leaves.
Green tea catechins have been found to exhibit a number of antioxidant activities, including scavenging of such reactive oxygen species as superoxide, hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals, inhibition of lipid peroxidation, inhibition of 2'-deoxyguanosine oxidation in DNA to 8-hydroxy-2' -deoxyguanosine and inhibition of the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins. Of all the catechins found in green tea EGCG appears to have the greatest antioxidant activity and, in some studies, it has been found to be a more powerful antioxidant than ascorbate or reduced glutathione.
Green tea has also been shown to protect against damage to LDL (“bad”) cholesterol caused by oxygen. Consumption of green tea increases antioxidant activity in the blood. Oxidative damage to LDL can promote atherosclerosis.
Much of the research supporting the health benefits of green tea is based on the amount of green tea typically consumed in oriental countries which is approximately 3 cups (750 ml) per day (providing 240–320 mg of polyphenols). However, other research suggests as much as 2,500 ml per day is necessary to obtain any noticeable health benefits from supplementation.
Serafini M, Ghiselli A, Ferro-Luzzi A. In vivo antioxidant effect of green tea in man. Eur J Clin Nutr 1996;50:28–32.
Sasazuki S, Komdama H, Yoshimasu K, et al. Relation between green tea consumption and severity of coronary atherosclerosis among Japanese men and women. Ann Epidemiol 2000;10:401–8.
Graham HN. Green tea composition, consumption, and polyphenol chemistry. Prev Med 1992;21:334–50.
Murray MT. The Healing Power of Herbs. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 1995, 192–6.
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