Antioxidants In Green Tea

Oxygen isn’t harmful to your body, is it?
 
Oxygen is an essential element that all members of the animal
kingdom need. Oxygen is that element that triggers the body to
burn glucose and fat to provide heat and energy. But as
essential as oxygen is, it does have its negative effects.
 
During the process of oxidation, highly reactive byproducts
called free radicals are produced. These free radicals act on
other molecules, turning them into free radicals like
themselves and disrupting their normal functioning. This
eventually leads to massive cell destruction, tissue damage,
and can even cause degenerative diseases like cancer, heart
disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid
arthritis, and atherosclerosis.
 
Fortunately, the human body comes equipped to use antioxidants
as a natural defense against these harmful free radicals.
Antioxidants are naturally occurring chemical substances found
in fruits and vegetables. They act on free radicals by hunting
them down and neutralizing them.
 
Among the many plants that contain disease-fighting
antioxidants is the camellia sinensis (the tea plant). For
centuries, tea has been served in Chinese households as
beverage that promotes health and general well-being. Green tea
is especially favored due its many astounding health benefits.
 
Green tea has been consumed in India, China, Japan, and
Thailand throughout history. In traditional Chinese and Indian
medicine, green tea is used as a stimulant, a diuretic (to
promote the excretion of urine), an astringent (to control
bleeding and help heal wounds), and to improve heart health.
 
The benefits of green tea are largely attributed to the
presence of polycatechins. Among flavonoids, catechin is ranked
high in its antioxidant effects and properties. Catechin is the
substance in green tea which makes the beverage an excellent
source of antioxidants. Other substances in green tea with
antioxidant effects are tannin and vitamins such as A
(carotene), C, and E.
 
Catechins are powerful polyphenolic antioxidants. The
antioxidants in green tea have powerful anti-carcinogenic,
cardio-protective, nuero-protective, and anti-microbial
actions. A particularly bioactive catechin called
epigallocatechin gallate has been singled out as very important
because of its possible antioxidant effects in preventing
cancer.

About The Author: Linda Brown contributes to several web sites,
including http://lutok.com and http://web-healthy.com