The Benefits Of Green Tea, Beverage tea holds advantages over green-tea supplements according to an analyis by USDA financed researchers. The analysis, published in the March Journal of the Association of Analytical Communities International (AOAC), indicates commercially available green-tea based dietary supplements are not the same as green tea. The AOAC is an organization of scientists dedicated to excellence in analytical methods. The associations peer review journal is published six times a year. The article noted that samples from eight liquid dietary supplements and 12 green tea pills (capsules and tablets) showed evidence of higher degradation of the catechins and flavonol glycosides that are found in tea leaves. Researcher Dr. Pei Chen, a research chemist with the USDAs Agricultural Research Service (ARS) writes that Although there are some good green tea dietary supplement products, there is no way for the consumer to know the qualities of the green tea dietary supplement products from reading the labels. Some of the products contained unlabeled ingredients including sucrose and fenugeek. Dr. Chen concluded that the claim that a green tea dietary supplement is a good alternative for tea leaves is questionable from a chemical composition point of view. Source: Journal of AOAC International: A Non-targeted Approach to Chemical Discrimination Between Green Tea Dietary Supplements and Green Tea Leaves by HPLC/MS Consuming polyphenols, like those found in green tea, helps postmenopausal women preserve bone density and slow the onset of osteoporosis. Researchers at Texas Tech University Health Science Center report that mature women given daily doses of green tea polyphenols experienced improved bone health. There are 10 million individuals afflicted with osteoporosis in America, four in five are women. The six-month study of 171 postmenopausal women confirmed the favorable effect of modest green tea consumption on bone remodeling in this pre-osteoporotic population. Each was given daily vitamin supplement containing 500 miligrams, equivalent of four to five cups of unsweetened green tea. The average age was 57. The women were encouraged but not required to practice tai chi as part of a daily exercise regimen. Tai chi is a mind-body exercise emphasizing slow and gentle movements and deep breathing exercises to build strength, flexibility and help participants relax. Polyphenols have previously proven effective in arresting bone loss in animal studies according to the journal Osteoporosis International. This class of compounds is an effective antioxidant that neutralizes highly charged ions called free radicals which are known to damage cells and contribute to inflammation. Of the estimated 2 million broken bones caused in the U.S. each year by osteoporosis, nearly 300,000 are fractures of the hip, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). Researchers, many of whom were involved with both studies, concluded that drinking green tea may be an effective way for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis to slow bone loss and even improve bone mineral density, according to the online resource Endocrine Web. Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking Green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol. To sum up, here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful: Cancer Rheumatoid arthritis High cholesterol levels Cardiovascular disease Infection Impaired immune function.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 08:58:53 +0000
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