Recent studies have found that green tea, with regular consumption of around 3 to 5 cups a day, can lower blood sugar levels, reduce cardiovascular disease risk, and decrease dental plaque and gingivitis.
Green tea has been popular in many parts of Asia for centuries, and it has also gained its popularity in the West during the recent decades. Black tea has always been the popular tea of choice in the United States, and thanks to a number of studies linking green tea consumption to optimum human health sales for this type of tea have risen dramatically.
Green tea comes from the same plant as black, white, and oolong teas. This plant is the Camelia sinensis, a bush with shrubs that has been cultivated in china for around 5,000 years. What makes green tea special from the other teas is how the leaves are processed.
Black and oolong teas are derived from leaves that have undergone oxidation, thus changing their color and their chemical composition. Meanwhile, green tea comes from leaves that are steamed right after picking. This prevents oxidation and retains significant amounts of catechins, which is a type of chemical compound/flavonoid that offers a plethora of health benefits.
The catechins in green tea are highly antioxidant, fighting free radicals that harm and damage the tissues. Free radicals contribute to most chronic illnesses as well as to aging.
However, despite green tea's amazing health wonders, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration still does not formally acknowledge green tea's capabilities to reduce the risk of various diseases. Still, research endeavors have proven that green tea is to be prized and valued, especially with the reality that in the United States, the leading chronic illness for both women and men is heart disease. Green tea can help lower the risk of a heart attack and stroke.