Green tea is easily one of the healthiest beverages on the planet. Its rich profile of antioxidants, nutrients, and other therapeutic compounds make it a powerful tool for improving nearly every aspect of your health.
And after studying some of these compounds more thoroughly, many researchers have decided that green tea is one heck of a functional food too (this means that its constituents can be used to treat specific diseases and conditions). Before we get into the details about what studies have revealed, though, let’s take a look at green tea’s illustrious history, which will give you a better idea of just how underestimated this stuff is as a natural medicine.
The history of this great healing tea is long and winding, but we know for sure that the leaves of the Camellia sinensis tree were harvested and steeped as a tea as long as 5000 years ago. The “green” in green tea refers to the fact that the leaves are not cured, aged, or otherwise oxidized in any form prior to being steeped (in ancient times, all tea was “green” tea). Green tea became a mainstay of the Chinese civilization, and continues to be lauded as a health and longevity tonic even in the modern incarnation of traditional Chinese medicine.
Meanwhile, in the world of conventional medicine, green tea remained an unassuming beverage—that is, until studies started scientifically confirming its incredible healing properties.
Green tea zaps cancer stem cells
Green tea began getting a lot more attention when researchers discovered that one of the compounds it contains, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), dramatically inhibits cancerous tumor growth by targeting cancer stem cells (CSC’s).
As we’ve discussed in other articles, CSC’s are the “mother” cells that control the proliferation of cancer cell colonies—if you can knock them out (which neither chemo or radiation can do), you can beat the whole tumor. Scientists have been surprised to find that healing foods, not dangerous and expensive cancer treatments, may be the key to fighting CSC’s. A recent study listed EGCG as one of the top CSC-targeting foods.[1]
Like many of the other top anti-cancer foods, green tea interrupts the signaling pathways of CSC’s. Simply put: it breaks down communication between CSC’s and the colonies of cancer cells they control, so that growth and proliferation can’t happen as easily.
Prevention is the key
Even if you or a loved one isn’t battling cancer, you’d still do well to befriend green tea.
For starters, it’s just as good at preventing cancer as it is at curing it. The National Cancer Institute predicts that by 2050, cancer will affect one out of every three women, and one out of every two men—so you can never be too careful when it comes to prevention.
And green tea is the real deal: one 10-year prospective study demonstrated that drinking green tea every day delayed the onset of cancer by up to 7.3 years (in individuals with biomarkers indicating the development of cancer).[2]
There’s also significant evidence suggesting that green tea can prevent primary cancer altogether, especially when consumed in conjunction with other anticancer foods and compounds. Studies have found that green tea consumption can lower the risk of breast cancer by 22%,[3] lower the risk of prostate cancer by 48%,[4] and lower the risk of colorectal cancer by a whopping 57%.[5] All across the board, studies have shown that those who frequently drink green tea are less likely to develop various types of cancer.
And it’s not just cancer against which green tea protects you. Name an ailment or health problem, and there’s probably a statistic showing how green tea can help you with it. Here’s just a few examples…
Brain health. Drinking green tea offers a cognitive boost that many people find superior to that of coffee, because it contains an anti-anxiety compound called L-theanine, which synergizes with caffeine. It also cumulatively improves brain function over time, protects the brain from neurodegeneration, and significantly lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.[6]
Heart health. With its abundance of antioxidants, green tea lowers total and LDL cholesterol, and protects LDL cholesterol particles from oxidation. Taken together, these benefits amount to a 31% lower risk of heart disease and stroke.[7]
Disease resistance. The bioactive compounds in green tea kill bacteria,[8] inhibit viruses like influenza,[9] and lower your overall risk of disease. A body continually enriched with loads of antioxidants is one that is much better at resisting disease.
Weight and blood sugar management. Green tea boosts metabolism, increases fat oxidation by 17%,[10] and has been shown to improve overall physical performance by up to 12%[11]—all of which helps immensely with weight management. This is just one reason why it also lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by an impressive 42%[12] (it also lowers blood sugar levels and improves insulin sensitivity).[13]
Longevity. The coup-de-grace: a Japanese study demonstrated that drinking green tea can lower the risk of death by all causes by 23% in women and 12% in men.[14]
Get the picture?
You couldn’t ask for more out of a beverage—it’s delicious, nurturing (when hot), refreshing (when cold), energizing (without being overly stimulating or anxiety-inducing), and packed to the gills with health-promoting compounds.
So if you’re interested in living a longer, stronger, more disease-free life, be sure to add green tea to your list of daily (or at least frequent) health rituals.
We also highly recommend this amazing blend of superfoods green drink which contains organic matcha green tea, matcha is high in the antioxidant called EGCG which reduces stress, regulates hormones within normal ranges, and reduces appetite. (EGCG) epigallocatechin gallate, has also been identified to dramatically inhibit cancerous tumor growth by targeting cancer stem cells (CSC’s).
References
[1] http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/natural-products-target-cancer-stem-cells
[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4384709/
[3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16311246
[4] http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/167/1/71.abstract
[5] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17548688
[6] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15350981
[7] http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/8/1548S.short
[8] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1472-765X.1989.tb00255.x/abstract
[9] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22184430
[10] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18326618
[11] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2005.00445.x/abstract
[12] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16618952
[13] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23803878
