Discovery of Green Tea Power
Green tea is growing in popularity and there is an explosion of new products. Have you tried the Green Tea Frappuccino® at Starbucks®, the Matcha Green Tea Blast® at Jamba Juice® or the beverage offerings on the shelves of your local store? This dramatic growth in green tea products can be attributed to the health benefits they provide.
Let's talk a little about green tea. It originated in China about 5,000 years ago. Today, the primary producing countries for green tea are Japan, China, India and Indonesia.
For centuries, green tea was considered a traditional medicine in Japan and China, as well as other parts of Asia. It has been the subject of many scientific and medical studies to determine the short and long-term health benefits.
Green tea contains an abundance of vitamins and minerals that naturally promote good health.
- Vitamin A aids in the treatment of certain eye disorders including prevention of night blindness.
- Vitamin B helps increase the rate of metabolism, maintains healthy skin and muscle tone, and enhances immune and nervous system function.
- Vitamin C reduces stress levels, fights infection and strengthens the immune system.
- Vitamin E has antioxidant properties and helps slow the aging process.
- Fluoride helps to protect tooth enamel and prevent cavities.
The most exciting news is the health benefits of EGCG, a major antioxidant in green tea, and its effects to combat hay fever symptoms and allergies.
The botanical name for green tea is camellia sinensis and its health benefits come from catechins or antioxidants in the tea leaves. The most abundant catechin is epigallocatechin-3-gallate, also known as EGCG, and this is the ingredient responsible for most of the health benefits relating to green tea.
Through proper processing of the green tea leaves into a concentrated form, one can obtain the maximum amount of antioxidants. This concentrated form of green tea and EGCG, along with other minerals and vitamins, transforms into good bacteria in our body thereby improving the immune system. In addition to EGCG, green tea contains other active ingredients such as flavonoids, polyphenois, caffeine and other catechins.
In a study by Professor Tachibana in Japan, the mast cells of the nose and mouth, which contain histamine, were examined. High levels of EGCG have been found to suppress histamine release in the mast cells, reducing allergic symptoms. The study found that EGCG blocks the IgE receptor (immunoglobin E) in mast cells, thereby suppressing histamine release. It is through the blocking of histamine in the mast cells that the allergic reactions and symptoms of hay fever can be reduced. (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry) More detail of the study
