Green Tea continues to impress in the fight against age-related health problems.
Every creature on this planet is subject to the fact that our atmosphere is filled with highly reactive oxygen, meaning all life is oxidizing. We are being impacted by high stress levels as a result of this oxidation, and this causes damage to both cellular structure and function. For us, it means our cells break down, they lose the ability to renew, they die, and we age. It's just life in our biology.
Now add to this the damage that comes from the rest of the toxic environment around us (chemicals, radiation, etc), the poor nutritional value of our food, our unhealthy lifestyles, and other life stresses, and the results are the serious concerns we see burgeoning around us. Degenerative diseases, metabolic diseases, heart diseases, bone diseases -- the list goes on. Look no further than the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the US. This potentially lethal combination of abdominal fat, high lipid levels, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure (which was once relatively rare) now affects more than 40% of the population, and is responsible for shortening many people's lives and impacting health in serious ways.
Fortunately, nature also offers us ways to prevent and protect against these health dangers.
Studies say green tea is a major force for well being and long life.
Recent research has come out that is not only exciting, but is further reason to increase your green tea consumption right now. As we have noted often in the past, green tea is well recognized for its ability to offset some of the damage done through environmental attack in all its forms. It has broad-ranging effects on DNA processes, aiding repair and decreasing damage, and maybe most importantly, protecting against free radicals. By doing so, it offers potent protection against the underlying processes that lead to premature aging, disease and decline.
Green tea is a gift from nature to humans.
Because all life relies on genetics (through DNA and RNA) to maintain health, the fact that green tea powerfully bolsters and supports these mechanisms means it is highly valuable. It has even shown efficacy under extreme environmental conditions like radiation and chemical exposure.
Human trials in a 2014 study published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research demonstrated green tea supplement's capacity to reduce DNA damage in cells by 30% after only a single dose. The effects were simply remarkable but not unusual.
One of the most interesting findings from recent studies is that green tea polyphenols actually have human-target genes. Research published in Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine (2014) showed that these polyphenols target and assist with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and inflammation. Green tea enhances the natural protective mechanisms of the body, slowing inflammatory stress responses, improving cellular metabolism, and mitigating apoptosis (cell death.)
Another study published in Aging Cell journal was particularly noteworthy in that ECGC supplementation in rats led to an almost 15% increase in life span over the control group. Furthermore, rats given green tea extract showed lowered levels of oxidative stress, liver and kidney damage, and general inflammation. Evidence suggests it is activating two critical longevity genes, as well as offering key neuroprotection, and a host of other benefits on a systemic level.
For those struggling with any of the issues of metabolic syndrome, a study on green tea supplementation in Nutrition Research showed significant benefits to blood pressure, lipid profile, and insulin resistance in 56 obese and hypertensive patients. Large-scale epidemiological studies clearly indicate that green tea lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke (Circ I, 2010.)
Last year (2015), research was published in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences establishing evidence that ECGC led to significant reductions in fat digestion and absorption, as well as improved plasma antioxidant capacity. The antioxidant value of green tea is indisputable, which is a big part of what should make it indispensable to your health, but it can help you control your weight too. We use it in three of our own formulas for its very real effects and benefits.
There are numerous more studies we could add here, with more amazing health benefits, but suffice it to say that the sheer number of studies being done (one of the top most researched organics) is itself testament to the efficacy of this plant and its many health-boosting properties. It almost seems that the humble little green tea plant was designed to be a health booster to humans specifically (but then that is how the natural world works.)
Even more helpful, results from a 2013 Chinese study showed that supplementation of green tea extract is more effective than drinking tea. Requisite levels for health benefits are high enough such that drinking 3 cups of green tea daily is untenable for most people. Supplementation offers more bioavailability than tea, is proven effective in testing, has no caffeine, and can be precisely controlled for dosage.
So when you consider the key health components of your daily diet, make sure that green tea is at the top of the list. It will help you fight off the outside invaders, and keep you young and robust. Find a high quality supplement containing green tea (the common extract ECGC is actually only one of the many useful polyphenol compounds.) Research suggests that about 350 - 500mg per day is ideal for the broad range of benefits. In this world full of toxins and ravagers, adding green tea to your regimen makes good scientific, and health, sense.
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The opinions expressed in this article are of the author. Content and other information presented on the site are not meant to be medical advice or any substitute for professional advice, counseling, diagnosis, or treatment. Never delay or disregard professional medical or mental health advice from your physician or other qualified health provider.
