Tea has a long and ancient history and has been associated with man from time immemorial.An ancient Chinese proverb goes thus‚ "Better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one"
Tea is consumed in different forms namely‚ green tea‚ black tea‚ white tea and oolong tea. Green tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world after water.
Free Radicals
Free radicals are small‚ cell damaging molecules‚ produced by the body as waste products during normal cellular functions and also from stress‚ air pollution‚ cigarette smoke‚ X-rays‚ VU-rays ‚ drugs and excess fats. These free radicals have been linked to every known disease.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are chemical substances that are intimately involved in the prevention of cellular damage and is a security for human health. They can safely interact with these free radicals‚ scavenge them and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged‚ thereby preventing the diseases and degenerative conditions.
Green Tea
Green tea is a traditional Chinese beverage‚ being prepared from the plant Camellia sinensis. Green tea‚ unlike other teas‚ is not fermented; the young tea leaves are lightly steamed before being dried. Steaming inactivates the enzymes (polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase) thus preserving the polyphenols‚ the active constituents in the herb.
One of the main antioxidant found in green tea‚ Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has been found to be 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times than vitamin E. EGCG is also twice as powerful as resveratrol‚ a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and fatty diet.
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