Green Tea

There is a heated debate currently about the use of green tea for medicinal purposes. There are two very entrenched sides on both sides of the debate.

A Brief History of Green Tea

There is archeological evidence that suggest people have been consuming green tea over five thousand years ago. Green tea originated in India and China, and these countries continue to lead the world in green tea consumption. Green and other varieties of tea are consumed the world over. Tea is actually the second most consumed beverage on the planet. Water is the only beverage which is consumed more than tea. Green tea (Camellia Sinesis) is consumed in many countries. Hundreds of millions of gallons of the beverage is consumed around the world a year and many of those people drinking the beverage consider it to have a medicinal properties leading to many health benefits.

Green, black, and oolong are the three main varieties of tea consumed in the world. Green tea is made from unfermented leaves. It is believed that green tea contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols.

Antioxidants are only now being understood by health researchers. It is believed that antioxidant will seek out and eliminate free radicals in the body. Free radicals are compounds in the body what alter cells and tamper with DNA and other genetic materials. Free radicals can also cause the death of a cell. There are some free radicals which exist naturally in the human body; however, there are some environmental toxins which increase the number of free radicals in the body. These environmental toxins include: ultraviolet rays from the sun, radiation, cigarette smoke, and air pollution. Free radicals, according the beliefs of many scientists, contribute to the aging process. Free radicals are also believed to contribute to the development of a number of health problems, most notably cancer and heart disease. Polyphenols in green tea are a very powerful antioxidant and can eliminate many of the free radicals in the human body. With the lowering of free radicals in the body there should also be a reduction in a person’s chances to develop many harmful diseases.

In the cultures of India, China, Japan, and Thailand green tea is used for medical purposes. It is recommended as a stimulant, diuretic (promoting the excretion of urine), astringent (to control bleeding and help heal wounds), and it is also believe just to improve the overall health of an individual. There are a few more traditional uses of green tea. Green tea has been used for the treatment of flatulence (gas), regulating body temperature, regulating a person’s blood sugar, promoting digestion, and improving mental processes.

Opposition to Green Tea

With such a traditional medicinal background there are many people who dispute the health benefits of green tea. Opponents of green tea consider many of the benefits to be nothing more than myths and legends passed down for generations. Those who oppose green tea as a treatment option usually site the lack of any clinical evidence for the claims made by those using green tea as medicine.

In addition opponents of green tea have been given volumes of ammunition against the benefits of green tea in the human body. There has been a rise in the number of medicinal outlets opened in the United States. The lack of regulation in the United States has led to many companies making outrageous claims about the medicinal power of green tea.

Some of the claims which have been made without any clinical scientific evidence are varying. These claims waiting for some kind of academic backing include the following: Stopping certain neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, the prevention and treatment of all forms of cancer, treating multiple sclerosis as a type of cure all product, Joy Bauer, a New York City nutritionist, says the catechins in green tea increase metabolic levels, by speeding the release of brain chemical norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and Japanese researchers claim that drinking five cups of green tea a day can burn 70 to 80 extra calories. Dr. Nicholas Perricone, a self-proclaimed anti-aging specialist, appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and told Oprah's viewers they can lose 10 lbs (4.5 kg) in 6 weeks drinking green tea instead of coffee.

There are also those among the opponents of the use of green tea who try to discredit the antioxidant nature of polyphenols. Opponents claim that there isn’t any proof that polyphenols work as an antioxidant in the body, nor is there sufficient proof to think that free radicals are the cause of many of the most harmful and deadly disease humans are subject to contract. This claim is disputed by many studies done not only on the effects of antioxidants in green tea, but also many clinical studies which show a lowering in a person’s probability of contracting a serious and harmful disease through the lowering of their free radicals in their body.

There is also a belief that the reduction of low density lipoprotein, LDL, or bad cholesterol is a false claim as well by green tea advocates. The claim is that green tea will lower a person’s low density lipoprotein levels, by lowering the levels of triglycerides in the body and increasing the production of High-density lipoprotein, HDL, or good cholesterol. What opponents of the use of green tea in a medicinal role fail to point out is the large amount of clinical evidence and other studies indicating green tea may play a productive role in the body.

Studies Involving Green Tea

Since there is so much debate over the medicinal benefits of green tea there is a large amount of studies done on people, animals, and test tubes, to determine whether or not green tea is in fact beneficial to a person’s overall health. The results of many of these studies do indicate that green tea can have a very beneficial role in human health. Most of the research which is done on green tea involves population based studies. Population based studies are studies which follow larger groups of people over time. In these studies researchers will compare groups of people living in different cultures. The researchers will try to limit the number of variables in these types of studies, but it is very difficult for such a large group of people. In the population based studies involving green tea researchers tried to limit information to a person’s dietary habits. Due to the large scope of many of these studies it is debated whether or not specific imperial evidence can be drawn from the studies. It is thought that these population studies will provide a road map telling researchers the direction they need to travel in order to specify information, and really answer the question, why?

Green Tea versus Atherosclerosis

There has been some population based clinical studies which indicates the antioxidants properties of green tea could quite possibly prevent atherosclerosis. Green tea was also shown to have a very significant effect on coronary artery disease. There is some debate over the exact reason that green tea will lower a person’s risk of heart disease, and also why bad cholesterol, or LDL, will be lowered by lowering the amount of triglycerides levels in the body. There have also been studies which indicate that black tea also has a positive effect on heart disease. In a separate study those people drinking three or more cups of tea a day had an 11% less chance of having a heart attack compared to non-tea drinkers.

The U. S. Food and Drug Administration rejected a petition, in 2006, from tea makers to allow tea labels to claim that green tea reduces the risk of heart disease. The argument which the U. S. Food and Drug Administration made was over a lack of evidence to support the qualified health claims. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration wanted more research into the health benefits of green tea prior to allowing companies to print such a claim, with the U. S. Food and Drug Administration approval on the box.

Green Tea versus High Cholesterol

There have been many studies on both animals and humans trying to find the effect of green tea on the body’s cholesterol. There is research and findings in both animal and human testing that green teal lowers the total cholesterol in the body, and it also increase the total high density lipoprotein, HDL, or good cholesterol. In one of the larger population based studies, researchers found that men who drink green tea are more likely to have lower total cholesterol compared to those individuals who do not drink any green tea. In one of the animal studies researchers found that green tea may prevent the intestinal absorption of cholesterol and promote its excretion from the body. Green tea has also been shown to really help smoker to have better health. Studies have shown that those smokers who will drink green tea will have significantly lowered blood levels of harmful bad cholesterol, LDL, or low density lipoprotein. Many doctors have started to recommend the use of green tea as a possible natural alternative for lowering a person’s overall cholesterol.

Green Tea versus Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Researchers have found a link between those individuals with inflammatory bowel disease, and those people contracting colon cancer. People with inflammatory bowel disease have a much higher risk of contracting colon cancer. There have been some initial studies which indicate that green tea may help prevent and treat inflammatory bowel disease. Green tea does them by reducing the inflammation associated with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which are both different types of inflammatory bowel diseases. More research needs to be done to have conclusive evidence that green tea can help fight inflammatory bowel disease.

Green Tea versus Diabetes

Using green tea to treat diabetes is one of its oldest medicinal uses. Green tea is taken to control the blood sugar in the body. There have been multiple studies done on animals which suggest that green tea may help prevent the development of type 1 diabetes and slow the progression of type 1 diabetes in those individuals who have developed it. Type 1 diabetes causes people to produce little to no insulin. Insulin is a hormone that converts glucose (sugar), starches, and other foods into energy needed for daily life. Some studies even indicated that green tea may be able to help regulate glucose levels in the human body. A few small clinical studies have found that daily supplementation of the diet with green tea extract powder lowered the hemoglobin A1c level in individuals with borderline diabetes.

Green Tea versus Liver Disease

The liver is often damaged due to large consumption of alcoholic beverages. In large population based studies researchers have found that men who drink more than ten cups of green tea per day are less likely to develop disorders of the liver. Researchers have also found that green tea can help to prevent the damage which certain toxins, namely alcohol, cause in the liver. Many researchers suggest that those who drink alcohol regularly should supplement their diet with green tea. This supplementation of the green tea into the diet should help to prevent some of the many harmful side effects of drinking alcoholic beverages. Abstaining from alcohol completely is still the best option when it comes to the overall health of the body. There have also been studies in animals which show green tea to help prevent many of the tumors which develop in the liver of those who are heavy drinkers.

There has also been recent research showing green tea may help in the treatment of viral hepatitis, which is an inflammation of the liver from a virus. Green tea contains polyphenols, and one of the polyphenols present in green tea is catechin. In studies where catechin was isolated, and then used in very high concentrations, there was a positive effect in combating the hepatitis. There is still no research of whether or not green tea, which contain a much lower dosage of catechin, can have the same benefit in combating hepatitis.

Green Tea versus Cancer

One of the more vocal debates regarding green tea is its affects on cancer. There are many who will claim that green tea is a miracle curative for the disease. There have been countless postings on the internet about people using green tea as a way of getting rid of the cancers they had in their bodies. Skeptics of these reports point to the large amount of negative data which don’t support any connection between green tea and cancer prevention. What is not fully explained by either side of the debate over the effect of green tea on the body is the “Asian Paradox.”

The “Asian Paradox” refers to the lower rates of heart disease and cancer in Asia despite the high rate of cigarette smoking among the general population. Green tea advocates will point to this paradox as an example of the powers of green tea. The general Asian population drinks more green tea than any other groups of people. On average 1 . 2 liters of green tea is consumed by Asians each day, and that provides the Asian diet with high levels of polyphenols and antioxidants. Opponents of green tea’s health benefits will claim that this evidence is circumstantial. There is very little direct research which helps to make the claim that green tea is the cause of the Asian paradox. With the health debate raging about the effects of green tea on the body there has been massive amounts of research trying to see if green tea can help a person to avoid contracting cancer, and to help people treat cancers they might have.

Research Regarding Cancer and Green Tea

Much of the research done on the effect of green tea involves population studies. These population studies have been criticized for their lack of accuracy. For example it has been determined through population based studies that countries like Japan have a lower cancer rate. The population studies will then look for population practices which differ from other societies. With no direct research a person cannot look simply to population research as bases for any medical or health claims. These population studies have been used to shape the research into green tea. Scientists are looking into the different chemicals or components of green tea to see if one of them has a cancer fighting power.

Clinical studies are suggesting that the polyphenols in tea, especially green tea, may play an important role in the prevention of cancer. There are some researchers who believe that polyphenols may be able to actually kill cancerous cells in the body, and thereby stop their progression.

Here is a list of the different research studies involving different types of cancer according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Bladder Cancer. In one study involving the effects of green tea on women with bladder cancer, researchers found that women who drank black tea or powdered green tea were less likely to develop bladder cancer. The same group which did the research on the effects of green tea on bladder cancer in women also did a study on the effects of green tea on men. The study found that bladder cancer patients, particularly men, who drank green tea had a higher survival rate after five years than those who didn’t include green tea in their diet. There is a surprisingly small number of studies involving green tea an bladder cancer, and more information is expected in the near future.

Breast Cancer. Researchers are very excited about their findings involving polyphenols and their effects on breast cancer. In studies on animals and test tubes, there has been some correlation with the use of polyphenols, from green tea, and their ability to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells. One study indicated that women who consumed the most green tea experienced the least spread of cancer. This study involved 472 women at various stages of breast cancer, and at different ages. This study also found that polyphenols were more effective in premenopausal women in early stages of breast cancer. This study also indicated that women who drank green tea before being diagnosed with cancer had additional health benefits. Women who drank at least five cups of green tea a day, before being diagnosed with cancer, and in the early stages of breast cancer, were less likely to suffer a reoccurrence after of the disease after completion of the treatment. The study also found that when the women were drinking the green tea, in relation to which stage of breast cancer they were in, influenced how much green tea affected them. Women who started to drink green tea in late stages of breast cancer saw little to no improvement in their condition.

There are mixed results in studies involving whether or not green tea could be used to prevent breast cancer. There has been no conclusive evidence to indicate that drinking green tea will prevent a person from contracting breast cancer. There are some studies which do show indication that there might be some level of correlation. In a large study researchers found that there was not any type of universal association with green tea drinkers having less occurrences of breast cancer. Yet, researchers did find that the age of the women in the study did make a difference in the results of the study. Women under the age of fifty who consumed three or more cups of tea per day were thirty-seven percent less likely to develop breast cancer, compared to non-tea drinkers.

Ovarian Cancer. In a single study, in China, researchers found that women with ovarian cancer survived longer if they drank at least a single cup of green tea a day compared to non-tea drinkers. The study also found that those individuals drinking the most tea survived the longest. There is some criticism regarding this study about the lack of possible duplication. No other study has found any beneficial effects of green tea in the prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Colorectal cancer. There is a large amount of contradicting information involving studies done to determine what if any role green tea plays in the prevention or treatment of colorectal cancer. There are studies published which show that the drinking of green tea both increase and decrease the risk of contracting colorectal cancer. One of the better studies showed that women who drank five or more cups of green tea a day had a lower risk of colorectal cancer, compared to all those in the study who didn’t drink any tea; however, there was absolutely no difference in men whether they drank tea or not. With so much differing information it is important for more research to be done before determining whether or not green tea can be used in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer.

Esophageal cancer. Many people were very excited when research showed that green tea polyphenolss inhibit the growth of esophageal cancer cells in animals. Sadly, this type of finding has not been shown in human patients. The studies involving the affects of green tea among humans for the prevention and treatment of esophageal cancer have been mixed. There have been two large population level studies involving the effects of green tea on esophageal cancer. One of the large population studies found that green tea offered significant protection in fighting the development, in women, of esophageal cancer. Yet, another study had completely opposite findings. In the second study the results revealed that green tea consumption was associated with an increase in the risk of contracting esophageal cancer. The study actually showed that the stronger and hotter the tea the greater the risk of contracting esophageal cancer. With such drastic and contradicting findings from the population based research, more research is required before green tea can be recommended in the treatment or prevention of esophageal cancer.

Lung cancer. There have been many studies which show that green tea inhibits the growth of human lung cancer cells in a test tube. The problem is the success of the test tube studies have not translated to normal human use. Like the studies done on the effects of green tea on esophageal cancer and colorectal cancer—studies involving the effects of green tea on lung cancer are mixed. A population based study which involved Okinawan tea, which is very similar to green tea but partially fermented, found that there was a decrease in lung cancer risk among female tea drinkers, compared to those people who didn’t drink the tea. A second study looking specifically at the effects of green and black tea on the human body revealed that there is actually an increase in the rate of lung cancer among those people drinking tea compared to non-tea drinking participants in the study. Since both of these studies were done on the population level, more studies need to be conducted before it can be concluded whether or not green tea has a positive or negative effect on lung cancer.

Pancreatic cancer. There have been multiple favorable studies showing that green tea might help prevent the development of pancreatic cancer in humans, especially women. In a large study, which compared green tea drinkers with non-drinkers, found that the population drinking a larger amount of green tea developed fewer cases of pancreatic cancer. This finding held truer with women compared to men. Those women drinking the most green tea were half as likely to contract pancreatic cancer. While men were just thirty-seven percent less likely to contract pancreatic cancer if they were heavy green tea drinkers. Once again the majority of these studies was conducted on a population level, and is less accurate than other forms of studies. More research needs to be conducted on the test tube, animal, and small human sample group levels before any definitive answers can be given whether or not green tea has a positive effect on pancreatic cancer.

Prostate cancer. In both lab test and large population studies there have been positive signs that green tea can help to prevent and treat prostate cancer. Green tea extracts have been shown to prevent the growth of prostate cancer cells in test tubes in many laboratory studies. Large clinical studies done in Southeast China showed that the risk of prostate cancer declined when the population increased the frequency, duration, and quantity of the green tea they consumed. While these studies have been very favorable for showing the consumption of green tea can help in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer, green and black tea extracts also stimulate the genes that cause cells to be less sensitive to chemotherapy drugs. This potential interaction can prevent the benefits of chemotherapy. People suffering from prostate cancer, and going through chemotherapy should probably reconsider the use of either black or green tea.

Skin Cancer. There are currently a few products waiting for approval from the FDA for the use on human skin for the prevention of skin cancer. Researchers believe that green tea polyphenols and epigallocatechin gallate (E G C G) have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. The application of green tea may help prevent the onset and growth of skin tumors.

Stomach Cancer. Like many of the other studies done with green tea’s effects on different cancers, green tea polyphenols has been shown in laboratory studies to inhibit the growth of stomach cancer cells in test tubes; however, there has been less success in the prevention of stomach cancer in actual human testing. It two larger studies done on the effects of green tea on stomach cancer researchers studied the difference between those who drank green tea and non-green tea drinkers. Researchers found that individuals who drank green tea were about half as likely to develop stomach cancer compared to those people who didn’t drink any tea. Also those individuals who drank green tea were less likely to develop gastritis, inflammation of stomach, compared to those individuals who abstained from drinking any tea. There was a more recent study which was conducted in Japan and involved 26,000 men and women in Japan. In the more recent study in Japan there was no association between drinking green tea and reducing the risk of stomach cancer. There have also been some very recent clinical research studies which suggest that drinking green tea could increase the risk of contracting stomach cancer. Researchers in the field of green tea suggest that more studies need to be done to conclude whether or not it is beneficial to use green tea to prevent or treat stomach cancer. Researchers do emphasize that currently green tea is safe enough to be used without a higher risk of stomach cancer, but more overall research is needed for conclusive finding.

Green Tea versus Weight Loss

There is also clinical research that suggests that green tea can help a person to lose weight. Green tea in some studies has been found to increase a person’s metabolism. Metabolism is the level at which the body converts stored fats into energy. The higher a person’s metabolism the more calories their bodies burn a day, and the more fat they will lose over time. Researchers believe that the polyphenols in the green tea are responsible for the increase in human metabolism. Polyphenols, specifically catechins, help to raise a person’s metabolism when taken in herb form. Studies of green tea fat burning products show there to be a successfully raise the metabolism of overweight and moderately obese individuals. The research showed that there needs to be a specific level of green tea and caffeine in the weight burning supplement in order to gain maximum success.

What is the Right Fat Burner to Take?

When looking for the right fat burner to take it, a person should try to find one which is crafted with the right amounts of fat burning agents. There is a lack of regulation involving many herbal supplements in the United States. Many compare the industry to being in the Wild West. It is important to consider the claims being made by the different companies offering fat burners. If a claim seems too good to be true, then it normally is just that. A person should find a good thermogenic fat burner, which will make claims to help a person lose weight in conjunction with a healthy diet, a healthy lifestyle, and good exercise.

Next it is important to look at exactly what is in the fat burner. Research has shown that the most potent green tea fat burner (there are other fat burners which do work which do not involve green tea) also contain a specific blend of caffeine. A person should see that there is a good blend of both items in the fat burner. The green tea extract which is contained in the fat burner should primarily be polyphenols. A high volume of polyphenols should increase the amount of catechins in the product, and thereby increasing the products fat burning power. A good thermogenic fat burner gets most of its power from green tea extract, and so the green tea extract should be very high in the polyphenols it contains.

Most green tea fat burners, or thermogenic fat burners, are based on increasing the levels of stimulants in the body. This increase in the levels of stimulants can have negative side effects on those taking the products. Those people who suffer from insomnia should seriously consider avoiding such products. The increase in the amount of stimulates contained in most thermogenic fat burners can cause the problems of insomnia to reach a terminal level of potential health problems. When looking for a good thermogenic fat burner, also see if the company offers a lipotropic fat burner as well.

A lipotropic is a good way to help burn off the fat from the body without adding many additional stimulates. A company that also makes a lipotropic fat burner shows they understand the many different health conditions which people face. If a company is making both products then it shows they aren’t some fly-by-night operation, but rather they are looking to give their customers the highest quality items which will fit their specific lifestyles.

Recommended Daily Allowance of Green Tea

The recommended daily allowance was established by the food and nutrition board, and is used for the general term of reference for a healthy diet. These guidelines include the average daily intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%-98%) healthy individuals. The adequate intake established when evidence is insufficient to develop and recommended daily allowance, but is still set to allow for a person to get nutritional adequacy.

There currently is neither an adequate intake nor a daily recommended allowance of green tea. There are no know scientific reports on the pediatric use of green tea, therefore it is just not recommended for the use by children. Most medicinal recommendation suggest that an adult have two or three cups of green tea a day, which is 240 to 320 mg polyphenols, or 100 -750 mg per day of standardized green tea extract. These recommendations are not standardized, nor is there any overtly scientific backing for these recommendations. The amount of green tea a person should take in a day should depend on the brand of green tea they are taking. It is also recommended that a person try to find green tea products which are caffeine free when available.

Other Uses of Green Tea

There are other traditional uses of green tea which help to improve the health of the human body. Studies have shown that drinking green tea can help the effectiveness of dental care. The drinking of green tea can help to fight off the effects of tooth decay. Although researchers caution that more research needs to be conducted before anything definitive is declared about green tea and tooth decay.

There is also evidence that green tea can help a person to fight off arthritis. Green tea contains items which act as an anti-inflammatory. Research shows that individuals drinking green team tend to benefit from less inflammation and a slowing of cartilage breakdown. There is also some evidence that drinking green tea can help to prevent both the common cold and seasonal influenza.

There has also been a new product which gained approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the combating of genital warts. Studies have shown, with very conclusive evidence that creams containing green tea help in the treatment of genital warts. These creams help to reduce the inflammation caused by the warts, and help the body in the healing process.