The healing powers of green tea

The healing powers of green tea have been valued in Asia for thousands of years. In the West, preliminary research suggests that drinking green tea may help to prevent cancer and possibly heart disease. Read on to learn more about the benefits of green tea.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG): One of a class of fla­vo­noids called catechins, EGCG is believed to be the most potent compound in green tea.

With the purported capacity to fight cancer at all stages, EGCG may have:

1.  Antioxidant power to seek out and destroy harmful free radicals.
2. The ability to inhibit an enzyme needed for the growth of cancer cells.
3. The capacity to induce apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells without damaging healthy cells. Researchers are also currently examining EGCG's potential role in reducing LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

Rest assured that adding milk to tea will not diminish the benefits associated with its healthful compounds. A study suggests that the addition of milk to black or green tea did not adversely affect antioxidant content or activity in 21 healthy study participants.

Also, it might be worth buying a teapot and some loose tea or teabags, as one study showed that the levels of catechins in instant teas and bottled teas were lower than in freshly brewed tea.

Evidence suggests that drinking green tea may promote weight loss. Though the amount of green tea required to achieve weight loss has not been specified, researchers suggest that long-term consumption of green tea may decrease the incidence of obesity.

• Brew green tea, sweeten with honey, chill and serve over ice.
• Sweeten green tea, then follow the directions on packages of unflavoured gelatin to make your own Jell-O.
• Steep green tea leaves in warm milk for 30 minutes, or until full-flavoured. Use the milk in sweet puddings, cake recipes, soups or pancake and waffle batter. Or use it in a vanilla ice cream recipe to make green tea ice cream.
• Make cubes of iced green tea and use them to cool lemonade.
• Brew a pot of green tea and use it as the basis for a vegetable soup or broth.