Friday, March 18, 2011

Green & White Tea - Review

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White Tea vs. Green Tea


When discussing white tea vs green tea, it is important to realize that they both come from the same plant, the tea plant Camellia sinensis. The main difference between the two types of tea is that the white tea leaves are harvested at a younger age than the green tea leaves. They both undergo very little processing. White tea is not fermented at all, while green tea is partly fermented. By contrast, black tea is fully fermented. Because they are so gently treated, white tea and green tea retain their content of beneficial antioxidants.

However, studies have shown that the young, white tea leaves retain antioxidants in higher concentrations than green tea does. Studies have shown that white tea has a concentration of antioxidants that is three times higher than in green tea. Essentially, white tea contains the same concentrations of antioxidants as the young and fresh tea leaf buds that are still attached to the bush. This makes white tea the tea with the highest antioxidant content, which for many is the main reason for drinking white tea. For comparison, one cup of white tea contains approximately twelve (12) times as much antioxidants as fresh orange juice.


Regularly drinking green tea could protect against Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia

Coffee or tea: enjoy both in moderation for heart benefits

Drinking more than six cups of tea per day was associated with a 36 percent lower risk of heart disease compared to those who drank less than one cup of tea per day. Drinking three to six cups of tea per day was associated with a 45 percent reduced risk of death from heart disease, compared to consumption of less than one cup per day.



Green tea may help improve bone health

Researchers in Hong Kong are reporting new evidence that green tea — one of the most popular beverages consumed worldwide and now available as a dietary supplement — may help improve bone health. They found that the tea contains a group of chemicals that can stimulate bone formation and help slow its breakdown.


Green tea fights prostate cancer

According to results of a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, men with prostate cancer who consumed the active compounds in green tea demonstrated a significant reduction in serum markers predictive of prostate cancer progression.


White Tea Helps Weight Loss

Possible anti-obesity effects of white tea have been demonstrated in a series of experiments on human fat cells (adipocytes). Researchers have shown that an extract of the herbal brew effectively inhibits the generation of new adipocytes and stimulates fat mobilization from mature fat cells.


Antioxidants in green tea may help reduce periodontal disease

Researchers found that routine intake of green tea may also help promote healthy teeth and gums. The study analyzed the periodontal health of 940 men, and found that those who regularly drank green tea had superior periodontal health than subjects that consumed less green tea.



Green, black tea can reduce stroke risk



Drinking at least three cups of green or black tea a day can significantly reduce the risk of stroke, a new UCLA study has found. And the more you drink, the better your odds of staving off a stroke.


Green tea may delay onset of type 1 diabetes

A powerful antioxidant in green tea may prevent or delay the onset of type 1 diabetes, Medical College of Georgia researchers say. Researchers were testing EGCG, green tea's predominant antioxidant, in a laboratory mouse with type 1 diabetes and primary Sjogren's syndrome, which damages moisture-producing glands, causing dry mouth and eyes. "Our study focused on Sjogren's syndrome, so learning that EGCG also can prevent and delay insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes was a big surprise."


Drinking Tea May Offer Health Benefits

Cardiovascular: There’s some early evidence that regularly drinking green tea may reduce heart attack risk or atherosclerosis.

Bone and joint health: Green tea could be beneficial in reducing inflammation related to arthritis and slowing cartilage breakdown. Some early data indicate that regular tea consumption might improve bone mineral density in older women.

Memory: Older adults in Japan who drank green tea daily showed less risk of memory difficulty, compared with those who didn’t drink tea regularly.


Green tea boosts production of detox enzymes, rendering cancerous chemicals harmless


Concentrated chemicals derived from green tea dramatically boosted production of a group of key detoxification enzymes in people with low levels of these beneficial proteins, according to researchers at Arizona Cancer Center. These findings suggest that a green tea concentrate might help some people strengthen their metabolic defense against toxins capable of causing cancer.


Green Tea May Help Fight Rheumatoid Arthritis


A compound in green tea may provide therapeutic benefits to people with rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers found that the compound inhibited the production of several molecules in the immune system that contribute to inflammation and joint damage in people with rheumatoid arthritis. The compound from green tea also was found to suppress the inflammatory products in the connective tissue of people with rheumatoid arthritis.


Green tea may help prevent autoimmune diseases


Green tea may protect from inflamed bladder


Citrus Juice, Vitamin C Give Staying Power to Green Tea Antioxidants

Catechins (pronounced KA'-teh-kins), display health-promoting qualities and may be responsible for some of green tea's reported health benefits, like reduced risk of cancer, heart attack and stroke. The problem is that catechins are relatively unstable in non-acidic environments, such as the intestines, and less than 20 percent of the total remains after digestion. A study found that citrus juices enable more of green tea's unique antioxidants to remain after simulated digestion, making the pairing even healthier than previously thought. Lemon juice caused 80 percent of tea's catechins to remain, the study found. Following lemon, in terms of stabilizing power, were orange, lime and grapefruit juices.


Also see Green tea better with asorbic acid (lemon, etc.)

Green tea helps beat superbugs

The results surprised the researchers, showing that in almost every case and for all types of antibiotics tested, drinking green tea at the same time as taking the medicines seemed to reduce the bacteria’s drug resistance, even in superbug strains, and increase the action of the antibiotics. In some cases, even a low concentration of green tea was effective.



Green tea may protect brain cells against Parkinson's disease



Milk eliminates cardiovascular health benefits of tea


Green Tea Shown to Possess Antitumor Effect in Breast Cancer


Some green tea negatives:
Drinking green tea interferes with some cancer and heart drugs.
Health Benefits of Green Tea May Decrease After Long Storage
Drinking very hot tea can increase the risk of throat cancer

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