According to Chinese legend, green tea was discovered, only by accident, over four thousand years again. Today chinese medicine uses green tea to treat aches, pains, headaches, minor gastrointestinal disorders and depression. Green tea has also been used in detoxification, as an immune enhancer, as an energizer and to prolong life.

Green Tea for Health and Long Life

Most teas are derived from the same plant, the difference between tea products comes from how each specific tea is prepared. Green tea, unlike black and oolong tea, is not fermented, so the active constituents remain unaltered in the herb. The leaves of the tea plant are used create one of the most popular drinks in the world "tea". Green tea contain a variety of compounds minerals, vitamins, and essential nutrients, but the primary compounds that give green it is health and medicinal effects are polyphenols, particulary called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). These organic chemicals are what is believe to primarily responsible for the favorable medicinal effects that green exhibits.

Health Benefits of Green Tea

Preliminary studies suggest that green tea can lower cholesterol levels and reduce amounts of harmful LDL cholesterol. These same studies suggest that green tea may also increase cardiovascular health by making blood platelets less sticky.

Green tea has also been shown to be a strong blood antioxidant and detoxifier that can reduce oxidative damage to LDL that may lead to the development of atherosclerosis.

Still other studies have provided preliminary evidence that green tea may inhibit cancer. In a controlled study the polyphenols in green tea effectively inhibited the spread of melanoma cells in test tube animals. The polyphenols in green tea may also reduced risk in other cancers as well in humans.

Green tea has also be demonstrated to reduce harmful stomach bacteria and bateria associated with dental cavities.