The healing powers of green tea have been valued in Asia for thousands of years.
Black tea also has health benefits, but the powerful healing agents called catechins may be altered in black tea during processing.
Catechins, a class of flavonoids with antioxidant properties, are also responsible for tea’s soothing flavour and aroma.
Disease fighter A catechin compound called EGCG is believed to have the ability to fight cancer at all stages, in three big ways.
It’s purported to have the antioxidant power to seek out and destroy harmful free radicals. EGCG is thought to be able to inhibit an enzyme needed for the growth of cancer cells.
It’s believed to have the capacity to induce death of cancer cells without harming the healthy cells.
Fat fighter As if green tea’s disease-fighting capabilities weren’t enough, evidence suggests that it may promote weight loss.
Though the amount you need to drink to achieve this hasn’t been specified, researchers suggest that long-term consumption of green tea may decrease the incidence of obesity.
How much caffeine? Tea leaves actually contain twice as much caffeine by weight as coffee beans do. But when measured by volume, tea has only half as much caffeine as coffee, because tea is drunk weaker and coffee is more completely extracted from the grounds.
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