Everyone has heard of green tea, whether or not they are a tea drinker. It is the latest addition to every health freak's diet. From weight loss to blood pressure control, this super food claims to do it all. But does it really help? Or is it just flavoured, mildly caffeinated hot water? One cannot trust everything that is found on the internet. So let me give you on a comprehensive guide to the truth about green tea- super food or fad.
According to the National Cancer Institute, the polyphenols in tea have been shown to decrease tumour growth in laboratory and animal studies and may protect against damage caused by ultraviolet UVB radiation.
In countries where green tea consumption is high, cancer rates tend to be lower, but to link that to green tea may be far-fetched since there are other lifestyle factors to consider. One large-scale clinical study compared green tea drinkers with non-drinkers and found that those who drank the most tea were less likely to develop pancreatic cancer, particularly women, who were 50% less likely to develop the disease. Many studies, on the other hand, have shown that there is no link between the green tea and cancer. In 2005, the FDA stated that "there is no credible evidence to support qualified health claims for green tea consumption and a reduced risk of gastric, lung, colon/rectal, oesophageal, pancreatic, ovarian, and combined cancers.
A 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that green tea consumption is associated with reduced mortality due to all causes, including cardiovascular disease. The study followed over 40,000 Japanese participants between the ages of 40 and 79 for 11 years, starting in 1994.The participants who drank at least 5 cups of green tea per day had a significantly lower risk of dying (especially from cardiovascular disease) than those who drank less than one cup of tea per day.
An analysis of published studies in 2011 found that consuming green tea, either as a beverage or in capsule form, was linked to significant but modest reductions in total and LDL or "bad" cholesterol. Another study found that consuming 10 cups of green tea per day can lower total cholesterol, however, consuming 4 cups or less had no effect on cholesterol levels.
Studies concerning the relationship between green tea and diabetes have been inconsistent. Some have shown a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes for green tea drinkers than for those who consumed no tea, while other studies have found no association between tea consumption and diabetes at all.
Green tea may promote a small, non-significant weight loss in overweight and obese adults; however, since the weight lost in the studies were so minimal, it is unlikely that green tea is clinically important for weight loss.
Research published in the journal Psychopharmacology in 2014 suggests that green tea can enhance our brain's cognitive functions, particularly the working memory. The research team said their findings suggest that green tea could be promising in the treatment of cognitive impairments associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, such as dementia.
In a study published in 2011, researchers tested the effect of a component of green tea, CAGTE, after it had been digested, to see how it affected a key protein in Alzheimer's disease. The study showed that at high concentrations, CAGTE protected the cells from the toxic effects of the protein amyloid-beta.
The Alzheimer's Society commented that, "this study adds to previous research that suggests green tea might help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. However, the researchers used a far higher dose of the active green tea chemical than would ever be found in the human body. More research is needed to see whether green tea is protective at a much lower dose, and to understand the mechanism involved.
Thus while green tea does help in treating many conditions, there is not enough evidence to support its claim for other diseases. It certainly is not a bad addition to your diet!
No comments:
Post a Comment