Since ancient time, green tea has been used to treat ills that range from depression to headache.

Currently, scientific research has shown very hard and good evidence on the positive benefits in one's health when one drinks green tea.

The year 1994 is witness to a study published in the National Cancer Institute journal which claims that drinking regular green tea has been able to reduce one's risk of having esophageal cancer in both Chinese women and men by as much as 60%.

Research conducted in Purdue University has also shown that a green tea compound has been able to inhibit cancer cell growth.

Studies have also shown that green tea helps lower one's cholesterol levels and could even improve the ratio between good cholesterol and bad cholesterol.

Green tea has been shown to have beneficial effects for the following conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, levels of high cholesterol, disease related to the cardiovascular system, immune system impairment, infection.

Where do the green tea benefits come from?

The benefits of green tea is due to the following chemicals called catechin polyphenols, specifically EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate. This is actually an anti-oxidant that is very powerful.

Besides its ability to inhibit cancer cell growth, it is also able to destroy cancer cells yet at the same time not harming tissues that are healthy.

Green tea's benefit also include its ability to stop the formation of abnormal clots in the blood.

This skill is important as such abnormal clots is one of the causes of stroke and heart attacks.

How is green tea made?

Basically, the benefits of green tea surpass all the other teas that come from China such as black tea and oolong.

The difference particularly lie on the processing method of green tea. The leaf of the green tea is steamed thereby preventing the compound called EGCG from oxidation.

However, the leaves that produce the oolong and black teas are fermented thereby resulting in the conversion of EGCG in other compounds that do not come near to fighting and preventing other diseases.

Diet and green tea benefits

Evidence is currently cropping up which shows the benefits of green tea to dieters. In a 1999 study published in the Clinical Nutrition of the American Journal claimed that a study made in Switzerland's University of Geneva show that males provided with combined extracts of green tea and caffeine was actually able to burn a lot more calories compared to those males given a placebo or caffeine only.

Green tea benefits to the teeth

Green tea has also been shown to prevent the emergence of tooth decay. Due to green tea's natural abilities to halt food poisoning, its bacteria-destroying skill also targets plaques found on the teeth.

Believe it or not, there are also preparations intended for the skin that now contain green tea, ranging from creams to deodorants.

Green tea benefits that are harmful?

One effect of green tea that may not be good is insomnia, due partly to its caffeine contents. Compared to coffee however, green tea has actually less caffeine.

All in all, green tea could actually do more good than harm to your body. You may consider drinking green tea instead of that half cup of espresso or that latte' early in the morning, afternoon, or night.

It would not hurt to try now would it?