All You Ever Needed to Know About Green Tea
Tea in the form of green or black tea
is the most consumed beverage next to water in the world. The use of
green tea has gained popularity in the U.S. over the past decade.
History of Green Tea
Green tea is believed to have been discovered by the
Chinese over four thousand years ago and was used for its herbal
medicinal powers. Common names for green tea are Chinese tea or Japanese
tea. Green tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant. Fresh leaves from
the Camellia Senensis plant are steamed to produce green tea.
Components of Green Tea
Green tea contains some vitamins, minerals, acids,
flavanoids, fluoride and polyphenols.
Potential Benefits of Green Tea:
 Gre en tea may help to lower blood pressure and
help prevent hypertension.
This occurs because tea increases the body’s production of nitric
oxide, which widens arteries and thereby reduces blood pressure. The
Archives of Internal Medicine found that persons consuming tea
regularly (˝ cup to 2 ˝ cups per day) for a period of one year
showed a 46% decreased risk of developing high blood pressure.
Regular intake of green tea in your diet can reduce the risk of
esophageal cancer by as much as 60 percent, according to the Journal
of the National Cancer Institute. In addition, other research
indicates that green tea plays a part in preventing cancers of the
bladder, colon, rectum, pancreas, liver and lung.
Green tea protects the heart by lowering the level of LDL
cholesterol, triglycerides and fibrinogen (a protein in the blood
involved in the formation of blood clots), thereby reducing the risk
of heart attack. In addition, green tea may help prevent the
formation of blood clots.
Green tea kills bacteria that cause dental plaque and bad breath and
may help fight dental caries. This occurs due to the natural
fluoride found in green tea. In addition green tea catechins have
anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal activity.
Green tea may protect smokers from some of the negative effects of
smoking.
Possible Side Effects of Green Tea
Most people do not experience problems while
drinking green tea in moderation. Green tea does contain caffeine
which can cause side effects. Serious side effects of green tea when
taken in a large dosage may include: high blood pressure, anxiety
and difficulty breathing and seizures. Green tea has not been
evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration for safely,
effectiveness or purity. Persons with heart disease, kidney problems
or using a blood thinner such as Coumadin should check with their
health care providers concerning the use of green tea.
For more information:
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this page
www.doh.state.fl.us
www.tobaccofreeflorida.com
Palm Beach County:
Susan V. Grammond, MPH, RD, LD/N
Clinical Coordinator-WIC and Nutrition
Palm Beach County Health Department
800 Clematis Street- Room 5523
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
(561) 671-4071
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