Green tea has become one of the most popular drinks worldwide. Like red wine, more and more people have started to drink green tea for its health benefits and then subsequently enjoy its exquisite tastes as well as its wealth of oriental history. As public awareness in health issues are gradually increased through education and media, the term "antioxidants" have become very well known. It has become what seems to be a common elixir to many diverse health problems currently being faced by man. Yes, we are now told to start prevent and even cure illnesses through the foods and drinks we eat daily. We are constantly encouraged to eat more foods that are natural, unprocessed, low fat, low sugar, low salt and high in antioxidants. Green tea happens to fit the bill while many other drinks we have been drinking for years have fell out of favor with the doctors. Now, it seems we are drinking too much coffee, soft drinks, sugared drinks and sugar-substitute drinks, etc. Medical studies have shown that green tea contains very high levels of antioxidants and can help with cancer prevention, heart protection, arthritis prevention, liver protection etc.

Cancer is one of the most dreaded incurable diseases that have plagued human history. It is now the top killing disease in many countries around the world. There are now many medical research teams working on the effects of drinking green tea on the prevention and cure of cancer. Significant medical evidences have pointed that the antioxidants in green tea can significantly suppress cancer cell growth in the stomach, urinary bladder, and the pancreas. We now know about catechin polyphenols which occur naturally in many plants and fruits. Do you know that catechins constitute 25% of the weight of a leaf from the tea plant Camellia Sinensis? The catechin polyphenols contain a very potent antioxidant known as epigallocatechin gallate, which can inhibits and kill off cancerous cells without harming other adjacent healthy cell tissues.

When our cholesterol levels are too high, thrombosis formation in our blood vessels will occur which increases the risk for heart diseases. Thrombosis obstructs the flow of blood and the heart must work harder in order to continue pumping blood throughout our bodies. No surprises, but studies have shown that antioxidants from green tea can bind with excess harmful cholesterol and form harmless substances that can be easily flushed out of our bodies. This reduces the risk of hypertension and other cardiac diseases. Some studies have also shown that the pigallocatechin gallate oxidant contained in green teas is actually more powerful in reducing bad low density cholesterol levels and preventing blood clots compared to the effects of red wine.

In a study conducted in japan, green tea polyphenol is given in heart patients prior to their bypass surgeries and it is found that they have reduced heart damage and can maintain normal heart function during both ischemic arrest and reperfusion phases of the operation. This is due to the green tea polyphenol remaining in the cell membranes of the cardiomyocite and protected the heart from oxidative effects.

The fact that green tea can alleviate bone diseases really comes as a surprise to most people. Drinking green tea regularly provides the body with a constant supply of antioxidants that can help prevent arthritis as well as eliminate the painful arthritic symptoms such as persistent pains or loss of flexibility in your joints, etc. This also is attributed to polyphenols contained in green tea that helps reduce inflammations in our body. A research team from the University of Cleveland concluded that a group of mice which were fed green tea polyphenols were significantly less susceptible to developing collagen-induced arthritis compared to another group of mice that were not fed with green tea polyphenols. By consuming approximately 500ml of green tea daily, you can prevent arthritis from affecting your body and joints. If you are unfortunately inflicted with arthritis, green tea can still help to diminish the effects of the inflammations.

The liver is an important organ responsible for cleansing and metabolism in our body. The liver must filter the harmful toxins that have entered the body through foods and drinks we have consumed, cigarette smoke pollutants and foreign matters we have breathed in. For example, the alcohol contained in wine and beer we drink cannot be absorbed by our body and the liver can be overloaded to filter such toxins away from our bodies. It is widely known that heavy drinkers are at much higher risk of suffering from liver problems.

Green tea liver detox is becoming very popular as it provides two very important benefits to our liver - it protects the liver cells and boosts our body immune system. By drinking green tea, large amounts of antioxidants can be delivered to the liver system. This alleviates the liver's task of filtering toxins as the antioxidants can bind with the toxins to form harmless material that can be easily removed from our body through as excretion. This also prevents the growth of cancerous cells in the liver. By improving the health of our liver and protect it from disease, the liver can perform its vital role of cleaning up the body.

There is a thin line separating tradition herbs and common food we consume daily. Unlike common foods, herbs contain much higher of active substances that can be damaging to our bodies, cause unwanted side effects and interact with other medicine or supplements. While green tea is not technically an herb, it is a drink after all and is easily consumed in alarmingly high quantities. We would like to caution those who might think of green tea as a health elixir and want to gain massive antioxidant and tea polyphenols by consuming large quantities of concentrated green tea extract such as pills. Abnormally high level of antioxidants are not possible through the normal daily diet and the human body is not capable of handling it either. This could lead to more health problems than it can possibly remedy.  

The main concern is the caffeine contained in the tea leaves. Overdose of caffeine will cause insomnia, heart palpitation, and dizziness, vomiting and an array of other symptoms and complications. If you experience any of the above after you started drinking more green tea, you may be starting to have caffeine poisoning. Stop drinking immediately and see if the symptoms will go away. If they still persist, seek medical help from a nearby hospital as soon as possible.  

Do not consume green tea or any products made with green tea extract if you are taking medication such as adenosine, antibiotics, beta-lactam, aspirin, benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, propranolol, metoprolol, warfarin, doxorubicin, tamoxifen, clozapine, ephedrine, lithium, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, phenelzine, tranylcypromine, oral contraceptives, phenylpropanolamine (note that this is not an exhaustive list). If you have heart and kidney disorders, stomach ulcers, pregnant, breastfeeding etc, you should not drink green tea without consulting your doctor.  

Although plain water is really good for our body, many people cannot stand its plain taste. Physiologically, we also cannot accept serving something so plain and humble in many occasions such as weddings, parties, meetings etc. Green tea is becoming popular and is now widely accepted as a healthy alternative to soft drinks and sugared drinks.