Green Tea: Relaxing and Beneficial

After a busy holiday season, take some time to relax, reflect, and sip on a nice cup of green tea. It tastes great, you’ll receive some surprising health benefits, and feel relaxed.  

Here are some exciting facts about green tea:

1) It contains a powerful amino acid called l-theanine. It increases alpha brain wave activity, which induces relaxation. In addition, it combines with caffeine in a way that produces relaxed alertness.

2) Green tea contains two of the most potent antioxidants of all the flavonoids. Flavonoids have demonstrated anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, anti-viral, anti-aging, and anti-carcinogenic activity. It may lower cholesterol levels and rates of heart disease as well as some types of cancer.

3) It’s a good source of EGCG, a polyphenol that may help reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, prevent cancer and boost the immune system.

4) Green tea is being studied as a potent weapon against Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Although the studies differ widely in technique, all focus on ways the polyphenol, EGCG, effect important areas of the brain. They found EGCG prevented the formation of the potentially dangerous amyloid aggregates associated with Alzheimer’s disease. 

5) Green tea offers antibacterial properties. One study suggests drinking green tea enhances the effects of antibiotics, even against drug-resistant bacteria and "superbugs."

6) If you’re looking to sip some EGCG, white and green tea have the highest concentration of EGCG, oolong tea the ‘middle’ amount, and black tea the least. 

Introduce yourself by substituting a cup of green tea for a cup of coffee; you (and your heart) will soon be enjoying the health benefits of this delicious beverage!

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

References:

1. Rosenberg, Irwin H., MD. "Green Tea Protects Brain Cells." Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter 31, No.4 (June 2013): 7. Print.

2. S Borgwardt, F Hammann, K Scheffler, M Kreuter, J Drewe and C Beglinger. Neural effects of green tea extract on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 66, 1187-1192 (November 2012)

3. Hyunge, Suk-Joon, DeToma, Alaina S., Brender, Jeffrey R., et al. Insights into antiamyloidogenic properties of the green tea extract (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate toward metal-associated amyloid-β species. PNAS 2013 110 (10) 3743-3748

4. Rushworth, Jo V., Griffiths, Heledd H., Watt, Nicole T., and Hooper, Nigel M. Prion Protein-mediated Toxicity of Amyloid-β Oligomers Requires Lipid Rafts and the Transmembrane LRP1 J. Biol. Chem. 2013 288: 8935-8951.