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| Green Tea |
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Review
Summary |
 Green Tea is often associated with Asian culture, where it is used as a tasty tea and for medicinal purposes. There are many types of Green Tea, due to growing conditions, processing and harvesting time. In the last 20 years or so, Green Tea has been increasing studied for its health benefits. These studies were both scientific and medical in nature, and it’s been shown that Green Tea does, in fact, have many health benefits, as well as being a potent antioxidant.
There has also been a great deal of studies conducted on the dangers of high cholesterol, which has been shown to increase an individual’s risk of heart attack and stroke. Many holistic elements have been used to try to lower “bad” cholesterol levels and increase the levels of “good” cholesterol. Green Tea has gained a reputation for being able to augment heart health and increase cholesterol levels.
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| Ingredient at a Glance |
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Historically, Green Tea has been drunk throughout Asia, and used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine as a stimulant, diuretic, astringent and to augment heart health. However, this is a very versatile tea, so it was also used to ease gas, regulate blood sugar, augment digestion and boost mental functionality.
In studies conducted on Green Tea, the results suggested that regular Green Tea drinkers often have lower chances of heart disease, and may be less likely to contract certain types of cancer. Green Tea has been suggested to be particularly useful in addressing atherosclerosis and high cholesterol.
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| Ingredient in Focus |
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Atherosclerosis develops when the arteries are narrowed due to cholesterol and fat deposits; this leads to reduced blood flow and a greater chance for heart attack and stroke. The supposition regarding Greens Tea’s effect on atherosclerosis was based on “Population-based studies”, which means that a researcher follows large groups of people who are from different cultures, or who have different dietary habits, to ascertain how their lifestyle affects their health. However, these studies do not provide specific results, and to date, Green Tea has not been shown to ease this condition or directly affect artery health.
Green Tea has also been studied for its ability to ease cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes and liver disease, as well as boost weight loss. It has shown some promise in these areas. For example, it was shown to possibly have a positive effect on ovarian cancer. It was found that women who drank a minimum of one cup of Green Tea per day, and who had ovarian cancer, lived longer that those who did not.
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| Lifestyle |
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However, some research has suggested that Green Tea may lower total cholesterol and increase HDL, or "good" cholesterol. In one population-based study, it was found that men who actively drank Green Tea were more likely to have lower total cholesterol levels than men who did not. In an animal-based study, it was suggested that polyphenols, which are found in Green Tea, may block the intestinal absorption of cholesterol, as well as encourage its secretion from the body. Interestingly, this purported, yet unsupported ability is very similar to the effect Plant Sterols have been shown to have on cholesterol.
Plant Sterols have an ability to actually mimic cholesterol in the intestines, in a way that Green Tea may not, so that they are absorbed, and cholesterol is flushed out of the body. Plant Sterols have been shown to lower bad cholesterol levels by up to 40% in some people. These kinds of results have not been shown to be associated with Green Tea, and we believe that further studies need to be conducted.
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| Positives |
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• Said to have many healthful benefits
• Fairly inexpensive
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| Negatives |
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• May have some ability to lower cholesterol levels, but its abilities may not be on par with other holistic elements
• May be more effective in augmenting other aspects of health
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| Final Thoughts |
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Green Tea is clearly a very healthful element which has been shown to ease a variety of issues. It has also been shown to have some ability to lower cholesterol levels, but we find its abilities may not be on par with other holistic elements, such as Plant Sterols, which we discussed in length above.
In the end, we would have liked to see more scientific and medical research conducted on Green Tea to assess its potential ability to lower blood cholesterol levels in humans. Most of the research conducted on Green Tea in this arena has been animal- or population–based as of review. It may be a better alternative to find a formula based on Plant Sterols to successfully lower bad cholesterol levels.
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