Green Tea: Conflicting Reports
by Delta Hetado
http://www.fictea.com
Is green tea really as beneficial for us as we think, or
is it just a rumour we have accepted as a fact over the
years? For over five thousand years people have been
drinking tea and it has been considered as a healthy
drink. Tea contains a chemical- catechin-which is said to
aid the body fight cancer by getting rid of harmful
oxidants.
People have been drinking tea for the last 5000 years in
many different ways. It has a naturally occurring compound
called catechins that helps the body to remove harmful
oxidants that can cause cancer.
Although tea has been found to help reduce certain cancers
in mice, NCI studies on humans have been inconclusive and
contradictory, perhaps due to differences in environmental
conditions among different cultural groups surveyed. An NCI
study found green tea had almost no effect on pancreatic
cancer.
A study has found that it helps in reduction of certain
cancers in mice, however the human trials, which have been
conducted, have not found any substantial evidence that
drinking green tea can reduce the incidence of cancer.
In Asians, studies comparing their tea drinking population
with their cancer incident rates have shown that green tea
not only improves overall health, but also helps prevent
cancer.
MSNBC reported that green tea might help lower prostate
cancer rates, but that more studies are needed to determine
this for sure. It stated that six cups of green tea a day
would be required to adequately help influence processes in
the body to prevent cancer.
Although more studies are required to confirm this, MSNBC
has suggested that green tea may help in reducing rates
of lower prostate cancer. However, it is reported that to
adequately affect the processes in the body to prevent
cancer, an intake of at least six cups of green tea a day
would be needed.
The Brand of tea is important too. According to Reuters,
the antioxidant levels and hence, health benefits of tea
depend largely on the brand and type of tea you use, as
also on how you prepare it. NCI reported that commercial
tea contains negligible amount of catechin, whereas 80%
catechins are released by steeping black or green tea for
about five minutes.
More conclusive research is required which would show a
link between consumption of green tea and prevention of
cancer. Till then, one can always enjoy their cuppa of tea.
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