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One green tea capsule equals about 6 cups!

The difference between black and green tea is that black tea is fermented to produce its characteristic flavour, and this process destroys most of its medicinal benefits. Green tea offers health benefits because of its catechins and EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) properties, which have been well-studied. Let's explore some of their health benefits. 

Medicinal Properties Found In Green Tea

Aside from its catechins and EGCG content, green tea also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes relaxed brain waves in humans. At the same time, green tea contains some caffeine and nutrients that help to boost mental alertness. This explains why green tea helps to improve focus and alertness, while still having a calming effect.

Green Tea vs Matcha

Matcha is a green tea that has been processed differently than other green tea varieties. Matcha is purified and powdered so that when it is taken as tea or in food, the entire leaf is ingested. Green tea on the other hand consists of dried leaves steeped in hot water. This releases only some of the constituents and leaves many others still trapped in the leaves. As such, taking in matcha can provide you with the complete health benefits of the nutritional and medicinal properties of green tea that simple steeping may miss.

Key Health Benefits of Green Tea

Promotes Healthy Cell Regeneration

Green tea's antioxidant properties neutralize free radicals and therefore, reduce tissue damage. Green tea's epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis, the growth of damaged cells and prevent their spread to other areas of the body. It may also increase the effectiveness of other medications while protecting the body's normal cells from therapies like radiation and chemotherapy.

Cardiovascular Health Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea has many benefits for cardiovascular health. Intake of green tea is shown to decrease levels of LDL cholesterol, which is responsible for cholesterol plaques and the storage of fat, and triglycerides. Green tea also increases levels of HDL cholesterol, which is responsible for moving stored fat to the liver for processing and excretion from the body. HDL cholesterol protects against plaque formation. It also improves blood circulation and decreases inflammation in vessels. Thus green tea can be used to help prevent stroke and heart attack. The polyphenols are also antioxidants, protecting cells from oxidative damage by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules with unpaired electrons that are extremely reactive and damage surrounding cell membranes, fats, and fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients.

Anti-Arthritis and Bone Health

Recent research has shown the EGCG in green tea to be anti-inflammatory and effective for preventing joint degeneration in arthritis, and long-term consumption of green tea has been linked with decreased bone loss and reduced osteoporosis in the elderly.

Anti-Aging and Skincare Benefits of Green Tea

Free radical damage is a major cause of the physical signs and symptoms of aging. Because of this, many natural health practitioners may also recommend green tea for many age-related diseases due to its antioxidant power. Because of these strong antioxidant effects, manufacturers have begun adding green tea extract to several cosmetic products as well to help protect the skin against the visible signs of aging. The catechins in green tea are also anti-bacterial and anti-viral, thus helping to protect drinkers against infection.

Weight Loss Benefits

Green tea is high in catechins, and increased catechin intake (270-1200mg per day) over at least 12 weeks has been shown to increase the metabolic rate, reduce body fat, and improve overall weight loss. It appears that the caffeine in green tea has a synergistic effect to improve these outcomes.

Different Ways To Consume Green Tea: Tea & Supplement Varieties

Simply drinking a cup of tea made by steeping a bag of green tea in a cup of boiling water for 1-3 minutes will provide you with many of the medicinal benefits of green tea. Avoid adding milk products to green tea, as these significantly lower the antioxidant status. Each cup contains approximately 80mg of catechins, and it is recommended that you drink anywhere from one to ten cups a day depending on the effects you seek. See our article on matcha for a way to get 10 cups of green tea at once!

There are many types of green tea beverages: bagged or loose leaves, organic and non-organic, caffeinated and decaffeinated products, and so on. Green tea may also be combined with other herbs or flavours (i.e. lemon, peach, jasmine) and appear in commercial beverages. If purchasing commercial green tea drinks, it is important to check the label to see how much of it (if any) is green tea.

If you want to avoid drinking green tea itself, supplements are found as encapsulated herbs or tablets. Green tea supplements should be standardized as an assurance of the amount of polyphenols they contain (standardized to 50-97% polyphenols including at least 50% EGCG). You can find green tea extract in combination products for cholesterol control, heart health and anti-aging as well.

Caffeinated vs Decaffeinated Green Tea

The caffeine in green tea is called "theine" and is more slowly absorbed than the caffeine in a cup of coffee. At the same time, green tea does contain a relatively high dose of caffeine, which can cause side effects and interact with certain medications. 

Decaffeinated green tea and green tea supplements have fewer contraindications and side effects associated with their use. However one must consider that the decaffeinating process may add chemical residues into the leaves, and remove some of the medicinal constituents as well. The form and amount of green tea that is best for you depends on your personal medical history and any medications that you may be on. Please consult with your healthcare provider for further details.