Truth and myths about green tea

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Green tea has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries and has been used to treat everything from headaches to depression. Green tea is thought to help you lose weight, lower cholesterol levels, fight cardiovascular disease, and even prevent cancer and Alzheimer's. Which of this is true and which is just a myth?

Does green tea protect against cancer

Unfortunately, there is no evidence that tea can protect against cancer. In 2009, the results of 51 studies were analyzed, in which more than 1.6 million people took part. Scientists have looked for a link between green tea consumption and cancer of the colon, prostate, breast, mouth and lungs. It turned out that the conclusions about the benefits of green tea as a remedy for cancer are weak and highly controversial.

In 2015, the anti-cancer effect was studied, which appears when the combination of trace elements of green tea and the drug "Herceptin", used in the treatment of stomach and breast cancer. The first results in the laboratory have proven promising, and clinical trials in humans are now being planned. But it is too early to draw conclusions, so you should not take this as an official recommendation.

Does green tea help you lose weight?

It is believed that the antioxidants and caffeine found in tea can help the body burn more calories. They say that green tea helps to speed up metabolism, and therefore, to lose weight.

Green tea weight loss products are essentially green tea extracts, meaning they contain a higher concentration of catechins and caffeine than a beverage prepared with a regular tea bag and boiling water. But the British Dietetic Association, after examining the results of 18 experiments involving 1,945 people, found no significant weight loss when drinking green tea.

Does green tea lower cholesterol levels?

A 2012 study found that drinking both green and black tea daily can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure thanks to the catechins in tea. However, most of the studies proving this have been short-term, and larger, longer-term studies are needed to support these findings.

Cholesterol is the leading cause of heart disease and strokes. And it's great that you can reduce its level with the help of a simple and pleasant drink. However, it is unclear how much tea we have to drink to see the beneficial effects on health, and how long this effect might last.

Does green tea help prevent or delay Alzheimer's?

The link between green tea and Alzheimer's disease has not been proven in practice. In 2010, green tea extract was used in a laboratory study on animal cells. Since it is rich in antioxidants, it protected nerve cells from death, namely, the death of nerve cells leads to dementia, Alzheimer's disease. However, such experiments have not been carried out with people, so it is impossible to say with complete certainty that green tea will help cope with this disease.

Can tea lower blood pressure

Green tea actually lowers blood pressure, and research backs this up. However, the experiments were carried out on people with mildly high blood pressure. And it is difficult to judge whether tea can have a serious effect on the clinical picture as a whole, and even more so whether it will help prevent the onset of heart disease or stroke.

Does green tea prevent tooth decay?

A small study from 2014 compared the effectiveness of green tea mouthwash with popular antibacterial agents. As a result, it turned out that they are almost equally effective, but green tea has an advantage: it is cheaper.

Conclusion

In the East, green tea is used as a primary treatment for many diseases, from arthritis to obesity, as well as for the prevention of diseases like cancer. Although the evidence for the effectiveness of tea is either lacking or very weak. Nonetheless, tea is a great company drink that is completely safe in moderation so that drinkers can continue to enjoy it.