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My Dr. suggested a cup of green tea a day to help reduce cholesterol. So I did a little research and I am so amazed at the benefits of using it.
Read more here....
More here....
Tea's health benefits are largely due to its high content of flavonoids—plant-derived compounds that are antioxidants. Green tea is the best food source of a group called catechins. In test tubes, catechins are more powerful than vitamins C and E in halting oxidative damage to cells and appear to have other disease-fighting properties. Studies have found an association between consuming green tea and a reduced risk for several cancers, including, skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder.
Additional benefits for regular consumers of green and black teas include a reduced risk for heart disease. The antioxidants in green, black, and oolong teas can help block the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, increase HDL (good) cholesterol and improve artery function. A Chinese study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed a 46%-65% reduction in hypertension risk in regular consumers of oolong or green tea, compared to non-consumers of tea.
Additional benefits for regular consumers of green and black teas include a reduced risk for heart disease. The antioxidants in green, black, and oolong teas can help block the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, increase HDL (good) cholesterol and improve artery function. A Chinese study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed a 46%-65% reduction in hypertension risk in regular consumers of oolong or green tea, compared to non-consumers of tea.
Green Tea Lowers Cholesterol
Not only have Chinese researchers determined that certain chemicals in green tea lower cholesterol in animals, they've figured out how they work.
Ping Tim Chan and colleagues at the Chinese University of Hong Kong fed hamsters a high fat diet to raise their triglyceride and cholesterol levels to those of humans. They then fed the hamsters differing levels of epicatechins extracted from jasmine green tea for four to five weeks and compared them with hamsters that drank green tea and a control group that had water.
Epicatechins and green tea had exactly the same effect: Both lowered blood levels of triglycerides and cholesterol more than water. The effective doses researchers used are comparable to a person drinking three daily cups of tea. Animals drinking the human equivalent of 15 cups a day lowered both triglycerides and total cholesterol by a third.
Epicatechins and green tea also lowered apoB, the main protein in harmful low density lipoprotein (LDL), by almost a half. ApoB levels predict heart disease more accurately than any cholesterol measure.
According to the researchers, epicatechins block cholesterol absorption and increase excretion of cholesterol-containing bile salts and fatty acids. The chemicals also speed the breakdown of triglycerides to fatty acids so they can be burned as energy. Other studies show that in addition to their effect on blood fats, epicatechins are powerful antioxidants that lower blood pressure and protect against cancer.
—Journal of Nutrition 1999 Jun;129:1094-101
Not only have Chinese researchers determined that certain chemicals in green tea lower cholesterol in animals, they've figured out how they work.
Ping Tim Chan and colleagues at the Chinese University of Hong Kong fed hamsters a high fat diet to raise their triglyceride and cholesterol levels to those of humans. They then fed the hamsters differing levels of epicatechins extracted from jasmine green tea for four to five weeks and compared them with hamsters that drank green tea and a control group that had water.
Epicatechins and green tea had exactly the same effect: Both lowered blood levels of triglycerides and cholesterol more than water. The effective doses researchers used are comparable to a person drinking three daily cups of tea. Animals drinking the human equivalent of 15 cups a day lowered both triglycerides and total cholesterol by a third.
Epicatechins and green tea also lowered apoB, the main protein in harmful low density lipoprotein (LDL), by almost a half. ApoB levels predict heart disease more accurately than any cholesterol measure.
According to the researchers, epicatechins block cholesterol absorption and increase excretion of cholesterol-containing bile salts and fatty acids. The chemicals also speed the breakdown of triglycerides to fatty acids so they can be burned as energy. Other studies show that in addition to their effect on blood fats, epicatechins are powerful antioxidants that lower blood pressure and protect against cancer.
—Journal of Nutrition 1999 Jun;129:1094-101
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