Green tea is loaded with polyphenols that function as powerful antioxidants. These substances reduce the formation of free radicals in the body and protect cells and molecules from damage. Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) is one of the more powerful compounds in green tea and has been found to treat various diseases, giving green tea powerful medicinal properties.(1)
Green tea is the drink of choice around the world and has been used for centuries in Chinese and Indian medicine. Traditional medicine used green tea for stomach ailments, regulating blood sugar and improving mental acuity. Studies have shown that green tea is beneficial in treating diabetes, inflammatory conditions and cancer.(2)
There was an estimated 235,000 newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer in 2015. The conventional treatment method involves surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. EGCG has tested to be beneficial for breast cancer prevention and therapy and is 25 times more powerful than Vitamin E and 100 times more powerful than vitamin C.(2)
Green tea inhibits tumor growth, proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of breast cancer!
A recent study in the World Journal of Clinical Oncology discussed the effects of green tea on breast cancer. The study found that the catechin in green tea inhibit tumor growth, proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of breast cancer. Another recent study from Molecular Carcinogenesis found that EGCG suppressed activity of the breast cancer gene. Additional studies report that green tea is beneficial for estrogen and fat metabolism as well as oxidative stress.(2)
A study from Pharmacology journal showed that the polyphenols and EGCG that naturally occur in green tea are a vigorous chemo-preventative against breast cancer. Consuming green tea with prescription drug treatment has improve the effectiveness of prescription drug treatment.(2)
Women under the age of 50 are 37 percent less likely to develop breast cancer when consuming 3 or more cups of green tea per day!
A large study from Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention showed that women under the age of 50 are 37 percent less likely to develop breast cancer when consuming three or more cups of green tea per day.(2)
Another large study from the Japanese Journal of Cancer Research reported that women who drank five ups or more of green tea per day prior to cancer diagnosis were 24.3 percent less likely to experience cancer recurrence.(2)
If you are new to green tea be cautious about the quality of green tea you consume. Green tea attracts fluoride from the soil. Older brick tea contains higher levels of fluoride than new tea from early spring leaves and organic teas contain less than non-organic.(2)
Excessive fluoride is an endocrine disruptor and can affect bones, thyroid, pineal gland, brain and blood sugar and non-organic teas often contain pesticides.(2)
For a warm winter treat try justonecookbook.com’s Green Tea Latte recipe. Recipe below contains slight alternations using natural sweetener instead of refined sugar sweeteners.(2)
Green Tea Latte
Ingredients:
- 1½ tsp. matcha (green tea powder)
- 1 Tbsp. hot water
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp. natural sweetener such as honey or coconut sugar (optional)
Instructions:
- Sift green tea powder into the cup to get rid of the lumps in the powder.
- Add hot water and whisk briskly until powder is all dissolved. This prevents the tea having lump in it so do not skip. The green tea paste should be smooth and foamy.
- Add milk and sweetener in a small saucepan. Heat the milk over medium heat until small bubbles start to appear around the edge of the saucepan. Do not bring the milk to full boil. Turn off the heat. (Or use cold milk for iced latte).
- Froth the milk until foamy, about 10 seconds with a frother. If you don’t have a frother, you can skip.
- Add the hot milk and foam in the cup and dust the green tea powder on the top. (Add ice for an extra cold iced latte). (3)
Sources included:
(1) http://authoritynutrition.com/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea/
(2) http://www.naturalhealth365.com/breast-cancer-green-tea-extract-1530.html
(3) http://www.justonecookbook.com/green-tea-latte/
