Camellia sinensis
Part Used: Dried, unfermented leaves (premium Darjeeling)
Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) is a perennial evergreen shrub or tree that can grow to a height of 30 feet. The parts used are the leaf bud and the two adjacent young leaves together with the stem, broken between the second and the third leaf. Green Tea has been consumed throughout the ages in India, China, Japan, and Thailand. In traditional Chinese and Indian medicine, practitioners used Green Tea as a stimulant, diuretic, astringent, and to improve heart health. Other traditional uses of Green Tea include treating flatulence (gas), regulating body temperature and blood sugar, promoting digestion, and improving mental processes. Today, hundreds of millions of people drink Green Tea around the world, and studies are now suggesting that it has many health benefits. It has recently come into prominence as an effective anti-oxidant. It has been shown to reduce the risk of many forms of cancer, and it has the ability to stabilize blood lipids, making it part of an overall cardiac care regimen. It can also help to prevent plaque buildup on the teeth. People who are sensitive to, or cautioned to reduce or avoid, caffeine, can still use the decaffeinated form of Green Tea, which is still shown to have the same medicinal properties and qualities.
Green Tea contains many constituents like volatile oils, vitamins, minerals, and caffeine, but the active constituents are polyphenols, particularly the catechin called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The polyphenols are believed to be responsible for most of Green Tea's roles in promoting good health. Several researches have demonstrated that Green Tea guards against cardiovascular disease in many ways. It lowers total cholesterol levels and improves the cholesterol profile, reduces platelet aggregation, and lowers blood pressure. In summary Green Tea is found to be useful for high cholesterol, cancer risk reduction, gingivitis (periodontal disease), hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, immune function, and infection. Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking Green Tea. The secret of Green Tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant; besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells; it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots.
References:
University of Maryland Medical Center. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/green-tea-000255.htm
About.Com. http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm
Holistic Online. http://www.holisticonline.com/Herbal-Med/_Herbs/h64.htm
