Lose Weight With Green Tea

Now the same soothing beverage that warms your heart can also
help burn off excess calories.

If you enjoy starting your day with a cup of green tea, you'll
be happy to know that it can help to remove some of the extra
pounds that have accumulated over the years. According to the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, green tea extract can
increase your metabolism rate by 4%. So while you're sipping
your tea, you're also burning fat.

The study attributes this fat-burning quality of green tea to
high concentrations of catechin polyphenols. These chemicals
intensify fat oxidation and thermogenesis, the rate at which
your body burns calories.

The catechins in green tea also help to decrease fat absorption
and regulate glucose by inhibiting the movement of glucose into
fat cells. The tea also helps to slow the increase in blood
sugar after meals, preventing high insulin spikes and
subsequent fat storage.

Green tea can affect your appetite, thus further assisting in
your weight loss regime. Studies conducted at the University
of Chicago showed that test rats consumed up to 60 percent less
food after seven days of daily green tea injections. This
decreased appetite may be due to green tea's effect on blood
sugar regulation.

Green tea can be a beneficial option to coffee. By switching
to green tea, you will lower your calorie intake while keeping
your daily caffeine pick-me-up. People with high blood
pressure, heart trouble or stimulant sensitivities should use
caution when drinking green tea. In these cases, a better
alternative might be to take green tea extract, usually made
from decaffeinated green tea. Green tea extract offers the
weight loss benefits without the high caffeine. Women who are
pregnant or nursing should also consult their doctors before
switching to green tea.

Green tea works best as a weight loss aid when it is consumed
in the right amounts. It is suggested that the optimal intake
is three to five cups of green tea per day. This amount will
help you burn an extra 70 calories per day, amounting to 7
pounds per year. If three to five cups are too much for you,
consider green tea extract, green tea pills or a green tea
patch.

Remember, there is no magical formula for weight loss. While
green tea can be an effective part of your diet plan, remember
that healthy, low fat meals, and an active lifestyle are still
your best options for losing weight.

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About The Author: Linda Davis contributes to several web sites,
including http://tocip. com and http://yetra. com

Green Tea Cuts Fatal Illness Risk

Drinking green tea can reduce the rise of dying from a range of illnesses, a Japanese study has claimed.

The research, which covered over 40,000 people, found the risk of fatal cardiovascular disease was cut by more than a quarter. But, British heart experts said the benefits may be linked to the whole Japanese diet, which is healthier than that eaten in the west.

The work is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Cancer hope for green tea extract

My second favourite beverage (after coffee) is proving its worth once again as reported by the BBC:-

A chemical extracted from green tea could help scientists to develop new drugs to fight cancer.
Tests by UK and Spanish researchers showed polyphenol EGCG taken from green tea leaves inhibits cancer cell growth.

The effect was seen even at low concentrations, equivalent to drinking two or three cups of green tea a day.

However, the study, published in Cancer Research, also found high concentrations of the chemical may increase the risk of birth defects.

Previous research has suggested that drinking green tea helps to cut the risk of certain forms of cancer.

The latest study found that EGCG binds to a key enzyme - dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) - that is targeted by established anti-cancer drugs.

This stops the enzyme from triggering the manufacture of new DNA in tumour cells.

It appears to work in the same way as the cancer drug methotrexate - but in practice would probably have fewer side effects.

Green tea 'may protect the heart'

Green tea could help protect against the damage caused by heart attacks and strokes, researchers suggest.

A chemical found in the tea, which has been drunk for over 4,000 years, has been shown to reduce the amount of cell death which follows such trauma.

Cell death leads to tissue death and even organ failure.

Experts from the UK's Institute of Child Health carried out the study, published in the journal of the Federation of Experimental Biology.

Green tea was frequently used in the past as fluid supply for patients suffering from infectious diseases, but recently researchers have begun to scientifically determine the health benefits of green tea.

Source BBC News

Pomegranates: the fruity panacea

Pomegranates are being hailed as a super-food which can protect the heart.

Scientists in Israel have shown that drinking a daily glass of the fruit's juice can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

"Pomegranate juice contains the highest antioxidant capacity compared to other juices, red wine and green tea," said Professor Michael Aviram, who led the team.

This is good news, for antioxidants are the naturally occurring substances in plants that protect the body from free radicals - 'bad' chemicals in the blood.

Free radicals alter cholesterol in a process known as oxidation, which is thought to speed up the hardening of the arteries.

Cup of tea may help boost memory

Drinking regular cups of tea could help improve your memory, research suggests.

A team from Newcastle University found green and black tea inhibited the activity of key enzymes in the brain associated with memory.

The researchers hope their findings, published in Phytotherapy Research, may lead to the development of a new treatment for Alzheimer's Disease.

They say tea appears to have the same effect as drugs specifically designed to combat the condition.

Source BBC News

Green tea extract may fight HIV

Green tea could form the basis of a new generation of HIV drugs, say experts.

Scientists in Japan have found a component of green tea can stop HIV from binding to healthy immune cells, which is how the virus spreads.

Their laboratory tests suggest a chemical called Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) protects cells.

Writing in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the scientists said the discovery could lead to new treatments to fight the disease.

Source BBC News

Green tea 'can block cancer'

Green tea's ability to fight cancer is even more potent and varied than scientists suspected, research suggests.

Scientists already know that green tea contains anti-oxidants which may have a protective effect against cancer.

But now they have discovered that chemicals in the tea also shut down a key molecule which can play a significant role in the development of cancer.

The molecule, known as the aryl hydrocarbon (AH) receptor, has the ability to activate genes - but not always in a positive way.

Tobacco smoke and dioxins, in particular, disrupt the functioning of the molecule and cause it to trigger potentially harmful gene activity.

The researchers, from Rochester University, found that two chemicals in green tea inhibit AH activity.

Source BBC News

Tea 'may fight tooth decay'

Drinking tea may ward off tooth decay and bad breath, according to scientists.

A study suggests chemicals in tea can destroy bacteria and viruses that cause throat infections, dental caries and other dental conditions.

It raises the prospect of adding tea extracts to toothpaste and mouthwash to protect the teeth.
The study, presented at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, is the latest in a string of health claims about tea.

According to research by US microbiologist, Milton Schiffenbauer, of the independent Pace University, green tea is better at fighting viruses.

"Our research shows tea extracts can destroy the organism that causes disease," he told a conference in Washington DC.

Source BBC News

Green tea could cut arthritis risk

Drinking green tea could help keep arthritis at bay, say scientists.

The tea, first discovered in China nearly 5,000 years ago, has long been thought to be beneficial to health.

It has been linked to preventing coronary heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer.
But now researchers in Sheffield have found that two compounds found in green tea, EGCG (epigallocatchin gallate) and ECG (epicatechin gallate) can help prevent osteoarthritis by blocking the enzyme that destroys cartilage.

Tea good for the bones

Scientists have come up with yet more evidence of why tea is good for your health - it helps to keep the bones strong.

The latest research follows recent studies that suggest the popular beverage can help to reduce the risk of cancer, heart attack and Parkinson's disease.

A team from the National Cheng Kung University Hospital in Tainan, Taiwan, fould that habitual tea drinking over several years preserves bone density in both men and women.

The researchers believe that the key could be the high fluoride content in tea, especially green tea.

They believe that other ingredients such as flavonoids and phytoestrogen may also help preserve bone density.

Other ingredients in tea may inhibit bone resorption and boost metabolic creation of bone.

The researchers believe it is not the amount of tea a person drinks that counts, but how long they have been a regular drinker.

The effect was most pronounced in the bones of people who had drank tea regularly for more than a decade.

Source BBC News

Research says cider 'healthy' drink

Drinking cider may be good for your health, according to research which suggests the drink is rich in antioxidants.

Scientists at Brewing Research International's laboratories in Surrey have found as many antioxidants in cider as red wine.

Antioxidants are thought to help stop cell damage called oxidation, which can contribute to cancer and degenerative diseases like dementia.

Vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene (vitamin A) are all antioxidants.

Red wine and green tea are among foods rich in these compounds.

John Thatcher, of Sandford in Somerset, Chairman of the National Association of Cider Makers, said: "I have spent a lifetime making cider, enjoying a regular glass or two.

Now I can enjoy it all the more knowing it is helping to keep me healthy."

Dr Caroline Walker, a scientist at Brewing Research International, said: "For those who enjoy a glass of cider it is reassuring to know it may be healthy too.

"But it is important that no-one drinks more than the recommended daily intake of alcohol.

Source BBC News

Tea may protect against Parkinson's

Another potentially beneficial effect of tea has been uncovered by scientists who say it may help protect against Parkinson's disease.

They have identified a chemical antioxidant in green tea which has already been show to have protective effects on several disease processes.

Green tea consumption is associated with decreased risk of breast, pancreatic, colon, oesophageal, and lung cancers in humans.

It contains the potent antioxidant polyphenol, which has also been shown to protect against heart disease.

Previous studies indicate that green tea extracts may have protective effects on Parkinson's disease in test animals, but the underlying protective mechanisms were not clear.

However, scientists in the US told the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology they have made progress in understanding the possible mechanism by which polyphenol protects against Parkinson's disease.

The disease is characterised by the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells that control movement.

Researchers at Baylor college of Medicine in Houston, found the antioxidants in the tea helped to fight free radicals, which cause cell damage in the brain, which in turn could cause Parkinson's Disease.

Source BBC News

Pine cone source for stroke drug

A molecule extracted from green tea leaves or pine cones may be able to reduce the brain damage from strokes, say scientists.

Gallotannin, and nobotanin B - found in a Japanese flower - both cut the damage from a simulated stroke in mouse brain cells grown in the laboratory.

However, there is no guarantee that they will work as well in a real patient.

The hours following a stroke are crucial to the future prospects, or even survival of the patient.
The stroke itself is caused by a halt to the blood flow to brain cells, either caused by bleeding on the brain, or by a blood clot lodged in a vessel.

However, although this kills some brain cells, once the blood supply is restored in the subsequent hours, many more cells tend to die.

This destructive reaction is still not fully understood, although scientists have found that a chemical signalling system has a role.

Source BBC News

Tea 'good for teeth'

Scientists believe that drinking tea may be a good way to keep your teeth healthy.

They have discovered that compounds found in black tea may attack harmful bacteria in the mouth that cause gum disease and cavities.

Researchers have previously focused on the possible health benefits of green teas.

But a team from the University of Illinois College of Dentistry studied the black teas more commonly consumed in the West.

They found that compounds in black tea were capable of killing or suppressing growth and acid production of cavity-causing bacteria in dental plaque.

Source BBC News

Green tea beneficial in fight against cancer

Scientists in Sweden say they have discovered why green tea, a popular drink in China and Japan, has a protective effect against some forms of cancer.

A report by researchers in Stockholm, published in the scientific journal 'Nature', says that a substance in green tea slows down or stops the growth of new blood vessels.

A BBC science correspondent says that as cancer tumours are dependent on a constantly growing network of blood vessels to supply them with food and oxygen, they will shrink and may even disappear, if the network stops growing.

He says its now clear why moderate consumption of green tea can be beneficial. He says that unlike black tea, green tea is not squashed to rupture its cells and cause fermentation reactions as it dries.

Source BBC News