Discover the Truth About Green Tea and Health Benefits

If you believe the advertising hype green tea and health benefits are like two peas in a pod. They go hand in hand, but some of these claims are a bit overstated. There is no doubt that the extract is good for your health, but single-ingredient supplements rarely perform as promised. Drinking the teas is not likely to provide any benefit at all.

Here's what you need to know to make worth-while purchases and protect your health.

Let's start with what the extract does within the human body. It acts as an antioxidant and a natural anti-inflammatory. During exercise, it promotes fat oxidation and improves insulin sensitivity. It may reduce the build up of plaques within the arteries, because it does in animals and that would reduce your risk of heart disease.

Most of the studies concern extracts from green tea and health benefits towards cancer prevention. In animals and cancer cell cultures grown in laboratories, the antioxidants found in green tea, known as catechins, limit the growth of tumors. In the US, the FDA approved the claim that the extracts may prevent breast and prostate cancer, but other claims towards cancer prevention are not allowed.

As a natural anti-inflammatory, it may help prevent and relieve arthritis, as well as many other diseases, including cancer, that are believed to be caused, at least in part, by chronic inflammation. As an antioxidant, it helps protect the cells of the body from oxidative stress caused by free radicals, a major component in cancer and aging.

Catechins are not the only antioxidants that we know of, but while the common ones like A, C and E are found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, catechins are found only in teas from the camellia sinensis plant, in some cocoas and in some chocolates.

So, there are very limited sources of these antioxidants.

Many of the claims concern green tea and health benefits for those that are trying to lose weight.

There is a limited amount of research showing that, in supplement form, the catechins increase the number of calories burned during exercise and possibly at rest. That's why you are seeing so-called fat burners that contain the supplement.

But, most of the manufacturers include additional amounts of caffeine that could push you way over 500mg per day. At that intake, caffeine causes health problems.

The best supplements provide green tea and health benefits from other nutrients, without adding caffeine. 100mg of the extract contains only 2-4mg of caffeine.

The other ingredients to look for include:

o Ginger, another natural anti-inflammatory
o Carnosine, the only nutrient that effectively reduces protein glycation, another of the causes of aging
o SAM-e, the most effective nutrient for improving methylation, which is necessary for all life
o Calcium, magnesium and vitamin D3, the components necessary for preventing osteoporosis

Those are just some of the ingredients that can help prevent the common age-related diseases and extend your life.

There will likely be more studies concerning green tea and health benefits, in the future.

For now, we know that, in moderation, it's good for us.

Bottom line, take a multi nutrient supplement with numerous ingredients that are synergistic with one another to have maximum impact on your health and well being.

There is a product that I take that contains a wide variety of synergistic vitamins, minerals and herbal extracts that have been known to be beneficial for human health.

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