Green tea antioxidants are extremely powerful. It is the root of various green tea health benefits claims, ranging from reducing cancer risks, keeping blood pressure low, aiding weight loss to helping to prevent diabetes.

Let’s take a look at what these antioxidants are, and how they can help us.

EGCG

All tea is chock full of polyphenols. These are antioxidants, compounds that attack free radicals. It is the unchecked production of free radicals that leads to cancer.

Free radicals are molecules with single electrons. They bond with other molecules, in effect “stealing” electrons. This begins a chain reaction, creating more and more free radicals, leaving cells vulnerable to damage.

Antioxidants bind to these free radicals, effectively neutralizing them. Epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, is one of the most powerful antioxidants know to science. Green tea has higher concentrations of this miraculous compound than either spinach or broccoli!

Weight Loss and Diabetes

When polyphenols combine with caffeine, the result is a powerful fat burner. Studies have shown that the consumption of green tea leads to decreased blood levels of lipids, glucose and cholesterol. This means good news for dieters, and also those at risk for diabetes. Keeping blood glucose levels low may prevent the onset of diabetes.

Youth-ing

Green tea antioxidants have become prized as ingredients in anti wrinkle creams and moisturizers. Applied to the skin, antioxidants work in several different ways. First, they “clean up” the free radicals that cause wrinkling and sagging. Next, they bring increased blood flow and oxygen to the skin, keeping it fresh and young looking.

Green Tea Versus Others

Green tea has higher concentrations of antioxidants than black tea. This has to do with the way tea is processed. Black tea is fermented, which causes the loss of some of these beneficial compounds.

Oolong tea is processed slightly, meaning that it probably contains higher antioxidant levels than black. Green tea is hardly fermented at all, so that the levels of EGCG are very high.

Bottom Line

We don’t yet know all of the amazing health benefits of green tea antioxidants. But what we know so far leads us to recommend 3-6 cups per day for better health!