HEALTH FOOD: green tea lean

Aside from the clear benefits of green tea as an antioxidant, recent studies have suggested a role catechins in promoting weight loss. In one animal study, the anti-obesity effect of green tea was evaluated by feeding different levels of green tea (1-4% in their diets) to female mice for 4 months. The study found that the mice receiving the green tea in

Because the active compounds, the catechins, found in green tea are known to possess potent antioxidant activity, they may provide beneficial health effects by protecting the body from the damaging effects of oxidative damage from free radicals. A number of chronic disease states have been associated with free radical induced oxidative damage, including cancer, heart disease, suppressed immune function and accelerated aging.

The active constituents in green tea are a family of polyphenols (catechins) and flavonols which possess potent antioxidant activity. Tannins, large polyphenol molecules, form the bulk of the active compounds in green tea, with catechins comprising nearly 90%. Several catechins are present in significant quantities; epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG makes up about 10-50% of the total catechin content and appears to be the most powerful of the catechins with antioxidant activity about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E.

The active constituents in green tea are a family of polyphenols (catechins) and flavonols