All teas are healthy for you, in fact, the Chinese have known about the benefits of drinking tea since ancient times.  But there is one tea in particular that shines above the rest and that is:  Green Tea.  Green tea is a young tea and because of this, is also less processed.  There are many health advantages to drinking green tea due to its very high concentration of EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) and other antioxidants.  The active ingredients in green tea responsible for its broad healing effects along with EGCG are antioxidants including polyphenols, and catechins.

Here are the top 5 reasons why green tea is healthy for you:

1.     Green tea can help protect against cancer.  The polyphenols in green tea stop cancer in its tracks by shutting off the blood supply to the cancer. Many studies have linked green tea to a decreased risk of skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder cancer.

2.    Green tea improves cardiovascular health.  The polyphenols in green tea increase the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and reduce the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol.  The antioxidants also help to prevent heart attack and stroke.

3.    Green tea can help prevent Alzhiemers Disease.  Green tea inhibits three enzymes linked to the development of Alzheimer’s. Polyphenols, present in green tea, have neuroprotective properties, binding with the toxic compounds that protect brain cells.

4.    Green tea help prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis . Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease that causes soreness, stiffness, inflammation and loss of function in the joints. The EGCG  in green tea help reduce pain, joint damage, inflammation and slow cartilage breakdown

5.    Green Tea helps prevent stress. Stress causes inflammation in the body.  Green tea contains a large concentration of catechins (antioxidants) that reduce the body’s mental and physical stress response.  Additionally, the amino acid Theanine can reduce stress, improve cognition and mood.

Drinking 3 cups of green tea a day or using an extract are beneficial and will help you to create optimal health now and in your future.

This article is written by Lori L Shemek, PhD, CNC. America’s #1 Fat Loss Expert and Best-Selling Author of ‘Fire-Up Your Fat Burn!’  Find Lori’s book here: http://www.amazon.com/FIRE-UP-YOUR-FAT-BURN-ebook/dp/B0083BW37G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337040876&sr=8-1