There are few foods and drinks that offer as many health benefits as green tea.  For thousands of years, the Chinese have espoused medicinal benefits of green tea.  Teas are used to treat a variety of illnesses and problems, starting with headaches.  Several studies have discussed the usage of green teas as a Chinese medicine for several thousand years. 

Western and Asian research has shown evidence of health benefits associated with drinking green tea. The 1994 study by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study stating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by over fifty percent.  Studies by American universities have shown that compounds in green tea inhibits growth of cancer cells.  Other research suggests that green tea consumption lowers cholesterol levels and improves the ratio of beneficial HDL cholesterol to harmful LDL cholesterol.

In short, studies have shown medicinal benefits of green tea for conditions such as:

• high cholesterol levels
• cancer

• impaired auto-immune function

• rheumatoid arthritis
• cariovascular disease
• infections

Research has shown that regular green tea drinkers have lower rates of heart disease. This has been attributed to the fact that EGCG is the powerful effect of LDL cholesterol reduction.

It should be noted that oolong and black teas do not offer the same healthy properties.  Although oolong and black teas are produced from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, they are processed differently form green teas. The distinction is that because green tea leaves are steamed, the EGCG compound is not oxidized. However, black and oolong tea leaves are derived from fermented leaves.  The fermentation process causes the EGCG to be converted into different compounds that lack EGCG's strong health properties.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported the results of a 1999 University of Geneva study.  The research revealed that men who drank green tea actually burned more calories than men who drank caffeine or placebos.

There is some evidence that green tea fights tooth decay. Because of green tea's bacteria-reduction capabilities, the bacteria that generates dental plaque are reduced.

Due to the powerful an-oxidant properties, there are wonderful benefits of skin preparations containing green tea.  These include skin creams and deodorants.