If you haven’t tasted green tea lately, you should. It is a great tea for cooling down on hot summer days. Green tea is probably one of the most popular of the Chinese teas. Green tea fights off inflammation and leaves you feeling cool. Some even say it fight off a fever.

People all over the world know about the benefits of wonderful green tea. It has been known since ancient Chinese culture to have medicinal properties. The Chinese use green tea to fight off a wide range of illnesses, including headaches and depression. The Chinese have used green tea as a medicine for four thousand years, according to Nadine Taylor. You can read more about it in her book, “Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life”.

Many scientific researchers are uncovering the health benefits of drinking green tea, both in Asia and across the West. The results of an epidemiological study from 1994 indicate that drinking Chinese green tea lowers the risk of esophageal cancer by nearly sixty percent, according to the Journal of National Cancer Institute. In fact, researchers at Purdue University in Indiana report that compounds in green tea prevent the growth of cancer cells.

Not only has green tea been implicated in the fight against cancer, it has been shown to have positive effects on cardiovascular disease, and high cholesterol. Green tea has also been noted to have positive effects on reducing rheumatoid arthritis, and improving immune function.

What is so special about Green Tea?

One of green teas best attributes is that it is rich in catechin polyphenols. It is particularly high in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is an anti-oxidant that has been shown to fight and kill off cancer cells. It can do this without harming the healthy tissue. EGCG has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol, and prevents the abnormal formation of blood clots, otherwise known as thrombosis. Thrombosis is a main trigger in stroke and heart attacks.

It has even been found that the French Paradox, which is essentially that the French have a diet high in fat intake and yet have lower rates of heart disease than other cultures, has been associated with green tea. It has been widely accepted that the French paradox was due to their high intake of red wine, which contains the health beneficial substance, resveratrol. This potent polyphenol has been shown to combat the effects of smoking cigarettes, and also fights off the bad effects of a high fat diet. What’s more, is that green tea, in a 1997 study, was found to contain twice the amount of resveratrol than does red wine. To add more evidence to the powerful affects of green tea, despite the fact that approximately 70 percent of Chinese men are smokers, they have a lower rate of heart disease than Americans.

More Benefits

More benefits are beginning to be uncovered about the wonderful green tea. One claim is that green tea helps one lose weight. One study showed that men given a combo pack of green tea and caffeine had higher metabolic rate and burned more fat than men given a placebo and caffeine.

It has even been said to fight tooth decay and food poisoning. This is due to some natural antibiotic properties found in Chinese green tea. Its antibacterial effects extend outside of the body to the skin as well. One can even find skin creams, deodorants and blemish fighting creams that contain green tea.

For many years, Chinese teas were considered excellent supplements for someone who is on a diet. Many companies have produced and distributed them being labeled as Chinese Diet Tea, and marketed them for dieters. The reason that Chinese teas are believed to be beneficial for dieters is because they contain only four calories in each serving, and caffeine has long been thought to increase metabolism. In addition, tea contains products called “polyphenols” which are known to aid in the digestion of fat. These are all compelling reasons to supplement a weight loss diet with Chinese Tea. But are they safe?

There are a lot of names for diet teas. Packaging labels may use such key words such as “fasting”, “slimming”, “super diet”, or “weight loss”. All of them have the same connotations. Drink this tea and you will lose weight. On the question of safety, however, many experts believe that what is actually causing the weight loss, is actually a plant based chemical with laxative effects, which makes you lose “water weight”. It is proven that long term use of laxatives can have negative side effects. Experts note that excessive amounts of “diet teas” can cause things such minor complaints such as and nausea and cramping. However, more serious concerns have been pointed out—vomiting, diarrhea, unrelieved constipation, or even death.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) once expressed that specific ingredients in these teas were actually the culprits of the negative health effects. These ingredients are aloe, senna, rhubarb root, buckthorn, castor oil, and cascara. These are all natural products that have been used for hundreds of years to relieve bloating, constipation, and to promote bowel movements. However, they are deemed effective for these purposes only when used occasionally.

We must point out, that many people believe that excessive use of “Chinese Diet Teas” will prevent the absorption of nutrients from one’s food. Many studies have shown, however, that the laxative inducing diarrhea actually happens in the colon, or at the end of the bowels. The absorption of calories actually occurs prior to reaching the colon in the small intestine.

When diet teas are overused, however, you can develop some short term as well as long term negative effects. Studies have shown that beginner diet tea drinkers, who steep the tea longer than the recommended time or drink more than the recommended amount, can develop stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. These may even last for several days.

When these laxatives are used continually, it is possible to develop a dependency on them. You may even develop more events of chronic diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and constipation. In the most severe cases, excessive use of laxatives will cause fainting, dehydration and serious electrolyte disorders. Although these effects can be quite dangerous, it must be noted that these negative effects generally only affect those that are already nutritionally compromised due to excessive dieting.

Due to these many possible negative side effects of using diet teas, the FDA is considering requiring manufacturers print warning labels on their products stating it will produce laxative effects. Those who are considering drinking Chinese diet teas must pay careful attention to the recommended use and preparation steps. Also, one should pay special attention to any warning statements on the box.