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Nature’s
Miracle That Is Green Tea
By: Debbie Boffa
Tea (aka Camellia Sinensis),
traditional beverage of the Brits has three main varieties,
green, black and oolong. The black variety is the stronger
flavoured one we drink the most of in European counties and the
USA, either with, or without milk. Its full of antioxidants and
is said to lower LDL Cholesterol amongst other things The oolong
variety we hear little of, is beloved of Japan and China, and
said to have obesity controlling properties as well as a
generous dose of antioxidants.
But its the green tea variety that I want to cover here. The
green varieties, taken without milk, are the traditional
favourite of the far eastern countries, Japan, China and the
Russia's being avid consumers, although I must say that its now
becoming very a fashionable beverage for the health aficionados
of the West.
And there is a reason for that. When it comes to preventative
health care, this is one of natures finest.
The list of health benefits derived from this simple source is
quite amazing. I am only going to cover a few of them below, but
you can clearly see that its amazing properties are beneficial
to animals and humans alike. A lot more research goes into the
benefits of each type of tea nowadays but its still in its
infancy, so you can expect to hear a lot more about these
wonderful substances. But starting right now I am adding more
green tea into my daily tea consumption – which I am afraid to
say is quite significant, and yes most of it is black (I am a
tea caffeine Queen rather than a coffee one!). Writing about the
health benefits for animals has reminded me to take a bit more
care of myself as well. I would encourage you to do the same,
but please do take the time to read my little warning at the end
about mixing tea with some medicines or health complaints.
There's one more thing I want to explain before we look at the
health benefits because its what makes the biggest distinction
between the types and I didn't know what it meant, so you might
not either: oxidization. Black tea is fully oxidized before
drying, green tea is unoxidized; and Oolongs are somewhere in
the middle. To oxidize tea, the leaves are put into troughs or
laid out on tables. Oxidization occurs when enzymes within the
leaves react with the air and takes from between 30 minutes and
two hours at about 26 degrees centigrade. It is during this
process that the tealeaf changes from green, through light brown
to a deep brown. Once the tea has reached the desired level of
oxidation, light for a light liquoring tea and dark brown for a
stronger liquoring tea, the leaves are dried (otherwise known as
'firing the tea'). Phew, that is the science bit over.
By the way, about 78% of all the tea we drink is black, 20% is
green and Oolong makes up the rest.
So, what about those health-giving properties for animals? I do
not think this list is exhaustive, but here are the main
conditions it can help.
High cholesterol
Green tea has demonstrated an ability to lower total cholesterol
and raise HDL (good) cholesterol in both animals and people.
Results from one animal study suggest that polyphenols in green
tea may block the intestinal absorption of cholesterol and
promote its excretion from the body.
Cancer
Recent animal and clinical studies are beginning to suggest that
substances in green tea known as polyphenols may play an
important role in the prevention of cancer. These substances act
as powerful antioxidants. Researchers also believe that
polyphenols help kill cancerous cells and stop its progression.
Breast cancer
Studies in animals (and believe it or now some animals, like
mice, are prone to breast cancer) and test tubes suggest that
polyphenols in green tea inhibit the growth of breast cancer
cells.
Esophageal cancers
Several animal studies have found that green tea polyphenols
inhibit the growth of esophageal (throat) cancer cells. However,
results of studies in people have been conflicting, so more work
is needed here. However I would say some of the conflict, it was
suggested, could be down to the heat at which green tea is
consumed. This of course would not affect animals because it
would be given cold, so I think it is worth a try.
Diabetes
We know that some animals are very prone to diabetes, especially
if we have been over feeding them! Green tea has been used
traditionally to control blood sugar in the body. Animal studies
suggest that green tea may help prevent the development of type
1 diabetes and slow the progression once it has developed.
Therefore, Green tea may help regulate glucose in the body.
Liver disease
Animal studies have shown that green tea helps protect against
the development of liver tumors in mice. Results from several
animal and human studies suggest that one of the polyphenols
present in green tea, known as catechin, may help treat viral
hepatitis (inflammation of the liver from a virus). In these
studies, catechin was isolated from green tea and used in very
high concentrations.
Weight loss
Studies suggest that green tea extract may boost metabolism and
help burn fat, but there have been no specific studies of this
herb in overweight or obese individuals. Some researchers
speculate that substances in green tea known as polyphenols,
specifically the catechins, are responsible for the herb's
fat-burning effect. You will often see ‘weight loss’ described
as a benefit of green tea and there is no reason why, if it is
actually true, this would not apply to animals as well.
So, to the dosages
Now there we have a problem because that’s not clear from any of
the research I have looked at – because its all based on human
consumption. It seems clear that you cant actually overdose on
it, so just try to get the animal to take it. Some horses I know
are very happy to drink any kind of tea but others are quite
reluctant. Serve it cold or tepid and obviously no sugar please
(although a teensy bit of honey may make it more palatable and
that wont de any harm at all. Also, remember the same warning
goes for animals as it does for humans. If the animal is already
on medication, check out that the green tea wont interact badly
with it.
Finally I promised you a little health warning for my human
readers who may be on their way to get some in for themselves.
Adult dosages can look like this. Three cups of green tea per
day (3 g soluble components, or 240 to 320 g polyphenols) or 300
to 400 mg per day of standardized green tea extract (extracts
should contain 80% total polyphenols and 55% epigallocatechin)
is the recommended dosage.
The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the
body and treating disease. Herbs, however, contain active
substances that can trigger side effects and interact with other
herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, herbs
should be taken with care, either under the supervision of a
practitioner knowledgeable in the field of botanical medicine or
your own Doctor.
People with heart problems, kidney disorders, stomach ulcers,
and psychological disorders (particularly anxiety) should not
take green tea. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should also
avoid green tea. So if you have any of these make sure that you
contact your Doctor or medical advisor before even thinking
about taking green tea. As herbs do interact with other
medicines, if you are taking any other form of medication I
would always make sure that you find out possible side effects
before you start taking it – especially if you are thinking of
taking a concentrated extract of green tea.
| About the author: Debbie Boffa has
a rescued Briard called Arnie that has taken some real
dedication to get around his poor start in life. Her experiences
have lead to her new book ‘Dog Obedience Training’ and a new
website
www.trainingdogsrus.com. She’d love to see you there to get
your FREE dog training tips!
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© 2006 Debbie Boffa |
