Green Tea: One Cup, Three Benefits
Friday, January 22nd, 2010
by Woodson Merrell, M.D.
APOGEE Integrative Health Advisor
Just last month a new study revealed a link between drinking green tea and a lower incidence of depression in elderly people. Researchers haven’t identified which natural compound in green tea might be responsible and it’s a preliminary study, but there’s already much we do know about green tea. It’s one of the “power foods” I recommend in the 21-day program for optimal energy in my book Power Up (previously titled The Source) because of how it acts on your body and brain to calm, protect, and detoxify. Here are the details.
Calm: You’ll get a gentle lift from green tea because it has less caffeine than coffee (10-30 milligrams vs. 100-150). But green tea also contains natural compounds that are calming, specifically the amino acid theanine. This compound raises the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain that create good feelings and blocks the receptors for other chemicals that excite the nervous system. In studies, theanine has also been shown to support the immune system and calm the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in a lower heart rate.
Protect: All plants contain antioxidants that prevent damage to cells from free radicals, damaging molecules produced by a variety of sources—from exercise to environmental toxins. Green tea is one of the best sources of catechins, some of nature’s most potent antioxidants. Not only do antioxidants help prevent damage—protecting everything from your arteries to your DNA—but catechins may also help keep your metabolism working at a high level, potentially releasing more energy from fat.
Detoxify: Your body works hard to rid itself of toxins and you’ll have more energy if you help—that’s why detox is a one of the six steps I recommend to boost vitality. Green tea is especially useful as detoxifier: it not only helps break down toxins, a process known as Phase I detox, but green tea is unique in that it also helps transform the toxins so they can be excreted, a process known as Phase II detox.
Green tea retains its bright color and nutritious value because it’s not aged or fermented, as oolong and other teas are. Choose bagged or loose leaves that create a green brew when steeped, not brown—the tea’s color is an indicator of quality. If you want a beverage with virtually no caffeine, splash hot water over soak the leaves in hot water, let it sit for just one minute, then discard the water—most all the caffeine will go with it. Now add more water and steep the tea as you normally would: the theanine and catechins are there, along with the flavor and pleasure of holding, inhaling and drinking a hot beverage.
