The elements that constitute longevity have long eluded medical circles worldwide. But it is clearer than ever that evading illness is key. Antioxidants boast life-prolonging effects because they rid the body of harmful substances. But some antioxidants, such as those found in green tea are more potent than others.
Green tea is an excellent source of catechins, a potent antioxidant revered for its protective effects against disease.
Researchers believe that the compounds are responsible for the beverage’s cholesterol-lowering effects, explains the AARP.
The specific type of catechins found in green tea is ECGC, which is renowned as being one of the most potent.
One meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggested that green tea significantly reduces total cholesterol, including LDL or “bad” cholesterol.
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A host of studies have also highlighted the life-prolonging effects of ECGC, explaining it may add more than a year of disease-free life.
In one study performed on rodents, researchers split the young adult mice into three groups to observe the protective effects underpinning ECGC.
One group served as controls and were offered a standard lab chow diet alongside plain water.
Another group ate high-fat diets and drank water spiked with fructose, while the third group ate the same diet accompanied with water laced with EGCG.
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Results later revealed that rodents that consumed ECGC performed better in cognitive tests, confirming the neuroprotective effects of the compound.
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A filled cup of brewed green contains around 50 to 100 mg of ECGC.
Green tea contains the highest concentrations of the compound, which increases with brewing time.
Separate studies conducted at Oregon State University have suggested the compound has the ability to increase the body’s number of regulatory T cells, which may help protect against autoimmune diseases.
Researchers found the compound was able to regulate appetite among the rodents following a high fat and high sugar diet.
In 2020, a study conducted on over 100,000 Chinese participants found those who drank green tea more than three times a week, lived on average 15 months longer than those who did.
The others of the study wrote: “Habitual tea drinks had 1.41 years longer of cardiovascular disease-free years and 1.26 years longer of life expectancy at the index age of 50.”
“Tea consumption was associated with reduced risks of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, especially among those consistent habitual tea drinks.”
EGCG is known to aid with inflammation, weight loss, and prevent heart and brain disease, but it is not the only beneficial compound found in green tea.
Tea also contains theanine, an amino acid that can relieve stress, and arginine, which also has a relaxing effect.
“The stress-reducing effect of thiamine and green tea is thought to contribute to the maintenance of mental health and the control of brain ageing in many people,” wrote the authors of one study published in the journal Molecules.
In doing so, “green tea suppresses brain ageing through the activity of nerve cells by both EGCG and its degradation products, and the reductions in stress achieved by thiamine and arginine.”
Data highlighting the life-prolonging effects of green tea stem from observational studies to date, so no causal relationship has yet been confirmed.
Source: Daily Express
