What’s green tea extract good for?
A defined, decaffeinated green tea polyphenol mixture isolated from Camellia sinensis, a plant native to Asia, with antiviral and antioxidant activities and potential chemopreventive activity. Green tea extract contains antioxidant compounds, including flavonoids, vitamins and polyphenols such as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which may have antineoplastic properties. Consumption of green tea extract may confer chemopreventive protection against various cancers including those of the prostate, stomach, and oesophagus.
What are the benefits of green tea extract?
1. High in antioxidants
The health benefits of green tea extract are mostly due to its high antioxidant content.
Antioxidants can help reduce oxidative stress in your body by fighting cell damage caused by molecules called free radicals. This cell damage is associated with ageing and several diseases.
Studies have shown that green tea extract increases your body’s antioxidant capacity (the activity of your body’s antioxidant enzymes) and protects against oxidative stress. This, in turn, may prevent associated health concerns.
2. May promote heart health
Oxidative stress increases fat buildup in your blood, which promotes inflammation in your arteries and leads to high blood pressure.
The antioxidants in green tea extract can decrease inflammation and help reduce blood pressure. They can also inhibit fat absorption in cells, helping reduce blood fat levels.
In one 2012 study, 56 people with obesity and high blood pressure took 379 mg of green tea extract daily for 3 months. They showed a significant decrease in blood pressure, compared with the placebo group.
Additionally, they experienced significant reductions in blood fat levels, including lower triglycerides and both total and LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Given that high blood pressure and high blood fat levels are risk factors for heart diseases, regulating them can promote heart health.
3. Good for the brain
The antioxidants in green tea extract, especially EGCG, have been shown to protect brain cells from oxidative stress.
This protection can help reduce brain damage that could lead to mental decline and brain diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and dementia.
Green tea extract can also decrease the action of heavy metals like iron and copper, both of which can damage brain cells.
4. Can help with weight loss
Green tea extract is rich in catechins, and it contains a decent amount of caffeine. Interestingly, it seems that this combination of ingredients is responsible for green tea extract’s modest weight loss properties.
Both catechins and caffeine have been shown to assist in weight loss by regulating the hormones that can enhance thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is the process by which your body burns calories to digest food and produce heat.