Does Green Tea Detox Your Body?

The drinking of tea leaves steeped in boiling water goes back at least 5,000 years to India and China, where ancient cultures cultivated tea plants. A University of Maryland study reports that China, India, Japan and Thailand have consumed green tea and used it for medicinal purposes for centuries. Green tea has grown in popularity in recent years as a mild alternative to coffee and strong teas, as well as for its healing qualities, now documented in studies.

The Facts

Camellia sinensis is the tea plant from which all teas derive. Of the black, oolong and green tea groups, green is the only one made from unfermented leaves and the least processed, leaving more polyphenols, tea's antioxidant chemicals, intact. These polyphenols fall into six main catechin compounds, the subject of much research. Green tea has the lowest caffeine level as well.

Traditional medicinal uses of green tea in India and China include drinking it as a stimulant and diuretic, to heal wounds, for heart health, as a digestion aid and for mental clarity.

Detox Agent

Our bodies produce free radicals---unstable molecules or oxidants---that "damage cell proteins and genetic material," making the body "vulnerable to cancer," according to the National Cancer Institute. Catechins (antioxidants) deter free radicals' enzyme and DNA damage that sometimes leads to cancer.

Green tea's detoxifying properties have links to weight reduction and fat burning, and they can fight bacteria, liver disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease.

Drink two to three cups of green tea per day for the recommended amount of polyphenols, or take 100 to 750 mg of green tea extract. Choose decaffeinated products if you prefer to avoid the buzz.

Cancer Studies

The University of Arizona studied 42 healthy volunteers who took daily doses of "green tea polyphenol intervention" for four weeks. The result showed an increased level of GST in blood, "providing beneficial detoxifying enzymes to the subjects."

China and Japan have lower rates of cancer than those seen in the United States, sparking interest and studies by the National Cancer Institute of the capsule form of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) found in green tea.

Bacterial Studies

Egyptian researchers presented evidence at the Society for General Microbiology that green tea boosts the effectiveness of antibiotics, up to three times, even against so-called "superbugs." It even helps antibiotics beat drug-resistant bacteria. Also, catechins themselves restrain bacterial enzyme growth, researchers from the National Institute of Chemistry in Ljubljana, Slovenia, discovered, justifying the ancient tea-drinking tradition.

Cautions

Consider a few side effects along with the good. Even the low level of caffeine may affect some people adversely, especially if combined with other caffeine products. Don't give tea to infants. Avoid green tea if you are pregnant or breast- feeding or if you have anxiety or problematic heart, kidney or stomach conditions. Consult with a doctor for interactions with prescriptions and chemotherapy. Studies are ongoing and not conclusive at this time.