Читать книгу The PH Diet: The pHenomenal Dietary System - Bharti Vyas - Страница 31

The health benefits of green tea have been well established by many reputable studies. They contain powerful antioxidants, which have been shown to fight viruses, slow ageing, reduce high blood pressure, lower blood sugar, fight cancer and have an overall beneficial effect on health.

There are three types of tea: green, oolong and black. During the fermentation process, green tea is steamed, baked or pan-heated to prevent oxidation, thus the leaf remains green. Oolong tea is partially fermented. Oxidation is cut short so the leaves are black only on the edges. Black tea is fully fermented, producing black leaves. So why is green tea getting all the attention in the science world? It is mainly because of an antioxidant called EGCG that is preserved in green tea, but lost in oolong and black tea when fermented. Antioxidants are thought to prevent harmful free radicals. The highest amount of any known antioxidant is found in green tea. EGCG has been found to be 100 times more effective than vitamin C, and 25 times more effective than vitamin E, at neutralizing free radicals.