Green Tea and Diabetes : Is There A Link?

Green tea has been a healing drink for more than 4,000 t0 5,000 years, dating back when it was known as a solution for health problems in China and other Asian countries.  Now scientists have done extensive studies regarding green tea and cancer, concentrating on the anti-oxidants called catechins and how these are able to prevent and treatment the possibilities and victims of cancer.  Though studies have proven the healing capabilities of catechins, it is still unsure whether green tea can actually be the answer to curing cancer. 

Green tea and cancer are thought to cancel out each other through the help of anti-oxidants.  The body produces oxidants, unstable molecules in the body that take electrons from other cells in order to maintain stability.  This causes a lot of damage to the cell proteins, making the human body very susceptible to cancer.  In green tea, the catechins serve as the antioxidants, which inhibit the growth of cancer cells and enzyme development that lead to cancer.  They are also known to repair damage on the DNA, which are also caused by the oxidants in the body.  All kinds of tea leaves contain catechins since they derive from a single plant known as Camellia sinensis. The ways the tea leaves are processed are what differentiates each from one another.  By fermenting the leaves for example, black tea and oolong tea are produced.  By simply steaming the leaves, green tea is produced and is known to contain more amounts of anti-oxidants since this method prevents too much oxidation.  If you are really in need of good tea, then the best kinds are the green and black tea since they contain up to 80% of catechins, which are very helpful for the body.  This is more preferred than iced tea or instant tea since they contain only small amounts of anti-oxidants that could effectively heal and replenish the body.

Of course, this knowledge is further explored by scientists and researchers all over the world.  Most of the findings have proven that the catechins in green tea are able to prevent the growth and development of cancer cells.  They do this by looking for cell injuries in the body and heal the problem by reducing the size of chemically induced tumors and prevent the growth of tumor cells as well.  Though this has been proven through animal tests, the link between green tea and black tea’s healing properties and humans have been found to be inconsistent and is therefore still undergoing the research processes.  Studies in China and the United States have found tea to be very helpful in preventing cancer cell growth with comparisons of tea drinkers to non-tea drinkers, yet a study in the Netherlands have proven likewise with their own findings. 

Though we can expect more and more research to be done on green tea, we can be sure though that drinking green tea helps in improving our overall health and even our own lifestyles.  Green tea can help us live normal, happier, and healthier lives, especially with its ability to prevent the growth of cancer.