Health Benefits of Green tea

K. M. JayasinghaDepartment of Food Science and TechnologyUnivesity of Peradeniya

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Introduction

• Tea plant is Camellia sinensis. • Tea likely originated in China. • Tea is an aromatic beverage.• Tea has a cooling, slightly bitter, and

astringent flavour.

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Types of tea

• Green tea• Black tea• Oolong tea• White tea• Pu-erh tea

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Green tea

• Green tea has greenish-yellow colour and slightly astringent flavor.

• Green tea has a too high content of polyphenols.

• Green tea is a medicine and a healthful beverage.

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Green tea processing Tea leaves

Partial withering

steaming

Rolling and drying

Final frying

Green tea

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Composition of Green Tea

• Proteins• Carbohydrates• Lipids• Vitamins• Pigments• Volatile compound• Minerals• Xanthic bases• Polyphenol compounds

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Nutritive value of Green Tea

• The caffeine content is lower than other drinks.

• Green tea contains antioxidant compounds.

• Minerals in green tea play major role to increase nutritive value.

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Green tea and human health• Antioxidant activity• Antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic potential • Anti-hypertensive effect and cardiovascular disease

risk• Oral health• Solar ultraviolet protection• Body weight control• Glucose tolerance and Insulin sensitivity

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Antioxidant activity

• Green tea is a source of antioxidant nutrients.

• Green tea is rich in polyphenols.• Catechins and garllic acid are major

polyphenols in green tea.• It protect against oxidative damage in

body.

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Antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic potential

• Green tea polyphenols increase antimutagenic activity of green tea.

• Green tea inhibit many cancers in the body. They are,

• Lung cancer• Breast cancer• Ovarian cancer• Stomach cancer• Skin cancer

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Anti-hypertensive effect and cardiovascular disease risk

• Green tea reduces blood pressure.• Green tea reduces cardiovascular disease

risk.• The oxidation of LDL-cholesterol is

inhibited by green tea.• Green tea increases the levels of HDL-

cholesterol.

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Oral health• Green tea consumption reduces dental caries.• Green tea is a natural source of Fluoride.• Fluoride prevents tooth loss and oral cancer.

Solar ultraviolet protection

• Catechin is a protector agent against some types of radiation.

• It prevents skin disease, photoaging and potential cancer problems.

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Body weight control• Polyphenols has a potential to control body

weight.

Glucose tolerance and Insulin sensitivity

• Green tea has an effect on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity and green tea increases insulin activity.

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Harmful effects of tea over consumption

• The negative effects of caffeine Theophylline are nervousness, sleep disorders, vomits, headaches, epigastric pain, tachycardia.

• Green tea should not be taken by some patients suffering heart problems.

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