SIP SLOWLY AND OFTEN

If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.

– Japanese Proverb

Drinking a daily cup of tea will surely starve the apothecary.

– Chinese Proverb

I was recently in Minneapolis visiting old friends and family. In truth, I actually go to Minnesota every year for an annual golf tournament begun years ago by my brother and his friends. We call it the "Eify Open." Please don't tell my mother... This year my foursome won the tourney on the very first sudden-death playoff hole. I am now a three-time winner. But enough of golf, what about our health?

Whenever I'm in town for the Open, I catch up with my high-school friend, Tom, at the local Starbucks or Caribou coffeehouse. When I met Tom this year, I noticed in his hand was not coffee, but a cup of green tea. I was truly perplexed by this because as far as I could remember, Tom loved his coffee... and his wife loved coffee even more. They could go through pots of coffee on a weekend day. I was so perplexed that I actually asked Tom if something was wrong. It turns out Tom was trying to improve his health, and this was one of the many things he was doing. Green tea... mmm...

To me, few things are as relaxing as sipping a warm beverage while sitting in front of a blazing fire on a cool fall day or especially in the middle of a winter storm. It turns out that probably nothing could be healthier than sipping green tea. In fact, research has shown that drinking five to seven cups of this healthy brew a week is associated with incredible health benefits. The only problem is that the flavor is simultaneously strong and subtle and, for some, takes getting used to. But I can tell you from personal experience what a relaxing and refreshing activity tea drinking can be. In addition to recharging and balancing the body... the real benefit comes from the health-giving chemicals found in green tea. 

Green tea has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, and continues this legacy today. It is used in many other cultures (mainly in the Far East), but is slowly finding its way into western society, especially as more evidence uncovers its health benefits.

 Here are just a few of the scientifically shown benefits of green tea:

In fact, the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study in 1994, indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly 60%.

So how does green tea do it? Well, the leaves are processed in a way that preserves many of the chemicals known to provide its health benefits. This differs from the process used for darker teas (e.g., black, red, oolong, etc.), which are fermented to various degrees.  Fermentation is thought to remove many of the volatile chemicals and oils that bring good health.

Two of the beneficial chemicals in green tea are the polyphenols, or so-called "flavonoids": catechin and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is perhaps the most powerful of the polyphenols found in tea. This powerful antioxidant is known to kill cancer cells in vitro, but leaves healthy tissue unharmed. Interestingly, the tea chemicals' mechanism of action may be due to the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases, or MMPs. This inhibition can be directly linked to decreased cell and vessel growth in tumors in the lab. Thus, these chemicals may provide future anticancer and immunity-modulating drugs.

In addition to the anti-tumor properties, the antioxidants in green tea block the oxidation of bad cholesterol and increase our "healthy" cholesterol ratios. It has also been proven that green tea improves arterial function. Thus, providing potential benefit to people with hypertension.

One final thought to consider... for best results (both for flavor and health benefits), you should drink green tea freshly brewed after allowing it to steep for three to five minutes. True green tea aficionados choose the loose leaves and a tea infuser over the prepackaged kind. The health benefits from the loose type are much greater, due to the quality of the leaves. However, some great (and more convenient) green teas are sold in bag form.

 When it comes to tea... what do I do?

Here's to our health,

David Eifrig Jr., M.D., M.B.A.

P.S. To read George Orwell's essay on tea, click here.