The health properties of green tea (camellia sinensis) have been extensively studied with some of the green tea benefits including cancer-fighting properties (antiangiogenic) [1, 2, 7, 14, 15, 16] and for protection from cardiovascular diseases [3]. A 2010 literature review [12] summarised green tea as anti-inflammatory [4], antiarthritic [5], antibacterial [6], antioxidative [8, 17], antiviral [9], neuroprotective [10], cholesterol-lowering [11]” and improving fertility in humans and animals [17].
The caffeine and polyphenols found in green tea have also been shown to increase weight loss [13] offering science to the cultural use of green tea for weight loss. One specific polyphenol found in green tea has been the focus of much of the research, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), with specific links of EGCG to many of the health properties mentioned earlier [17].
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