Green Tea (60% Polyphenols, 60% Catechins, 5% Caffeine)

History and Uses:
According to Chinese legend, tea was discovered accidentally by an emperor five thousand years ago, and since then, Traditional Chinese Medicine has recommended Green Tea for headaches, body aches and pains, indigestion, depression, immune enhancement, detoxification, as an energizer and to prolong life. Modern research has confirmed many of these health benefits. All teas (green, black and oolong) are derived from the same tea plant, Camellia sinensis. The difference is in 'how' the plucked leaves are prepared. The tea plant has long been cultivated in China. It is an evergreen shrub or tree that can grow to a height of thirty feet, but is usually maintained at a height of two to three feet by regular pruning. The hairy leaves of the tea plant are used both as a social and medicinal beverage. Green Tea, unlike black and oolong tea, is not fermented; it is produced by lightly steaming the fresh cut leaf, so the active constituents remain unaltered in the herb. Green Tea is very high in polyphenols with potent antioxidant and anticarcinogenic support properties. Green Tea contains volatile oils, vitamins, minerals and caffeine, but the active constituents are the polyphenols, particularly the catechin called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). These polyphenols are believed to be responsible for most of Green Tea's roles in promoting good health. Research demonstrates that Green Tea guards against cardiovascular disease in many ways. Green Tea lowers total cholesterol levels and improves the cholesterol profile (the ratio of LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol), reduces platelet aggregation and lowers blood pressure. The polyphenols in Green Tea have also been shown to support a lower risk of several types of malignant disease, stimulate the production of several immune system cells and have antibacterial properties - even against the bacteria that causes dental plaque.