1: J Am Coll Nutr. 2006 Apr;25(2):79-99.

Beneficial effects of green tea--a review.

Cabrera C, Artacho R, Gimenez R.

Departamento de Nutricion y Bromatologia, Facultad de Farmacia, Campus
Universitario de Granada, Granada, Spain. carmenc@ugr.es

Tea is the most consumed drink in the world after water. Green tea is a
'non-fermented' tea, and contains more catechins, than black tea or oolong tea.
Catechins are in vitro and in vivo strong antioxidants. In addition, its content
of certain minerals and vitamins increases the antioxidant potential of this
type of tea. Since ancient times, green tea has been considered by the
traditional Chinese medicine as a healthful beverage. Recent human studies
suggest that green tea may contribute to a reduction in the risk of
cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer, as well as to the promotion of
oral health and other physiological functions such as anti-hypertensive effect,
body weight control, antibacterial and antivirasic activity, solar ultraviolet
protection, bone mineral density increase, anti-fibrotic properties, and
neuroprotective power. Increasing interest in its health benefits has led to the
inclusion of green tea in the group of beverages with functional properties.
However, although all the evidence from research on green tea is very promising,
future studies are necessary to fully understand its contributions to human
health, and advise its regular consumption in Western diets, in which green tea
consumption is nowadays limited and sporadic.

PMID: 16582024 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

1: Mol Nutr Food Res. 2006 Feb;50(2):229-34.

Green tea catechins as brain-permeable, natural iron chelators-antioxidants for
the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

Mandel S, Amit T, Reznichenko L, Weinreb O, Youdim MB.

Eve Topf, Haifa, Israel. mandel@tx.technion.ac.il

Neurodegeneration in Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, or other neurodegenerative
diseases appears to be multifactorial, where a complex set of toxic reactions,
including oxidative stress (OS), inflammation, reduced expression of trophic
factors, and accumulation of protein aggregates, lead to the demise of neurons.
One of the prominent pathological features is the abnormal accumulation of iron
on top of the dying neurons and in the surrounding microglia. The capacity of
free iron to enhance and promote the generation of toxic reactive oxygen
radicals has been discussed numerous times. The observations that iron induces
aggregation of inert alpha-synuclein and beta-amyloid peptides to toxic
aggregates have reinforced the critical role of iron in OS-induced pathogenesis
of neurodegeneration, supporting the notion that a combination of iron chelation
and antioxidant therapy may be one significant approach for neuroprotection. Tea
flavonoids (catechins) have been reported to possess divalent metal chelating,
antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities, to penetrate the brain barrier
and to protect neuronal death in a wide array of cellular and animal models of
neurological diseases. This review aims to shed light on the
multipharmacological neuroprotective activities of green tea catechins with
special emphasis on their brain-permeable, nontoxic, transitional metal (iron
and copper)-chelatable/radical scavenger properties.

PMID: 16470637 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

1: Mol Nutr Food Res. 2006 Feb;50(2):176-87.

Anti-obesity effects of green tea: from bedside to bench.

Wolfram S, Wang Y, Thielecke F.

DSM Nutritional Products, Department of Human Nutrition and Health, Basel,
Switzerland. swen.wolfram@dsm.com

During the last decade, the traditional notion that green tea consumption
benefits health has received significant scientific attention and, particularly,
the areas of cardiovascular disease and cancer were subject to numerous studies.
Due to the ever-growing obesity pandemic, the anti-obesity effects of green tea
are being increasingly investigated in cell, animal, and human studies. Green
tea, green tea catechins, and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) have been
demonstrated in cell culture and animal models of obesity to reduce adipocyte
differentiation and proliferation, lipogenesis, fat mass, body weight, fat
absorption, plasma levels of triglycerides, free fatty acids, cholesterol,
glucose, insulin and leptin, as well as to increase beta-oxidation and
thermogenesis. Adipose tissue, liver, intestine, and skeletal muscle are target
organs of green tea, mediating its anti-obesity effects. Studies conducted with
human subjects report reduced body weight and body fat, as well as increased fat
oxidation and thermogenesis and thereby confirm findings in cell culture systems
and animal models of obesity. There is still a need for well-designed and
controlled clinical studies to validate the existing and encouraging human
studies. Since EGCG is regarded as the most active component of green tea, its
specific effects on obesity should also be investigated in human trials.

PMID: 16470636 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

1: Life Sci. 2006 Mar 27;78(18):2073-80. Epub 2006 Jan 30.

Green tea and its polyphenolic catechins: medicinal uses in cancer and noncancer
applications.

Zaveri NT.

Drug Discovery Program, Biosciences Division, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA
94025, USA. nurulain.zaveri@sri.com

Can drinking several cups of green tea a day keep the doctor away? This
certainly seems so, given the popularity of this practice in East Asian culture
and the increased interest in green tea in the Western world. Several
epidemiological studies have shown beneficial effects of green tea in cancer,
cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. The health benefits associated with
green tea consumption have also been corroborated in animal studies of cancer
chemoprevention, hypercholesterolemia, artherosclerosis, Parkinson's disease,
Alzheimer's disease, and other aging-related disorders. However, the use of
green tea as a cancer chemopreventive or for other health benefits has been
confounded by the low oral bioavailability of its active polyphenolic catechins,
particularly epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the most active catechin. This
review summarizes the purported beneficial effects of green tea and EGCG in
various animal models of human diseases. Dose-related differences in the effects
of EGCG in cancer versus neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, as well
as discrepancies between doses used in in vitro studies and achievable plasma
understanding of the in vivo effects of green tea catechins in humans, before
the use of green tea is widely adopted as health-promoting measure.

PMID: 16445946 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

1: J Am Acad Dermatol. 2005 Jun;52(6):1049-59.

Green tea and the skin.

Hsu S.

Department of Oral Biology and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry,
Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia 30912-1126, USA. shsu@mail.mcg.edu

Plant extracts have been widely used as topical applications for wound-healing,
anti-aging, and disease treatments. Examples of these include ginkgo biloba,
echinacea, ginseng, grape seed, green tea, lemon, lavender, rosemary, thuja,
sarsaparilla, soy, prickly pear, sagebrush, jojoba, aloe vera, allantoin,
feverwort, bloodroot, apache plume, and papaya. These plants share a common
character: they all produce flavonoid compounds with phenolic structures. These
phytochemicals are highly reactive with other compounds, such as reactive oxygen
species and biologic macromolecules, to neutralize free radicals or initiate
biological effects. A short list of phenolic phytochemicals with promising
properties to benefit human health includes a group of polyphenol compounds,
called catechins, found in green tea. This article summarizes the findings of
studies using green tea polyphenols as chemopreventive, natural healing, and
anti-aging agents for human skin, and discusses possible mechanisms of action.

PMID: 15928624 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Antioxidants is where it is at these days...

There is even an organic product stronger than green tea, too.

It is called Yerba Mate--
example:
I've been using Yerba Mate since Dec 05 (and I added green tea when Lipton introduced its new drink in April or so 06)

Within 3 mos of Yerba Mate once daily (I use the organic green unsmoked variety)... the horrible varicose veins in my right calf, faded away almost 90%. All the purple discoloration and spider veins resolved...all that is left is a slight bump in 3 places under the skin. So yes, I love those polyphenols etc.
Imagine what they are doing "inside" where one cannot see the effects!
I have also seen an improvement in night vision too.
I have added the green tea daily, as well. But for me, it is somewhat stronger in caffeine effects. There is a brewable bag version that is decaffeinated, but the convenience of the bottled drink by Lipton, outweighs the caffeine content for me. Yerba Mate is much gentler in the caffeine expression.

Grapeseed extract is also good, for the antioxidant values.

The way I look at it, if you are going to drink something, it might as well be
good for you!