Dr. Overberg's The Many Benefits of Green Tea (2025)

Drron is a coffee addict and looking to change, so let’s take a look at tea. Yes, they both have caffeine in them, but don’t have the same attraction for me. I think it is the smell. I will even drink bad coffee, just like I would drink cheap beer. Addiction is a funny thing. If tea tastes bad, no problem stopping, but bad coffee, I just drink smaller sips till it is all gone. Throw it away, you say? I start a whole new cup of the same bad coffee. Today we will read about the good things about tea. Reading good things about fish, got me started eating fish.

I started with orange roughy, a deep-dwelling, slow-growing, non-fishy tasting, white meat fish back in1980. Nowadays there is no orange roughy to be found. It got over fished, in the1990s it collapsed and may just be extinct. It has a lifespan of up to 250 years. It would not be the first species decimated, over-harvested into extinction. Two things more things I did not know back then (there was no internet and no Google) about orange roughy, it also known as slimehead, and because it lived so long it accumulated a lot of mercury! Wow, lots of alcohol and mercury, still I got a Ph.D.

Backto tea. My good friend and colleague Jim McAffee wrote a great tea newsletter back in 2021. The research on tea has just continued on. Tea is more popular than ever. Here is the first half.

Introduction

There are thousands of polyphe­nols in nature being investigated for their medical potential. These are water soluble anti-inflammatory mol­ecules with powerful antioxidant ac­tivity. They are found in abundance is some foods including teas, berries, chocolate, grapes, and pomegranate.

Tea has been consumed as a bever­age for over 2,000 years. Consumption was begun in China and after being adopted by the British the habit was spread over the world. Today, tea is the second most commonly consumed beverage after water. Consumption is far ahead of coffee, beer, wine, and sodas. Tea is consumed both as a bev­erage and as a therapeutic for illness.

There are three types of teas sold for consumption: green tea, oolong tea, and black (or red) teas. Green teas are not fermented. This is ac­complished by drying and steaming to destroy an enzyme called polyphe­nol oxidase. Oolong tea is partially fermented before drying. Black tea is fermented.

Almost 80% of the tea consumed in the world is fermented. About 20% is consumed as green tea, while only about 2% is consumed as oolong tea.

Research has focused on green tea polyphenols which appear to have a strong ability to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancers. Research also suggests benefits with regard to bone density, brain function, tooth decay, prevention of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, slowing of cataract for­mation and reducing risk of kidney stones.

Tea can accumulate fluoride (of­ten promoted to prevent tooth decay) and aluminum if soil levels are high. Both are undesirable in excess and are lower in better quality teas. Green tea has lower levels of these minerals than does black tea. Natural sources of fluoride are much less dangerous than the form of fluoride added to drinking water.

The primary interest in teas is the content of flavonoids and polyphe­nols. The primary polyphenols in tea are four catechins: (EGCG (59%), EGC (19%), ECG (13.6%), and EC (6.4%). Tea contains a wide variety of other polyphenols and related com­pounds as well.

The flavonoids in green tea are dif­ferent in structure and function from those in fermented black tea. The fermentation process turns the cate­chins in green tea into theaflavins and thearubigins with different properties which are also beneficial and more easily absorbed than some of the cat­echins in green tea.

The benefit of the catechins in tea depends not only upon the quantity of the substances in the tea, but also upon potency and bioavailability. The primary catechin in green tea (EGCG) appears to be less bioavailable than some of the other catechins but much more biologically active.

Reference:Cabrera, Carmen, et al., Beneficial effects of green tea-A review, Journal of the American Col­lege of Nutrition, 2006;25(2):79-99. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16582024/

TraditionalMedicine

The Chinese have recom­mended green tea for a variety of health benefits. This includes fight­ing fatigue, treatment for body aches and pains, headache,depres­sion, digestive disorders, detoxifi­cation and the prolongation of life.

ActiveIngredients

Green tea has three main com­ponents which act upon human health. These are xanthic bases (ba­sically caffeine and theophylline), essential oils, and polyphenols.

Drron’s addition: L-theanine is an amino acid found primarily in green and black tea and some mushrooms. Now you can also get it as a supplement. L-Theanine has a calming and relaxing effect. This is one of the reasons the English can drink gobs of tea (with gobs of caffeine in it) and stay so laid back. If you watch movies, often in the heat of the battle they will stop for a cuppa tea. That is hot tea all year around, even in the tropics. The American habit of having of gobs sweet ice tea with every meal is a relative new thing. The Chinese started drinking tea some 4000 years ago!

Caffeine has its primary effect upon the central nervous system de­creasing fatigue, stimulating wake­fulness, and promoting thinking by aiding in the association of ideas.

Theophylline promotes brain ac­tivity, but also has a pronounced ef­fect upon the respiratory system. This compound has a dilating effect upon the circulatory system improv­ing breathing and circulation. It also has a stronger diuretic effect than caf­feine, which means that it promotes urination. Theophylline both stimu­lates and relaxes the respiratory tract.

The essential oils in green tea promote digestion. They are quite volatile and will disappear if the tea is brewed for a long period of time.

By far the most interesting compo­nent of tea is the presence of a blend of polyphenols. The primary polyphenols in green tea consist of four catechins:EGCG, EGC, ECG, and EC. Green tea also contains a number of other important compounds including caf­feic acid, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin,myricetin, and kaempferol.

References:Cabrera, Carmen, et al., Beneficial effects of green tea-A review, Journalof the American Col­lege of Nutrition, 2006;25(2):79-99.

Health Benefits

Studies have shown that tea poly­phenols are anti-mutagenic, anti-di­abetic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory. They have cho­lesterol lowering properties. These polyphenols also promote dental health by reducing cavities, gum disease, and tooth loss. The cat­echins and gallic acid are the pri­mary drivers of these health benefits.

Tea contains a spectrum of an­tioxidants including carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin E tocopherols, and the polyphenols. Tea also con­tains chelating agents that can bind with iron and copper reducing their ability to generate free radicals in the body. Green tea has a higher an­tioxidant activity than black tea.

Studies involving consumption of 1-6 cups of green tea for seven days indicate significantly reduced oxida­tive damage to DNA and fats (lipids).

Supplements

NeoLife supplements are tested for over 200 toxic substances, including excessive minerals such as fluoride, aluminum. Neolife also tests to make sure the tea is filled with flavonoids and polyphenols, including those discussed above, before it is used to make be Ne­oLife Tea, Tre, and Flavonoid Com­plex. NeoLife is a founding member and remains a major contributor to the Polyphenols in Human Health Research Interest Group (PhenHRIG).

Jim’sMcAffee’s Disclaimer

This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to pro­vide helpful and informative material on the subjects addressed in the publication. It is provided with the understanding that the au­thor and publisher are not engaged in render­ing medical, health, or any other kind of per­sonal professional services in this newsletter. The reader should consult his or her medical, health or other competent professional before adopting any of the suggestions in this news­letter or drawing inferences from it. The author and publisher specifically dis­claim all responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is in­curred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of use and application of any of the contents of this newsletter.

How is drron? Drron is in Branson for a Neolife meeting, visiting with friends, some more than 40 years. He took in the production of “David” at the Sight and Sound theater on Thursday and Saturday night the Presleys’ County Jubilee at the Presleys’ theater.Madonna volunteering at The Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney which got interrupted by massive rain and twice by Tornado warnings.

I schedule appointments only by phone! Consultations are in person, by phone,or Doxy.me. My time is reserved for existing clients and their referrals. When you contact me, follow-up if you have not heard from me! Drron gets lost between the emails, phone calls, and texts. 972-816-5892 or drron@nutriwellness.com

Please Note: Above statements are not written by Health Realizations nor the opinion of Health Realizations