Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG, EpiGalloCathechin-3-Gallate), which is a flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, has a healthy effect. EGCG is only contained in green tea, but not in black tea, where EGCG et al. Catechins are destroyed during the fermentation process.
The protection of green tea against cancer is mainly due to the antioxidants it contains (they bind free radicals and neutralize harmful waste products). Among flavonoids, EGCG is one of the most potent antioxidants, which also activates antioxidant enzymes in the intestines, lungs and liver. The ingredients in green tea also reduce the activity of carcinogenic substances (such as nitrosamines) and strengthen detoxification. Many studies suggest that consuming green tea can reduce the risk of damage to the ovaries, breast, stomach, intestines, lungs, prostate, etc. The risk of cancer, green tea also increases the effect of drugs used in cancer treatment. (1) Catechin is a substance belonging to the group of flavonoids that protects plants from diseases.
Erich Wanker, a German professor of molecular biology, argues that amyloid deposits in the brain play a major role in diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and that the EGCG in green tea inhibits amyloid deposition and may even dissolve them. Amyloid is a protein that is deposited into insoluble structures that damage nerve cells in the brain. In such structures, the protein chains are folded differently than usual. Researchers in Berlin have proven through laboratory experiments that the EGCG in green tea binds to an unfolded protein and thus prevents the protein from forming a structure that differs from normal. Instead, rounded formations are formed that are harmless to nerve cells.
If you are interested, read more about green tea on the website of the Estonian Association of Nutritionists: http://www.toitumisnoustajad.ee/retseptid/toiduainete-info/roheline-tee/
