Is green tea a good addition to a healthy diet?

Sipping green tea throughout the day may give unexpected health benefits. Tea is full of catechins, complex organic molecules that may help to boost weight loss. Overall, green tea has the most catechins per cup—about 30 to 40 percent of dry matter; black tea, which is more popular in America has considerably less—about 5 to 10 percent of dry matter.

Green tea contains a type of polyphenol known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate, or EGCG that inhibits the expression of the interleukin-8 gene, a substance that signals the body’s white blood cells and other mediators to promote inflammation.  A cup of green tea may provide 10 to 40 milligrams of polyphenols and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach or strawberries. Researchers theorize that “more may be better” when it comes to drinking green tea for good health and disease prevention.