Green tea is sometimes called Chinese tea or Japanese tea and actually, it’s delicious. I’ve been drinking it over ice every day for at least 10 years. Yup, even before Oprah said it was cool. I make it as sun tea, because I don’t care for the flavor of boiled green tea.

However, there is a much better reason to drink green tea besides the refreshing taste. University of Purdue researchers concluded that a compound in green tea, EGCG, inhibits the growth of cancer cells. Research is also indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol. It may also reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes because EGCG inhibits the unnatural formation of blood clots, which may lead to thrombosis.

Green tea contains powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. When contained in teas Polyphenols are classified as catechins. There are six primary catechin compounds contained in Green tea: catechin, gallaogatechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin gallate (also known as EGCG). EGCG is the most active polyphenol component in green tea and has been studied the most.

Free radicals can cause damage in the body when they alter cells, tamper with DNA, and cause cell death. These free radicals are believed by scientists to contribute to health problems including cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants are able to neutralize free radicals.

Green tea and black tea are both produced from the Camellia sinensis plant but different methods are used. Researchers believe that because the fresh leaves are steamed to produce green tea, the EGCG compounds are not damaged. However, other tea varieties are fermented which apparently causes EGCG to lose its medicinal properties.

Green tea does have stimulant effects, although probably not enough to keep you from sleeping at night. The alkaloids caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline are in green tea.

Chinese and Indian traditional medicine practitioners used green tea as a stimulant, diuretic, and astringent. It was also used to treat flatulence, to regulate body temperature and blood sugar, to promote digestion, and to improve thinking.

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