My grandma drank three cups of green tea every day. It didn’t matter if it was 98 degrees outside in the middle of August or the coldest day in December in downtown Buffalo, NY. She would make her tea in her delicate teacup, rest her spoon on the matching saucer, and wait until the tea had properly steeped under a tea cozy. She lived to be 92 and believed green tea had medicinal benefits.
According to an online article in PubMed.gov, she was right, especially when it comes to benefiting patients with amyloidosis and multiple myeloma.
Tea drinking–for amyloidosis/medicinal purposes or pleasure–although associated with the British, did not originate there.
The drinking of tea is thought to have first taken root in China in the 28th century B.C. where it was recognized as a medicinal drink with health qualities. The spread of tea drinking throughout China and Japan is credited to Buddhist Monks as they traveled from region to region. In modern times, tea drinking has taken hold thanks to the interest of health-conscious people around the world (and Starbucks, of course).
It’s green tea’s EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) and other antioxidants that have made the biggest impact on a number of human diseases, especially cancer-related ones. EGCG has been shown to stop the growth of cancer cells, kill cancer cells, and prevent the growth of new blood vessels in tumors without bothering normal cells. Through laboratory research, it appears the green tea leaves contain elements which help our body in multiple ways.
More than 80 percent of the tea that is enjoyed throughout the world is black tea. Although both teas come from the same plant, the difference is black tea is fermented; green tea is not. So the next time you’re tempted to make a run to Starbucks, consider the health benefits of asking the barista for a green tea rather than a caramel macchiato with extra drizzle.
For the rest of the article on the benefits of EGCG found in green tea, click here.
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To learn more about amyloidosis, check out our partner the Amyloidosis Foundation.
