Where green tea antioxidants are concerned, green tea is a class unto itself. Often listed as one of the top 10 antioxidant foods, green tea is in the elite company of fresh fruits and vegetables such as berries, broccoli, carrots and tomatoes, just to name a few. Yet, it has often been claimed that in fact green tea packs even more antioxidant power than most of these healthy foods.

Although this site is primarily a guide to drinking green tea, I have decided to deal at some length on this subject of green tea antioxidants so that each time you drink this wonderful beverage you’ll be able to appreciate it even more. Besides, I know of some people whose foremost reason for drinking green tea is for its health benefits. But I am not a nutritionist and what I write here is for information purposes only. It would be best for you to consult your health care provider about your own nutritional needs.

The content of antioxidants in green tea

Antioxidants are found in all teas be they green, white, black or oolong which derive from the same camellia sinensis tea plant. Because of the way they are processed to stop the oxidation, both green and white tea have the highest content of antioxidants. And in green tea itself, the highest content of antioxidants are found in the first flush. Since most of the Chinese green teas are harvested only once a year in the spring, they are necessarily of the first flush. The Japanese sencha can be either of the first or second flush. Gyokuro, although of the first flush are shaded from direct sunlight before the harvest which to some extent actually reduce the level of its antioxidants. But Matcha, although derived from gyokuro, has a high content of the antioxidants, for then you will be consuming the tea leaves as a whole in powdered form.

How do antioxidants work

Any discussion about antioxidants must inevitably begin with the free radicals. These are the unstable molecules that float around in our body looking to pair off their electrons with the electrons of other molecules. They are unstable because of their lack of a paired electron. As a free radical grabs the electron from a nearby molecule, this molecule in itself becomes a free radical because it is now unbalanced due to its missing electron. This in effect will set off a chain reaction for this newly formed free radical will grab the electron from yet another molecule. Science has indicated that these free radicals may actually damage cells and even the DNA and overtime may lead to premature aging, heart diseases and many forms of cancers.

Free radicals naturally form in our body through a process called oxidation, when oxygen interacts with matter like a cut apple turning brownish. But, we also get free radicals from external sources like air pollution such as cigarette smoke and the ultraviolet rays from the sun, and lifestyle choices such as unhealthy diets, excessive stress and even from exercising.

What antioxidants do is that they scavenge and quench these free radicals by supplying that needed electron and thus rendering them harmless. The ‘spent’ antioxidant might be regenerated by another antioxidant or remain in a harmless state.

Actually the human body produces its own antioxidants called antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. But, as we age the body’s own defence mechanism may become less effective. Or, due to the demands of modern living, it may be just so much that the body can take. We will then need to supplement our antioxidants from fresh fruits and vegetables or plants such as green tea antioxidants.

The components of green tea antioxidants

I have categorized the main components of green tea antioxidants into 3 headings below. Together they form the powerhouse of green tea antioxidants. However, to better appreciate the wonder and power of these green tea antioxidants, these components must not be seen in isolation but rather in the light of their working together synergistically. To this end, it must be mentioned that we are merely scratching the surface for science has yet to fully understand the reportedly numerous phytochemical compounds in green tea.

Green tea polyphenols

A group of these polyphenols called flavonoids which can itself be sub-classified into types of catechins are the primary antioxidants in green tea. Of these green tea polyphenols catechins, special mention must be made of its main protagonist called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). This EGCG is often reported in many laboratory studies to be several times more powerful than Vitamins C and E in its antioxidant activity and at least twice that of resveratrol which is the primary antioxidant in red wine. Such is its repute that there seems to be a tendency toward over-emphasizing on the EGCG and the other catechins as evidenced by their composition in green tea extracts and their use in supplements and laboratory studies.

Green tea vitamins

The principal vitamins in green tea which have antioxidant properties are Vitamins C and E. Other vitamins present in green tea include Vitamins A, B2, and K. As antioxidants differ in structure such as whether they are water soluble or fat soluble, in certain environments within our bodies antioxidant vitamins may be even more suited or ‘specialized’ than the catechins themselves in scavenging free radicals. Moreover, researchers have indicated that Vitamin C might actually help in the absorbtion of the catechins into our bodies. These points will be discussed in more details in my related article on green tea vitamins.

Minerals

The minerals that are found in green tea include calcium, chromium, manganese, magnesium, selenium, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, strontium, iron, copper, zinc, cobalt and nickel. Although most are not known to be directly related to antioxidant activity in our bodies, I mention them here because some of them are essential in the formation of our bodies’ own antioxidant enzymes which we alluded to earlier. For example, the trace mineral selenium is as essential element in the formation of glutathione peroxidase. Similarly, manganese, copper and zinc are essential for the different types of superoxide dismutase.

A special mention must also be made of the amino acid theanine. Although not known as an antioxidant as such, the calming effect of theanine is often reported to be a natural stress reliever and excessive stress is a source of free radicals.

The generally recommended consumption of green tea is between 3 to 6 cups per day for its health benefits. It is definitely much safer than popping mega doses of antioxidant supplements and exposing to the potential toxicity thereof. It has also to be noted, however, that the content of green tea antioxidants vary greatly in the form of green tea products you consume, whether it is loose leaf, bag or bottled.

Related posts:

  1. Green Tea Polyphenols – The Focus of Green Tea Antioxidants
  2. Green Tea Vitamins And Their Antioxidant Functions

Filed under: Green Tea Antioxidants

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