Tea is one of the most popular beverages in the entire world, and it has been for literally thousands upon thousands of years. Nowadays, tea is consumed primarily for taste, although there are some holistic medicinal treatments that incorporate tea as part of their treatment practices. Some forms of tea have been found to provide substantial health benefits, including green tea, which is still a staple ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine to this very day. Green tea is one of the healthiest beverages in the entire world, due largely to the fact that it contains such an impressive antioxidant content. Out of all of the antioxidants and natural nutrients found in green tea however, there is one ingredient that stands head and shoulders above the rest, and that ingredient is known as EGCG, and it is what we’ll be taking a look at right now. In this document, we’ll be looking at what EGCG is, how it works in the human body, and why it is considered to be such a healthy and powerful ingredient.
What is EGCG?
EGCG stands for Epigallocatechin galate, and it is a powerful polyphenol that is found naturally within green tea, along with other nutrients including catechin, proathocyanidins, epicatechin, and more besides. This active compound provides hugely potent and powerful antioxidant qualities, and it is this very ingredient that is responsible for green tea having such an impressive reputation for when it comes to health and wellness. When optimal amounts are consumed, EGCG has been proven to provide numerous health and wellness benefits, some of which we’ll be taking a look at right now.
Reduced body fat
If you read the ingredients found in most natural fat burning supplements, you’ll see that many of them contain natural green tea extracts, due to the fact that these extracts contain EGCG, which has been proven to help reduce body fat percentages. You see, EGCG has been proven to naturally increase the body’s metabolism, which in turn means that you burn more calories and enjoy more energy as a result. EGCG also increases the body’s ability to utilize body fat as a primary source of energy, and what’s more, it appears as if the majority of this fat comes from visceral body fat. Visceral body fat is stored on and around the abdomen, and it is very dangerous as this fat can place extra strain and stress on the major organs, and it can subsequently damage them. Basically, EGCG helps to increase the delivery rates of stored fat cells within the body for oxidation, which results in these fat cells being burnt off and used as energy, which ironically, is why the body stores fat in the first place. Whilst a person cannot expect to simply drink one or two cups of green tea a day and still lose weight if they’re eating junk food, studies have found that consuming larger dosages of EGCG, in conjunction with a healthy diet and active lifestyle, can yield much more impressive fat loss results than without the EGCG.
Anti-cancer benefits
Another huge benefit associated with EGCG, is the fact that it provides a number of anti-cancer benefits, due largely to the fact that it functions as a very powerful antioxidant. You see, against free-radicals and toxins within the human body, EGCG helps to eradicate them for good, before they have chance to damage and attack the cells. Free-radicals are naturally unstable molecules that attack our bodies on an intra-cellular level and can cause healthy cells to become unstable and to mutate via oxidation, in a similar fashion to how food can turn mouldy and rancid in the fridge once it has been removed from its air-tight packaging. EGCG however, destroys these free-radicals before they have chance to damage our cells, and it can therefore help to prevent a whole host of various forms of cancer. Studies have also revealed that EGCG can inhibit the growth rates of cancerous tumours, particularly those involved in cancer of the colon, stomach, breast, and liver. These is even evidence that does appear to show that high dosages of EGCG can even help to kill cancerous cells for good, making EGCG a very healthy and promising compound indeed.
Androgenic benefits
Studies have also found that EGCG consumption can provide androgenic benefits, particularly for men. You see, EGCG has been proven to help inhibit DHT, or Dihydrotestosterone, activity and potency, which is very beneficial. Increased dosages of DHT within the human body, has been linked with a reduction in libido, with a reduction in testosterone levels, with balding, with weight gain, with lethargy, and much more besides. The good news is that EGCG, especially the gallate of this compound, has been proven to inhibit the activity of DHT within the human body, and to help reduce the detrimental side effects it causes as a result. It does this by binding onto DHT receptors within the body, and essentially nullifying the effects.
Brain benefits
EGCG also provides a number of benefits for the human brain as it has been proven to help enhance overall brain function. Experts found that EGCG helps to promote the creation of new neurons within the brain, via a process known as neurogenesis. This in turn helps to enhance cognitive function and it helps to improve short and long-term memory, plus it can help to prevent degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Within the hippocampus, which is a part of the brain which is responsible for the formation of memories, EGCG helps to stimulate the production and generation of new neurons, providing substantial brain benefits as a result.
