Studies have concluded recently that including Green Tea and/or Green Tea Extract into your diet may be very wise regarding your heart health. Currently, heart disease is the number 1 killer of US citizens so understanding how green tea or green tea extract works in your system to defend against coronary illness may be extremely valuable information for many. Studies have shown that green tea can combat heart disease in few ways:

Green Tea Extract Can Reduce Cholesterol

Green tea's powerful antioxidant properties can reduce plaque build up ( bad cholesterol or "Low density lipoproteins (LDL)" ) in the arteries which can directly cause heart attack and stroke. Of course, knowing that you should keep your arteries clear from bad cholesterol is nothing new, yet many people are unaware that drinking green tea can be a totally effective and safe way to accomplish this. Recent studies at the "Cedars-Sinai Medical Center" have supported this .

Another relatively recent ( 2003 )12 week study from the "Archives of Internal Medicine" showed that participants taking green tea extract had a drop in "bad" cholesterol of 15% and their "total" cholesterol fell by 10%.

Green Tea Can Reduce Cell Damage

Green Tea's powerful antioxidant properties can reduce the level of cell death that occurs after heart attack and stroke. During a stroke or heart attack many cells are damaged due to lack of oxygen to the brain, and much of the cell damage is irreversible which is known as "cell death". The powerful component in Green tea and green tea extract "EGCG" has the amazing ability to speed recovery of damaged cells.

EGCG is a powerful catechin, a biological compound produced in green tea that is responsible for the amazing inherent antioxidant properties which are so beneficial. A cup of green tea provides upwards of 40mg of polyphenols ( catechin group) and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots or strawberries.

How much Green Tea is Effective?

While there is no RDA for Green tea or Green tea extract since it's not considered an essential nutrient it has been reported that taking about 240-320mg daily is beneficial to overall heart health. This benefit can be derived from drinking about 4 cups of green tea daily or taking one 300mg green tea extract capsule daily. There is no difference in potency; the extract is recommended for those who may not like to drink tea but still want the powerful health benefits.

So, drinking just a few cups of green tea daily could become part of your heart disease prevention routine, along with a sane diet plan and exercise you should surely be much more healthy and of course, feel great. It's very low cost, has virtually no side effects (there is 40mg of caffeine in 8 oz cup of tea, much less than coffee however) is totally natural and is delicious hot or cold!