Other than taking vitamins A, E and C as antioxidant dietary supplements, one of the most valuable sources of antioxidants can be found in the form of botanicals. Green tea is a rich source of flavonoids, catechins and tannins. All of these substances can destroy free radicals, which make the green tea a great antioxidant supplement. More importantly, Catechin, is a very strong free radical destroyer.

History of Green Tea:
Green tea has been commonly used as a beverage and as a means of traditional treatment in many Asian countries. It has been a traditionally used in China where tea consumption has its early beginnings. Green tea has been widely used particularly in China, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand and Japan as a source to control bleeding and cure injuries. It was also used to regulate body temperature, blood sugar and promote digestion.

Green tea originates from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. The leaves are merely processed where they are not fermented but are just withered and steamed. Teas that come from the camellia tea plant are very rich in polyphenols, which are basically a type of antioxidant. Green tea, which originates from China, has been linked with different cultures all over Asia. Due to its positive health effects, Green tea has become more prevalent in the West, where black tea is commonly used.

Composition of Antioxidants in Green Tea:
Vitamins A, E, and C have considerable amounts and green tea consists of all these vitamins in high amounts. Green tea flavonoids have very strong anti-cancer, antibacterial, brain and heart protective properties. The most potent of this is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is contained in high levels and is important in cancer prevention. Green teas have 8 times more than the amount of antioxidants that are found in fruits and vegetables in one observation. Research studies have shown that the antioxidants found in green teas are very beneficial to human health. It was observes that tea changes the metabolism to purify harmful chemicals in the body.

Green Tea as Antioxidant Dietary Supplement:
Green tea is typically made from unfermented leaves and contains higher concentration of potent antioxidants known as polyphenols, which is essentially, destroy free radicals. Through several decades, green tea has been the subject to various medical and scientific researches to establish its health benefits as antioxidant dietary supplement. Results show that green tea is able to prevent atherosclerosis, specifically coronary artery disease. Other positive results show it lowers bad cholesterol level, protects against cancer, and helps control blood sugar in the body