Polyteanol is one of the twenty two ingredients contained in SenSatiaFruit.

Polyteanol is a standardized Green Tea Extract.

Green tea is the second-most consumed beverage in the world (water is the first) and has been used medicinally for centuries in India and China.

A number of beneficial health effects are attributed to regular consumption of green tea and dried/powdered extracts of green tea are available as dietary supplements.

The active constituents in green tea are a family of polyphenols (catechins) and flavonols which possess potent antioxidant activity. Tannins, large polyphenol molecules, form the bulk of the active compounds in green tea, with catechins comprising nearly 90%.

Several catechins are present in significant quantities; epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG makes up about 10-50% of the total catechin content and appears to be the most powerful of the catechins – with antioxidant activity about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E.

A cup of green tea may provide 10-40mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots or strawberries.

A number of commercial green tea extracts are standardized to total polyphenol content and/or EGCG content.

Numerous laboratory investigations have shown the powerful antioxidant activity of green tea and green tea extracts.

From the laboratory findings, it is clear that green tea is an effective antioxidant, that is provides clear protection from experimentally induced DNA damage and that it can slow or halt the initiation and progression of cancerous tumor growth.

There is also evidence from some studies that green tea provides significant immunoprotective qualities, particularly in the case of cancer patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy. White blood cell count appears to be maintained more effectively in cancer patients consuming green tea compared to non-supplemented patients.

Several epidemiological studies show an association between consumption of total flavonoids in the diet and the risk for cancer and heart disease.

Men with the highest consumption of flavonoids (from fruits and vegetables) have approximately half the risk of heart disease and cancer compared with those with the lowest intake.

The primary catechin in green tea, EGCG, appears to inhibit the growth of cancer cells as well as play a role in stimulating apoptosis (programmed cell death), both of which are crucial aspects for cancer prevention. In terms of heart disease protection, the potent antioxidant properties of polyphenols would be expected to reduce free radical damage to cells and prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol – both of which would be expected to inhibit the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.

Aside from the clear benefits of green tea as an antioxidant, recent studies have suggested a role catechins in promoting weight loss. In one animal study, the anti-obesity effect of green tea was evaluated by feeding different levels of green tea (1-4% in their diets) to female mice for 4 months.

The study found that the mice receiving the green tea in their diets had a significant suppression of food intake, body weight gain and fat tissue accumulation. In addition, levels of cholesterol and triglycerides were lower in mice receiving the green tea diet. Perhaps the most interesting finding from this study was that Leptin levels in serum showed a decrease with green tea treatments – indicating that green tea may have a direct effect on the regulation of body weight (downward). In some studies, green tea is associated with a mild increase in thermogenesis (increased caloric expenditure) – which is generally attributed to its caffeine content.

At least one study has shown that green tea extract stimulates thermogenesis to an extent that is much greater than can be attributed to its caffeine content per se – meaning that the thermogenic properties of green tea may be due to an interaction between its high content of catechin-polyphenols along with caffeine.

Want to research Green Tea further?

There are 2,460,000 references to Green Tea on Google as of December 2006.

Continue to the Ionic Trace Minerals page.