Before undergoing a fermentation process that turns it into the black tea widely enjoyed by millions of Americans today, green tea, also known as Camellia sinensis, naturally contains a variety of antiviral and anti-cancer compounds with many proven health benefits. And a recent review published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research explains that consuming green tea can specifically help prevent against ovarian, endometrial, cervical, and various other forms of gynecologic cancer.
==Special Precautions of Green Tea==
* Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Best to avoid either green tea or ECGC extracts during pregnancy. Pregnant women who do either are at risk for the flip side of ECGC's anti-cancer properties, leading to carcinogenic dangers. And her newborn is at risk for childhood malignant central nervous system tumors if her polyphenol flavanoid intake is high. Caffeine : Consuming high amounts of caffeine has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage and other negative effects. Caffeine passes into breast milk and can affect a nursing infant. Don’t drink an excessive amount of green tea if you are breast-feeding.
*Green tea is LIKELY SAFE for most adults. Green tea extract is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people for short-term use. In some people, green tea can cause stomach upset and constipation. Green tea extracts have been reported to cause liver problems in rare cases.
* Too much green tea — more than five cups per day, for example — is POSSIBLY UNSAFE. It can cause side effects because of the caffeine. These side effects can range from mild to serious and include headache, nervousness, sleep problems, vomiting, diarrhea, irritability, irregular heartbeat, tremor, heartburn, dizziness, ringing in the ears, convulsions, and confusion. Green tea seems to reduce the absorption of iron from food. Drinking very high doses of green tea can actually be fatal. The fatal dose of caffeine in green tea is estimated to be 10-14 grams (150-200 mg per kilogram). Serious toxicity can occur at lower doses.
* Caffeine is POSSIBLY SAFE in children in amounts commonly found in foods.
* Green tea interacts with many medications, as explained below.
* Pregnancy and breast-feeding: If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, green tea in small amounts is POSSIBLY SAFE. Do not drink more than 2 cups a day of green tea. This amount of tea provides about 200 mg of caffeine. Consuming more than this amount has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage and other negative effects. Caffeine passes into breast milk and can affect a nursing infant. Don’t drink an excessive amount of green tea if you are breast-feeding.
* “Tired blood” (anemia): Drinking green tea may make anemia worse.
* Anxiety disorders: The caffeine in green tea might make anxiety worse.
* Cocaine interacts with GREEN TEA
* Ephedrine interacts with GREEN TEA
==The benefits of Green Tea are==
The green tea derivatives epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin-3-gallate, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate possess well-documented anticarcinogenic properties and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capabilities. These properties are especially useful for patients with [[rosacea]] as inherent sun sensitivity is a hallmark of the disease. The photoprotective properties of green tea may lessen reactivity to ultraviolet light, thereby reducing the signs and symptoms of rosacea. Moreover, green tea extract has been shown to reduce the disruption of the skin barrier often seen in patients with the disease.