As our community is becoming richer, people are more health sensitive today. In term of beverage, green tea is thought as the healthiest drink as it is not only has the rehydrate effect, but it is also flavonoid rich that can guard our body against heart disorder.

Study on green tea drinkers confirm that they are far little vulnerable to a wide range of diseases, from virus infection to chronic degenerative ailment like stroke, cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis.

Study indicates that green tea has very high concentration of flavonoids (antioxidant) including catechins and their derivatives. Antioxidant is the biological process that prevents the oxidation which will yield highly reactive free radicals. Flavonoids substance consists of larger than 30% of the green tea dry weight. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most prolific catechin in all green tea. It has the highest antioxidant activity of all green tea's catechins and therefore is thought to act the most critical role in the green tea's anticancer and antioxidant effect. Green tea EGCG is so abundant that a cup of green tea can have 20-35mg of it.

In our arteries, there is a one cell thick lining that works as the interface between the bloodstream and the wall of the artery where blood plaques can form, this is called arterial endothelium. When cardiovascular disease happens, a type of enzyme will speed up the production of free radicals in the artery endothelium, thus increases the level of free radicals in arteries sharply. Green tea EGCG will inhibit the enzymes required in the production of the free radicals and thus shields the endothelium from damaged by free radical. For this reason green tea is playing a pivotal role in controlling cardiovascular disease.

EGCG also assists in preventing the death of heart muscle cells after ischemia/reperfusion injury, by stopping the activation of inflammation compounds (STAT-1) that will induce oxidative injury which kills heart cell in reperfusion injury.

Moreover, cancer cells require enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) to build DNA and grow. EGCG will interfere with the DHFR and is practically obstructing the spread of cancer cells.

Furthermore, EGCG could also quicken the healing of injured heart cells, and therefore allowing fast recovery of tissues and alleviating organs damage.

In conclusion, green tea EGCG has wonderful benefit in helping heart disease prevention as well as in heart illness damage healing. Therefore for those who are suffering from heart disease and those who are health sensitive, green tea is the excellent choice of beverage for them. Drinking few cups of green tea, especially decaf green tea a day instead of decaffeinated coffee will definitely ensure our long term health.