Green Tea Hair Growth
Green tea has long been heralded as a miracle drink. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, archaeological evidence suggests that tea has been drunk for over 5,000 years. The tea comes from China and India and is still more popular in these countries than the black tea favored in the West. Green tea differs from black tea, in that the leaves are picked earlier and not allowed to ferment. Does this Spark an idea?
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Origins of Tea
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All forms of tea are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. The tea plant grows as large as a shrub and sometimes a small tree. The leaves are harvested at different stages of fermentation for different teas. Green tea is unfermented, oolong tea is partially fermented and black tea is fully fermented. Tea can be taken as a drink, steeped in boiling water, or as a capsule. In capsule form, the leaves are powdered, to allow smaller capsules.
Healing Powers
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As the leaves of green tea are not allowed to ferment they contain a higher proportion of anti-toxicants. The type of anti-toxicant contained within green tea is called poluphenols and are excellent for hunting down and destroying free radical particles within the human body. These anti-toxicants have also been known to help fight many forms of cancer including colorectal, ovarian, breast and bladder. Further research is being carried out to discover the full effects of green tea and its anti-toxicants.
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What Are Free Radicals?
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Free radicals are a naturally occurring chemical molecule within the human body. Free radicals are formed when a molecule has a weak bond, caused by aging, smoking and ill-health. When the bond breaks, the molecules attack others to gain another electron. This creates more unstable molecules and starts a chain reaction. Free radicals contribute to the aging process, notably hair loss. Anti-toxicants actively seek out and neutralize free radicals and can help reverse the damage caused.
Stop Hair Loss
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In July 2005, a medical report in the J Natl Med Assoc, showed the results from a clinical study. Two groups of mice showing hair loss were studied. One group was given water and the other green tea for six months. Thirty-three percent of the mice in the group receiving green tea showed a significant amount of hair re-growth after six months compared to the other group who showed no hair growth.
Drinking Tea for Health
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It is unclear how much tea must be drunk by humans to stimulate new hair growth, but green tea has other health benefits as well. Drinking two to four cups a day can increase your body's immune system, clear your body of toxins and help stop or reverse hair loss. White tea, a new form made from the developing bud of the tea plant may contain even more anti-toxicants than green tea. Further research is being carried out into this new tea.
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- Photo Credit green tea image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
