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WILD Flavors, Inc.

1261 Pacific Avenue Office Number (859)342-3600
Erlanger, KY 41018 USA Facsimile (859)342-3610
www.wildflavors.com Website www.wildflavors.com
The Health Benefits of Green Tea Catechins:

Outside of water, green tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. A Chinese workbook entitled Erh
Ya was the first written record of green tea in 350 B.C., and the history of tea as a beverage can be traced back to
China in 2700 B.C. Since these ancient times, the tea plant and it leaves have been used for its aroma, taste and
health benefits.

Green tea, like all teas, comes from the plant Camellia sinensis. The uniqueness of green tea is a result of how it is
processed. Green tea is one of the least processed tea. It is unfermented, and instead is briefly steamed to inactivate
enzymes and preserve nutrients. The leaves are then dried with hot air.

The chemical constituents of green tea contribute to its health benefits. Green tea contains caffeine, theanine and
polyphenols. The maximum caffeine content found in green tea leaves is 5%. Caffeine is commonly known for its
stimulant and diuretic effects. Green tea contains many free amino acids. Theanine compromises 46% of the amino
acids found in green tea and is commonly recognized for its positive effect on brain health. The major class of
polyphenols found in green tea are called catechins. Catechin derivatives such as (+)-catechin, (+)-gallocatechin, (-
)-epicatechin, (-)-epicatechin gallate, (-)-gallocatechin gallate, and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) are know for
their potential health benefits.

Green tea has a wide array of health benefits including: reduced risk of heart disease, cancer prevention, liver health,
brain health and weight management.


Heart Health

Heart health is one of the highest health concerns among consumers for good reasons. Cardiovascular disease is the
number one killer in developed countries. It accounts for 50% of all deaths and drains more than $209 billion in
health care costs. Green tea addresses heart health in many ways.

Coronary Heart Disease

Green tea catechins inhibit enzymes involved in free radical formation in endothelia lining of arteries. These free
radicals are thought to contribute to cardiovascular disease. J apanese researchers found that people drinking >5 cups
of green tea daily are 16% less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease.

Blood Clots

Green tea catechins help prevent the formation of pro-inflammatory compounds derived from omega-6 fatty acids.
These pro-inflammatory compounds cause platelets to clump together and form clots.

Acute Cardiovascular Disease

EGCG can help prevent the death of heart muscle cells following ischemia. Ischemia is restriction of blood supply
that causes oxidative damage to the heart. EGCG blocks the activation of inflammation-related compounds that
ultimately result in the death of heart cells.

Delivering Innovative Flavor, Color, Ingredient System and
Process Technology Solutions to the Food and Beverage Industry


WILD Flavors, Inc.

1261 Pacific Avenue Office Number (859)342-3600
Erlanger, KY 41018 USA Facsimile (859)342-3610
www.wildflavors.com Website www.wildflavors.com
Cholesterol

Green tea catechins help breakdown cholesterol. They can also help eliminate cholesterol in the body by excretions
in the stool.

Blood Pressure and Hypertension

Epidemiological studies show a 65% reduction in the risk of developing high blood pressure among those
consuming more than 2.5 cups of green tea per day.


Chemoprevention

Nutrition and lifestyle changes throughout the world have lead to an increase in many degenerative diseases like
cancer. Cancer typically progress through three stages: initiation, promotion and progression. Chemoprevention
may make it possible to control the initiation and promotion stages. Chemoprevention is not cancer treatment. The
goal of chemoprevention is to lower the rate of cancer incidence. Numerous studies have been done on naturally
occurring compounds, such as green tea catechins, and their preventative effect.

EGCG from green tea inhibits the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase. Cancer cells need this enzyme in order to
propagate. This mechanism is similar to the way in which cancer drugs work.

Green tea has also been found to improve the efficacy of cancer drugs. Polyphenols in green tea may cause drug
resistant cancer cells to retain the cancer drug, doxorubicin. Theanine also has a positive effect on cancer drugs.
Theanine decreases adverse reactions of doxorubicin such as the induction of the lipid peroxide level and the
reduction of glutathione peroxidase activity in normal tissues. It increases the production of gluththione.
Glutathione is an internally produced antioxidant that naturally protects the body from disease.

Prostrate Cancer

EGCG significantly inhibits production of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). PSA is a marker for prostrate cancer
risk. Polyphenols in green tea also help prevent the spread of prostate cancer by mobilizing several molecular
pathways that shut down the proliferation of tumor cells.

Ovarian Cancer

Studies show that women with ovarian cancer who consumed more than one cup of green tea daily had a 56%
lowered risk of death. EGCG suppresses the growth of ovarian cancer cells. It has also been shown to induce
apoptosis by affecting various genes and proteins needed by cancer cells to live and grow.

Lung Cancer

Green tea may help prevent lung cancer. Drinking green tea has been shown to decrease DNA damage from
smoking cigarettes. It also inhibits cancer cell growth and increases cellular trigger for apoptosis in abnormal cells.


Delivering Innovative Flavor, Color, Ingredient System and
Process Technology Solutions to the Food and Beverage Industry


WILD Flavors, Inc.

1261 Pacific Avenue Office Number (859)342-3600
Erlanger, KY 41018 USA Facsimile (859)342-3610
www.wildflavors.com Website www.wildflavors.com
Skin Cancer

Consumption of green tea has been shown to significantly reduce radiation and chemically induced skin cancer. It
prevents free radical formation when exposed to excessive light. In one study, green tea was applied topically and
demonstrated prevention of sunburn.


Liver Health

EGCG protects the liver against free radical damage from toxic chemical solvents. The metabolism of alcohol
produces free radicals. This can result in the depletion of antioxidants in the liver and subsequent liver damage.


Weight Management

There is no doubt we are fast becoming a nation of obese people. The National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey estimates that 120 million adults in the U.S. age 20 and older are overweight or obese. Obesity is the second-
leading cause of preventable deaths in the US, but is rapidly becoming more than a Western-world issue.

Fat Loss

Green tea promotes the loss of visceral fat. This is fat in the tissues lining the abdominal cavity and surrounding the
internal organs. It is typically associated with the apple body shape. Visceral fat can lead to an increased risk of
metabolic syndrome and Type-2 diabetes.

Catechins, caffeine and theanine found in green tea promote fat loss by blocking gastric and pancreatic lipase and
fatty acid synthetase. Lipases are enzymes that break down triglycerides and synthetase is the enzyme that breaks
fatty acids down so they can be stored in the bodys fat cells.

Thermogenic

Green tea catechins, without caffeine, can increase themogenesis and daily energy expenditure. In combination with
caffeine, there is a synergistic effect on themogenesis. This enables the body to burn more energy and helps burn
the fat already in the body. One study showed consuming green tea extract increased energy expenditure by 4%. In
a separate study, consuming green tea resulted in an average weight loss of 4.6%.

Exercise Endurance

Green tea catechins stimulate the use of fatty acids by muscles. Since the muscle cells are burning fat instead of
glycogen, lactic acid production is reduced and exercise endurance is increased. In a study done on rats, green tea
extract consumption increased the time rats could swim before being exhausted by as much as 24%. For endurance,
green tea needs to be consumed over a long period of time, 10 weeks or greater.




Delivering Innovative Flavor, Color, Ingredient System and
Process Technology Solutions to the Food and Beverage Industry


WILD Flavors, Inc.

1261 Pacific Avenue Office Number (859)342-3600
Erlanger, KY 41018 USA Facsimile (859)342-3610
www.wildflavors.com Website www.wildflavors.com
Brain Health

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers are the result of free radicals and increased iron
chelation. This depletes the brain of its protective antioxidants. Green tea catechins have a wide spectrum of
neuroprotective cellular mechanisms such as ion chelation, scavenging free radicals, regulation of mitochondrial
function and activation of survival genes and cell signaling pathways.

EGCG is a powerful antioxidant and is 20 times stronger than vitamin E in protecting essential brain lipids. It acts
as an iron chelator in the brain, preventing iron from contributing to the production of free radicals. EGCG also
increases the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase, antioxidant enzymes that help decrease free radical
damage.

Polyphenols from green tea affect the cell signaling pathways in the brain. They inhibit apoptosis of brain cells
initiated by free radical and play an essential role in the regulation of cell survival.

The health benefits of green tea seem to be endless. Studies continue to be done examining additional health
benefits. Green tea has a positive role in oral health. Consumption has been association with a reduced occurrence
of dental carries and periodontal disease. Green tea may also help protect the kidneys from free radical damage and
regulate and maintain human intestinal microflora.


Safety:

Green tea is safe to consume. Studies done in rats showed no toxic effects and no mutagenicity, hematological or
biochemical abnormalities. There is some concern with the potential interaction of green tea with blood thinning
drugs when consumed in amounts greater than one gallon per day. Green tea may also bind nonheme iron,
inhibiting its intestinal absorption. There are no known overdoses of green tea. Recommended levels are up to 5
cups per day. This equates to 300mg 400mg catechins per day and 150mg 200mg EGCG.


WILD Flavors, Inc.:

WILD delivers innovative flavor, color, and ingredient technology solutions to the food and beverage industries.
We solve our customers challenges through creative chemists, excellent applications personnel, and a complete
supply chain of services and manufacturing capabilities. WILD Flavors, Inc. encompasses many of the following
for the food and beverage industries including, but not limited to:
Flavors
Colors (natural & artificial)
Health/Functional Ingredients
Concept to Market Development
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