What is Catechin?

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What is Catechin?

Catechin is a tannin peculiar to green tea because the black tea fermentation process reduces catechins in black tea. Catechin is a powerful, water soluable polyphenol and antioxidant that is easily oxidized.

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Several thousand types are available in the plant world. As many as two thousand are known to have a flavon structure and are called flavonoids. Catechin is one of them.
Research aimed at finding the active compounds in green tea revealed that its protective effects are due chiefly to catechins. Tea contains four main catechin substances: EC, ECg, EGC and EGCg, all of which are inclusively called catechin. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the most powerful of these catechins. EGCG as an antioxidant is about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E. One cup of green tea provides 10-40 mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant effects greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots, or strawberries.

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Benefits of Catechin

Catechin, has been found to outperform Vitamin C and beta-carotene ten times in scavenging the alkyl peroxyl radical. One study found green tea polyphenols to be more potent antioxidants than Vitamin C, Vitamin E, rosemary extract, and even curcumin in some systems.
According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, in laboratory studies using animals, catechins scavenged oxidants before cell damage occurred, reduced the number and size of tumors, and inhibited the growth of cancer cells. White tea is said to be even more effective. However, human studies have proven more contradictory, perhaps due to such factors as variances in diet, environments, and populations.

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Below is a list of benefits:

 Eliminates free radicals preventing cancer development by blocking the growth of substance that causes cancer. This also arrests aging.
 Connects with cholesterol, absorbs and blocks it.
 Decreases cholesterol level in blood and prevents bad cholesterol caused by oxidation, which prevents narrowing of blood vessel caused by the build-up of bad cholesterol.
 Prevents arterial sclerosis, thrombosis, heart attacks and brain strokes.
 Effective for high blood pressure.
 Blocks a function of enzyme that digests and absorbs sugar and prevents diabetes.
 Suppresses aggregation of platelets and prevents thrombosis such as heart attacks and brain strokes.

Myungwon Organic Green Tea Farm in China