I initially mentioned the subject of green tea in my March 31st blog, where I wrote about complementary medicines. Due to the large number of queries, I followed that up with another blog on April 24th, where I go into an in-depth explanation of the green tea extract that I included in my treatment plan for lymphoma.
The point of yet another blog on green tea is to try and clear up some confusion on the part of the many readers who have sent me e-mails and/or responded to the previous blogs with questions.
Some have mistakenly thought that if they purchased the EGCG (epigallocatechin-3 gallate) and vitamin B-12, they could make up the solution themselves or have their pharmacists make up the solution using these same ingredients. This is not the case.
While you can make up a solution, it is not the same as the one I've mentioned and making the solution yourself is very involved because I believe you have to steam and dry the green tea leaves. And quite frankly, I haven't a clue as to what you do once you've done that, plus I don't know how you would incorporate the B-12.
My brother-in-law, who is a compounding pharmacist, makes the extract from his own formula. He told my husband where to purchase the machine so we could make up a fresh solution daily. Otherwise, he would have to make up the solution and send it to us. He has agreed to share this formula with other pharmacists, but they will not be able to make up the solution without the machine. The machine is crucial to this solution because it electrolizes the EGCG and the B-12 (see 4/24 blog). It is also expensive ? around $ 1,000.00, so my guess is that not many pharmacists would consider purchasing the machine unless they saw a booming business with it. The potential is certainly there because the green tea is not only for cancer patients. It helps many conditions.
To reiterate, my point in mentioning the green tea was to share with readers what I believed helped get me well. It was not an endorsement of a product nor was it my intention to send my brother-in-law some business. Truth be told, I'm not doing him any favors; it's a pain for him to make the solution, and he'd rather not be bothered. However, he's a nice guy and will do so, but in the State of New York a prescription is needed. In California, pharmacists could make up the solution (if they have the machine) without this hassle.
Now with that said, I'm sending along the e-mail my husband received a few weeks ago from his cousin's wife. This is the cousin I wrote about a few months ago who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and was doing so poorly we didn't think he'd make it through the summer. He decided to try the solution so we gave him the machine to use with the extract. Here's what his wife had to say after two weeks:
?Ray is feeling remarkable now. He breezed through the chemo treatment Monday, after being on the ECGC+. He has been drinking about 16 oz., or more a day for the last 2 weeks and has boundless energy and is, most importantly, not sick anymore. I really thought he wasn't going to make it to the third round of treatments and I had to beg him to go for the second round because he was so sick. He was unable to complete the second round or the third round because his WBC count was less than 1 and had to go to the hospital for hydration. He told me (and his doctor) he would rather die than go through the treatments and his doctor said he was considering dropping down to only one agent due to Ray being so sick and his quality of life was so poor. Four weeks ago he was on 120mg of MS Contin for the pain and taking antiemedics for the nausea. He is now on 15mg and expects to go off in a few days and no antiemedics. I can't believe how much better he is, it's like he was never sick. He played 4 rounds of golf in 4 days and has gained back 10 lbs. His attitude is great and he feels great. I can't believe what I am seeing and I wouldn't of believed it could happen if I wasn't witnessing it myself. I also saw the article about the EGCG that Peter sent, I hope my husband is the Pancreatic Cancer Poster Boy!! ?JB?
As I mentioned in the earlier blogs, there is no way to know what made me well or what is making my husband's cousin feel better. However, there is a lot of ongoing research about the benefits of ECGC, and all seem to be showing a beneficial effect. You can find lots of information on the Internet if you Google ECGC.
I hope this helps to clear up the confusion about the green tea. I have given HealthTalk.com the contact information for my brother-in-law or you can have them forward your e-mail to me. Either way, I'm probably going to get an e-mailful from my brother-in-law.
Green tea has become popular with weight loss programs. There are actually compounds within the tea that promote weight loss by increasing your metabolism. But did you know that Asians have been drinking green tea for 4,000 years as a natural remedy for a variety of ailments including headaches and depression?
It has long been known that green tea has the ability to kill bacteria and is known to deter food poisoning and plaque. Other studies are now showing that green tea may be able to help mitigate the damage from LDL cholesterol -- otherwise known as the "bad cholesterol" that is a key marker in heart disease.
Although the researchers never explained how the tea may influence cholesterol levels, previous studies have shown that certain compounds in green tea play a role in reducing the amount of cholesterol absorbed by the body, increasing amount of cholesterol excreted, and thus keeping cholesterol from being stored in the liver.
Antioxidants in Green Tea
There are high concentrations of antioxidants found in green tea. Polyphenols (catechins) are powerful antioxidants that fight aging and disease. Green tea's active components are these polyphenols.
In fact, green tea contains one particular catechin that is very potent. This catechin contains 25-100 times more antioxidants than vitamins C and E. This makes green tea an excellent source for fighting the free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals are toxins in our systems that cause aging, disease, and shorten our life.
Losing Weight with Green Tea
How does green tea help a person lose weight? Clinical trials, conducted by the University of Geneva, in Switzerland, indicate that green tea raises metabolic rates and speed up fat oxidation. There is also clear evidence that green tea's polyphenols (EGCG) helps depressing leptin (a protein produced by fats that plays an important role in how the body manages fat storage through brain signals).
Basically, green tea helps you with weight loss by suppressing your appetite, regulating your blood sugar, and boosting your metabolic rate. It also provides a replacement for that cup of high-calorie coffee you've been drinking in the morning. It isn't going to work wonders, but it can help.
One Danger in Green Tea ? Fluoride
There is a downside to drinking green tea. The plants receive fluoride from the soil. Fluoride has been linked to causing Alzheimer's and other brain degenerative diseases.
To get rid of the fluoride in the tea you can add calcium carbonate to your cup of tea. Or you can drink white tea instead. White tea actually has more antioxidants than green tea.
They come from the same plant. The only difference is white tea is produced from leaves that are picked earlier, whereas green tea comes from the leaves left on the plant longer. Black tea has the most fluoride since it comes from leaves left on the plant the longest.
Where to Find Green Tea
If you try to buy green tea in a supermarket ? even in a very large one ? the chances are that you'll only find one kind of green tea: the kind with ?green tea' written on the packet. A better place to search is on the internet or a health food store.
Remember, by purchasing the freshest you will be getting a greater helping of the wonderful benefits Green Tea has to offer.
If your body can handle caffeine, then green tea might interest you. Where else will you find a drink that helps with weight loss, the prevention of cancer, healthy teeth, and lowering cholesterol?
Both Diane Fallon & Carol Stack are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Diane Fallon has sinced written about articles on various topics from Green Tea, Cancer and Affiliate Programs. Diane FallonDiane's blog can be found at For more information, articles and programs on Lymphoma or other forms of cancer please vi. Diane Fallon's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.
Carol Stack has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Fishing and Fitness. Grab free and information about good nutrition at