Degree Name
Master of Science
Graduate Program
Food and Nutrition
Advisor
Amer AbuGhazaleh
Abstract
Green tea has been consumed in China and other Asian countries since ancient times. Nowadays, green tea is considered to be one of the most promising dietary agents for the prevention and treatment of many diseases and is consequently being studied extensively worldwide. The main objective of this research paper is to clarify the benefits and the impacts of green tea on human health. Numerous studies in humans and a variety of experimental animal models have demonstrated that green tea possess antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anticarcinogenic effects. Furthermore, green tea consumption has been reported to act positively against cardiovascular diseases, obesity, insulin sensitivity, oral infections, and arthritis. On the other hand, the excess consumption of green tea can cause several health complications such as hepatotoxicity in liver and pancreatic cells, goiters, sleep disorders and epigastric pain. The green tea beneficial health impacts have resulted in recent recommendations by many nutritionists to support the regular consumption of 2-3 cups of green tea per day. However, since human clinical evidence is still limited, future research is still needed to implement a system that defines the actual size of health benefits, the safe and right amounts of tea consumption, and the mechanisms of actions.