LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "What was really exciting about this study was that we found when green tea is digested by enzymes in the gut, the resulting chemicals are actually more effective against key triggers of Alzheimer's development than the undigested form of the tea," Dr. Ed Okello of Newcastle University, the executive director of the university's Medicinal Plant Research Group says.

"In addition to this, we also found the digested compounds had anti-cancer properties, significantly slowing down the growth of the tumor cells which we were using in our experiments."

Green tea is tea made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia from Japan and South Korea to the Middle East.

Green tea has become more popular in the West, where black tea is traditionally consumed. Many varieties of green tea have been created in countries where they are grown and these varieties can differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, horticulture, production processing and harvesting time.

Green tea has been subjected to many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of its long-purported health benefits. There is some evidence suggesting that regular green tea drinkers have lower chances of heart disease and developing certain types of cancer.

"The digested chemicals protected the cells, preventing the toxins from destroying the cells. We also saw them affecting the cancer cells, significantly slowing down their growth. Green tea has been used in Traditional Chinese medicine for centuries and what we have here provides the scientific evidence why it may be effective against some of the key diseases we face today," Dr. Ed Okello says.

"There are obviously many factors which together have an influence on diseases such as cancer and dementia - a good diet, plenty of exercise and a healthy lifestyle are all important. But I think it's fair to say that at least one cup of green tea every day may be good for you and I would certainly recommend it."