As our society is becoming richer, people are more health conscious today. In term of beverage, green tea is thought as the healthiest drink as it is not only has the rehydrate function, but it is also flavonoid rich that manage to protect our body against cardiovascular disease.

Investigation on green tea drinkers confirm that they are far less vulnerable to a wide range of ailment, from bacteria infection to chronic degenerative ailment like stroke, cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis.

Study shows that green tea has incredibly high level of flavonoids (antioxidant) including catechins and their derivatives. Antioxidant is the biological event that inhibits the oxidation which will develop highly reactive free radicals. Flavonoids substance consists of larger than 30% of the green tea dry weight. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the largest prolific catechin in all green tea. It has the greatest antioxidant activity of all green tea's catechins and therefore is believed to act the most vital role in the green tea's anticancer and antioxidant effect. Green tea EGCG is so rich that a cup of green tea might have 20-35mg of it.

In our arteries, there is a one cell thick lining that works as the boundary layer between the bloodstream and the wall of the artery where blood plaques will form, this is known as arterial endothelium. When heart disease occurs, a type of enzyme will spur the production of free radicals in the artery endothelium, thus rises the level of free radicals in arteries abruptly. Green tea EGCG will inhibit the enzymes required in the fabrication of the free radicals and thus shields the endothelium from damaged by free radical. And so green tea is playing a crucial role in controlling cardiovascular disease.

EGCG also assists in halting the death of heart muscle cells after ischemia/reperfusion injury, by stopping the activation of inflammation compounds (STAT-1) that will induce oxidative injury which kills heart cell in reperfusion injury.

Besides, cancer cells need enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) to compose DNA and grow. EGCG will interfere with the DHFR and is practically blocking the development of cancer cells.

Furthermore, EGCG could also speed up the healing of injured heart cells, and in this way allowing speedy recovery of tissues and alleviating organs damage.

In conclusion, green tea EGCG has extensive benefit in helping heart disease curbing as well as in heart attack damage recovery. As such for those who are suffering from heart disease and those who are health sensitive, green tea is the perfect option of beverage for them. Drinking few cups of green tea, specifically decaf green tea a day rather than decaffeinated coffee will doubtlessly ensure our long term health.