Green tea is considered one of the world's healthiest drinks and contains one of the highest amount of antioxidants of any tea. Researchers commonly speak highly of green tea - Christopher Ochner, PhD, a research scientist in nutrition at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, is quoted by health website WebMD as saying, "it's the healthiest thing I can think of to drink."
The natural chemicals called polyphenols in tea are what are thought to provide its anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects.
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most studied and bioactive polyphenol in tea and has been shown to be the most effective at eliminating free radicals.1, 4
Green tea is approximately 20% to 45% polyphenols by weight, of which 60% to 80% are catechins such as EGCG.1 These catechins are antioxidants that are said to possibly help with fighting and preventing cell damage.