**7. Conclusions**

Green tea has long been considered a refreshing beverage that is prepared from tea (*Camellia sinensis*) shoots. It exerts many beneficial health effects, including anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, hypolipidemic, anti-aging, anti-gout, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenesis properties, among others. Variations of strain, source, geographic area, altitude, climate, cultivation, duration of fermentation and the preparation process can give rise to differences in the amounts of catechins derivatives, nutritional values, biological activities and the pharmacological properties of green tea products. EGCG is the most abundant type of catechin found in green tea and also the most relevant phytochemical displaying an influencing in several diseases and disorders. Some green tea catechins are not absorbed, while some catechins are absorbed from the intestine into the blood, and then are biologically transformed in liver microsomes by glucuronidation, sulfation and methylation reactions and ultimately excreted through the bile and urine. In this article, we have focused on the efficacy of green tea crude extract and catechins fractions, particularly EGCG in 1) depleting free radicals in normal cells, 2) removing chelatable iron from vital organs with iron overload, 3) lowering the levels of the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, 4) inhibiting growth and proliferation of leukemic cells and solid malignant tumors, and 5) scavenging ROS and a repletion in the reducing power in neuronal tissues. The recognized benefits of green tea are that it is 1) potent in antioxidation, 2) effective in iron chelation, 3) beneficial in the inhibition of fat digestion, absorption and synthesis, 4) apoptotic induction, and 5) neuropro‐ tection, respectively. Green tea has played a prominent role in the lives of many over time as a beverage, as a component of the diet, and now a substance that can be applied in drugs. The benefits of which have now been evidently documented.
