If you drink green tea and if you are trying to improve your health or drop a few pounds, this ‘super-drink’ deserves your full attention.
Green tea has been consumed for thousands of years, it has been proven to possess wonderful medicinal benefits – weight management, disease fighting, energy boosting and stress reducing properties. Studies show that the components found in such a small little teabag can do wonders for your health. If you look at the ingredients list for any fat burning supplement, chances are that green tea will be on that list too.
Here’s a list of some of green tea’s amazing benefits that you may not have been aware of. Some of these benefits are still being researched, so please do your own research if you want to use green tea for medicinal purposes.
1. Aids Weight loss
Green tea boosts the metabolism and thus the pace at which you burn the energy that is produced from the food you consume. The polyphenol found in green tea works to intensify levels of fat oxidation and the rate at which your body turns food into calories. Several studies (including research at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences) show that green tea leads to reduction in body fat, especially in the abdominal area. One of these studies was a randomized controlled trial in 240 men and women that went on for 12 weeks. In this study, the green tea group had significant reduction in body fat percentage, body weight, waist circumference and abdominal fat.
2. Controls Diabetes
Green tea apparently helps regulate glucose levels slowing the rise of blood sugar after eating. This can prevent high insulin spikes and resulting fat storage.
3. Reduces Heart Disease
Scientists think, green tea works on the lining of blood vessels, helping keep them stay relaxed and better able to withstand changes in blood pressure. It may also protect against the formation of clots, which are the primary cause of heart attacks & strokes.
4. Promotes Healthy teeth
Green tea can kill bacteria, which improves dental health and lowers your risk of infection. The catechins in green tea have other biological effects as well. Some studies (including a study recently published in the Journal of Periodontology)show that they can kill bacteria and inhibit viruses like the influenza virus, potentially lowering your risk of infections. Streptococcus mutans is the primary harmful bacteria in the mouth. It causes plaque formation and is a leading contributor to cavities and tooth decay. Studies show that the catechins in green tea can inhibit the growth of streptococcus mutans. Green tea consumption is associated with improved dental health and a lower risk of caries. Another awesome benefit of green tea, multiple studies show that it can reduce bad breath. So, the catechins in green tea may inhibit the growth of bacteria and some viruses. This can lower the risk of infections and lead to improvements in dental health, a lower risk of caries and reduced bad breath.
5. Decreases Cholesterol
Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.
6. Prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
Green tea is said to delay the neurological deterioration caused by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Studies carried out on mice (in University of Missouri) showed that green tea protected brain cells from dying and restored damaged brain cells. Green tea may protect your brain in old age, lowering your risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Not only can green tea improve brain function in the short term, it may also protect your brain in old age. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neuro-degenerative disease in humans and a leading cause of dementia. Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neuro-degenerative disease and involves the death of dopamine producing neurons in the brain. Multiple studies show that the catechin compounds in green tea can have various protective effects on neurons in test tubes and animal models, potentally lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The bioactive compounds in green tea can have various protective effects on neurons and may reduce the risk of both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, the two most common neuro-degenerative disorders.
7. Improves Brain Function
Compounds in green tea can improve brain function and make you smarter. The key active ingredient is caffeine, which is a known stimulant. It doesn’t contain as much as coffee, but enough to produce a response without causing the ‘jittery’ effects associated with too much caffeine.
8. Controls Blood Pressure
Regular consumption of green tea is thought to reduce the risk of high blood pressure by keeping your blood vessels & mind relaxed.
9. Prevents Depression
Theanine is an amino acid naturally found in tea leaves. It is this substance that is thought to provide a relaxing and tranquilizing effect and be a great benefit to tea drinkers.
10. Acts as Anti-viral and anti-bacterial
Tea catechins are strong antibacterial and antiviral agents which make them effective for treating everything from influenza to cancer. In some studies green tea has been shown to inhibit the spread of many diseases.
11. Helps Keep Skin Young
Green tea can apparently also help with wrinkles and the signs of aging, This is because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Both animal and human studies have demonstrated that green tea applied topically can reduce sun damage.
12. Prevents Cancer
Antioxidants in green tea may lower your risk of various types of cancer. Cancer is caused by uncontrolled growth of cells. It is one of the world’s leading causes of death. It is well known that oxidative damage contributes to the development of cancer and that antioxidants can have a protective effect. Green tea is an excellent source of powerful antioxidants, so it makes perfect sense that it could reduce your risk of cancer, which it appears to do: Be it breast , prostate cancer, colorectal cancer. Green tea can also reduce the risk of esophageal cancer, but it is also widely thought to kill cancer cells in general without damaging the healthy tissue around them. It is important to keep in mind that it may be a bad idea to put milk in your tea, because it can reduce the antioxidant value. Bottom Line: Green tea has powerful antioxidants that may protect against cancer. Multiple studies show that green tea drinkers have a lower risk of various types of cancer.
