8 Important Health Benefits of Green Tea

Fun fact: Green tea is low in caffeine. It has only an average of 15 – 25 mg of caffeine (per gram of tea)

Introduction

In some countries, green tea is used as herb to spice up dishes and most importantly, as medicine. It is also green because it is not fermented. But of course green tea is much more than these. Whether it is for weight loss or not, green tea is considered as one of the healthiest beverages one can drink. It is packed with lots of nutrients that you can feed your body for maximum health.

Aside from its zero calorie feature, water has been the best drink to hydrate your body. But water is not the only option you have. Green tea comes at the second spot next to water for body hydration. It consists around 99.5% of water for each cup, this time with a sharp kick or taste.

Similar to water, green tea that does not have sweetener has no calories. Those green teas which are sweetened have calories, yet only few.

Green tea also contains caffeine, but compared to coffee, the level of caffeine in green tea is relatively lower. This is the reason why the caffeine in green tea does not really affect one’s sleep, unlike in coffee where after the peak, it suddenly crashes so you feel groggy after. The caffeine in green tea makes you feel more alert without the effects of caffeine present in coffee.

This is also an excellent source of antioxidant, which protects and maintains the condition of cells to keep it from being damaged. It also strengthen your immune system to fight infection or diseases. Green tea is definitely rich in catechin polyphenols particularly the epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which fights cancer. In general, the polyphenols are great for cardiovascular health.

The relaxation you get from drinking green tea is because of the amino acid L-theanine. It gives a mild sweet flavor to your green tea and helps improve sleep.

Green tea also contains manganese, an important nutrient that assists in the processing of carbohydrates, cholesterol and protein. It also helps in strengthening weak bones and even in bone formation. Other essential minerals present in green tea are Chromium, Selenium and Zinc.

To prove the power of green tea is the amount of nutrients that is contained in each cup of green tea. These include vitamins A, B, B5, C, D, E, H and K. Vitamin A works for vision, reproduction, and cell function. Vitamin B helps produce energy from your food intake, while vitamin B5 in particular assists in growth and boosts metabolism like vitamin E. Vitamin C that comes from green tea is good for the skin and tissues. The vitamin D helps absorb calcium.

So whether it’s for weight loss or not, you now know you can’t go wrong with green tea.

Green tea is one of the most known health wonders up to date. For sure you have read or heard about the amazing effects of drinking green tea somewhere. Have you ever wondered why there are already many beverages with green tea content being sold in the market and why the market is positively responding to it? This is because of the fact that green tea is loaded with antioxidants that are significantly important to achieve overall optimal health. Health experts even attest that green tea is the healthiest drink there is. Green tea is extracted from un-oxidized leaves that are jam-packed with polyphenols and antioxidants which are effective anti-carcinogen and anti-inflammatory compounds. To understand better why regularly drinking green tea is beneficial to human health, discussed further are its specific health advantages.

Reduces Risk of Cancer

Based on intensive studies and research, green tea contains polyphenols that effectively avoids growth of tumors. Cancer is primarily the aftermath of abnormal cell growth. The antioxidant that green tea has prevents and repairs abnormal growth of cells. It has been proven that regular intake of green tea can reduce risks of having breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer. Based on research, those who always drink green tea have reduced chances of having breast cancer by 22%, prostate cancer by 48% and colorectal cancer by 57%.

Promotes Weight Loss

Green tea materially contributes to weight management. Green tea is known to increase the fat burning process of the body. Drinking green tea also results to boost in metabolism. Metabolic rates respond positively to the antioxidant properties of this drink. This is why you will notice that most weight loss supplements have green tea content.

Boosts Brain Function

Green tea can actually make us smarter. It has L-theanine that regulates the activity of GABA which is an essential inhibitory neurotransmitter that prevents or reduces effects of anxiety. K-theanine also stimulates normal dopamine levels and normal alpha waves production. This is the scientific reason behind the effectiveness of the brain-boosting capacity of regularly drinking green tea. This also has caffeine that improves memory, mood, and other certain brain functions. As compared to coffee, the caffeine content of green tea is slightly lower. The combination of caffeine and L-theanine is proven to generally make you smarter.

Prevents Diabetes

As mentioned above, green tea increases the fat burning process in the body. This slows the increase of blood sugar levels and therefore regulating the body’s sugar levels. This will then prevent insulin to abnormally reproduce that leads to irregular fat storage.

Improves Heart Health

This is one of the most popular health benefits of drinking green tea. Green tea has the ability of reducing the bad cholesterol in the body. Too much bad cholesterol in the body especially in our blood can cause various heart-related illnesses. It also regulates proper blood flow which is beneficial to the heart’s general health condition. Proper blood flow also avoids blood clotting which is one of the primary causes of having heart attack. It has the power of relaxing the blood vessel lining to prevent blood pressure and its negative effects.

Healthier and Stronger Bones

It has been proven that those who have drink green tea for more than 10x a week are less likely to develop bone-related irregularities. Because of the high levels of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds in green tea, it effectively reduces risks of bone loss and bone deterioration. Green tea has the power to increase production of bone building cells at the same time avoids bone breakdown.

Improved Oral Health

On top of the natural fluoride that green tea contains, it also has catechins and polyphenols that kill bacteria in the mouth. The anti-bacterial properties of green tea prevent gum diseases, tooth decay, and bad breath. Based on research, those who drink more than one cup a day less likely experience tooth loss.

Lowers Risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease

Green tea protects and maintains brain functions even at an old age. Old people are more exposed to Alzheimer’s disease that can possibly lead to dementia. Alzheimer’s is the most popular neurodigestive disease and second to it is Parkinson’s. These diseases are caused by the inability of the brain neurons to produce dopamine. Green tea contains catechin that regulates production of the dopamine. Various research and studies proved that regular intake of green tea can reduce risks of having Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other more age-related neurodigestive diseases.

You will not find any difficulty in buying green tea in the market. The demand for it is consistently increasing through time because of its amazing health wonders. To reap its important health advantages discussed above and generally for the greatest benefit of your overall health, make sure you regularly consume green tea.