11 Benefits of Green Tea That You Didn't
Know About
Not for the love of
the taste — no way! I drink it because I’m told it’s good for me…or, to be
honest, the real reason I drink it is because I believe it help keeps my weight
in check. But recently I decided to look into it a bit deeper and see what are all
these other benefits of green tea people talk of.
If you are a tea
lover, you have no reasons to miss the following treats:
Why
Green Tea?
Green tea has been
used as a medicine for thousands of years, originating in China but widely used
throughout Asia this beverage has a multitude of uses from lowering blood
pressure to preventing cancer. The reason that green tea has more health
benefits attached to it than black tea is (apparently) due to the processing.
Black tea is processed in a way that allows for fermentation whereas green
tea’s processing avoids the fermentation process. As a result, green tea
retains maximum amount of antioxidants and poly-phenols the substances that
give green tea its many benefits.
Here's a list of some
of its amazing benefits — benefits that you may not have been aware of. Some of
these benefits are still being debated, so please do your own research if you
want to use green tea for medicinal purposes.
1. Weight Loss.Green tea increases the metabolism. The polyphenol found in green
tea works to intensify levels of fat oxidation and the rate at which your body
turns food into calories.
2. 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. 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.
4. Esophageal Cancer.It can 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.
5. Cholesterol. Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and
improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.
6. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.It is said to delay the deterioration caused by
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Studies carried out on mice showed that green tea
protected brain cells from dying and restored damaged brain cells.
7. Tooth Decay. Studies suggests that the chemical antioxidant
"catechin" in tea can destroy bacteria and viruses that cause throat
infections, dental caries and other dental conditions
8. Blood Pressure. Regular consumption of green tea is thought to reduce the
risk of high blood pressure.
9. 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.
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.
Skincare.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.
How
Much?
These are some of the
many benefits but the reality is one cup of tea a day will not give you all the
abundant gains. The jury is out on how many cups are necessary; some say as
little as two cups a day while others five cups — and more still say you can
drink up to ten cups a day. If you are thinking of going down this route, you
may want to consider taking a green tea supplement instead (it would keep you
out of the bathroom).
Another thing to point
out is that there is caffeine in green tea — so if you are sensitive to
caffeine then one cup should be your limit. Green tea also contains tannins
(which can decrease the absorption of iron and folic acid), so if you are
pregnant or trying to conceive then green tea may not be ideal for you. You can
try mixing green tea with other healthy ingredients such as ginger.
For the rest of us
with all these abundant benefits…it’s a wonder we drink anything else.
Ciara Conlon
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/11-benefits-of-green-tea-that-you-didnt-know-about.html?ref=mail&mtype=newsletter_tier_2&mid=20170811&uid=687414&hash=707e797f7e757e6d794c856d747b7b3a6f7b79&utm_source=newsletter_tier_2&utm_medium=email&action=click
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