Are you thinking of giving up soda and sugary beverages? Or cutting back on coffee? Green tea is a healthy substitute and has numerous health benefits. Green tea benefits both our physical and mental health as it is high in antioxidants, catechins, theanine, and polyphenols. It can speed up your metabolism, boost your mood and prevent certain diseases.
Green tea has been around for centuries, having originated in Asian cultures, but is only recently becoming a worldwide phenomenon. It comes in a capsule form if you are not a tea drinker. You can purchase green tea with added flavors such as pomegranate, cranberry and blueberry. Or you can simply add lemon, lime or honey to your tea of your prefer. You can drink it iced or hot or blend it in a smoothie if you prefer.
And of course, you can also drink it with sugar cookies like you do when you drink coffee. By the way, green tea also contains caffeine, but much less than a cup of coffee or other teas, such as black tea. It will give you an energy boost without making you feel jittery or on edge. It can help boost your mood while having an overall relaxing effect at the same time.
Green tea is one of the most popular ingredients in homeopathic skin care products such as eye creams and face masks. Did you know that if you place green tea bags under your eyes it can help eliminate under eye wrinkles and dark circles? Green tea benefits our health in many ways, as you will see in the following article.
Skincare
Source: dekleinedingen via InstagramAs mentioned above, green tea is used in many skin care products such as wrinkle creams and face masks. Health benefits of green tea is that the skin as it contains a great deal of anti-inflammatory properties. It has been proven to help prevent wrinkles, help fight aging and reduce UV damage from the sun.
Studies have indicated that green tea can also help eliminate inflammatory skin issues such as psoriasis and dandruff. It has also been indicated that drinking green tea can also help boost the growth of new skin cells.
Diet Aid
Green tea benefits weight loss as well. Drinking green tea or taking green tea capsules regularly can boost your metabolism and help your body burn fat. The high level of polyphenol in green tea increases levels of fat oxidation. It also speeds up the rate that our bodies turn food into calories.
If you simply replace sugary drinks, such as juice, soda, and energy drinks which are full of sugar, with green tea, you will greatly cut down on the amount of sugar in your diet. Plus it keeps you hydrated as well.
Source: Fioridilavenda via InstagramImmune System Booster
The high levels of antioxidants in green tea can boost your immune system and help you fight against diseases that attack your immune system. It can help prevent colds and other illnesses as well.
Prevents Heart Issues
If you drink green tea daily it can help prevent atherosclerosis and other heart diseases. It has been proven to relax the heart’s blood vessels. Drinking green tea or taking green tea capsules can also help reduce blood clots from forming.
Boosts Mental Health and Brain Function
Source: bastian_ullrich via InstagramGreen tea can also improve your memory and boost your mood. Green tea contains theanine which has been proven to reduce anxiety and depression, while promoting relaxation. So not only can it elevate your mood, but it can also make you smarter. Studies have indicated that consuming large amounts of green tea can improve your cognitive thinking. Who knew that drinking tea could make you smarter?
Can Prevent Certain Forms of Dementia
Source: foodatone via InstagramStudies have also indicated that the high levels of catechin present in green tea can help prevent the onset of certain forms of dementia such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s disease. Green tea helps repair and restore damaged brain cells as well as promoting the growth of new brain cells. Drinking green tea can prevent your brain cells from decaying thus improving both cognitive and working memory.
Green Tea Can Help Promote Weight Loss
Source: mikenekocamera via InstagramGreen tea can help boost the metabolism and therefore can be beneficial in weight loss. It is also a more wise and healthy choice than sugary beverages such as soda, juice or energy drinks. Although there haven’t been significant studies as to this date, there has been a great deal of support to prove that green tea can be beneficial for weight loss in adults.
Helps Prevent Certain Types of Cancer
Source: teazen7692 via InstagramGreen tea has been proven to prevent the growth of cancerous tumors due to the amount of polyphenols and antioxidants. Studies have indicated that green tea can reduce the risks of certain types of cancer including breast cancer, prostate cancer, oral cancers, stomach cancers and esophageal cancer.
Promotes Good Dental Health
Did you know that green tea benefits your teeth as well? Thanks to the high amount of antioxidants it can help heal and prevent gum diseases as well as the loss of tooth enamel. Green tea can also help fight bad breath and prevent cavities by lowering both the bacterial and acidic levels in your mouth.
Source: Helichuan via InstagramHelps Lower Cholesterol and Blood Pressure
Drinking large amounts of green tea can increase your good cholesterol levels while at the same time reducing the levels of bad cholesterol. It can also help regulate your blood pressure. The more green tea you consume, the healthier your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Can Help Lower Blood Sugar
For those who suffer from Type-2 Diabetes, drinking green tea or taking green tea capsules can help lower your blood sugar levels. So not only does eliminating those sugary beverages and snacks and replacing them with green tea help save calories, it can also help prevent your insulin levels from spiking. There are so many great benefit of green tea.
Reduces Inflammation
Source: bee_dora_tee via InstagramGreen tea contains anti-inflammatory properties which can help prevent flare up of inflammatory diseases such as Rheumatoid arthritis.
Calms Your Stomach
Green tea can also help calm your stomach if you suffer from digestive issues such as Colitis, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and heartburn as it contains a great deal of anti-inflammatory properties. It has been proven to help prevent the risk of colon cancer.
Green Tea Can Help Reduce the Risk of Stroke
Source: dekleinedingen via InstagramAccording to a study in the Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, consuming green tea or coffee on a regular basis can greatly reduce your risk for stroke. According to the author of the study, Yoshihiro Kokubo M.D., Ph.D both green tea and coffee contain the combined effects to greatly reduce the risk of stroke. Dr. Kokubo strongly recommends to add a green tea as part of your daily diet.
Green Tea Can Help Lower Your Risk of Infection
Studies have indicated that the catechins in green tea have been proven to kill certain bacteria and can help prevent the flu and other illness by greatly reducing the risk of infection.
Can Help You Relax
The Theanine in green tea can not only reduce depression and anxiety, but if can help you relax and feel calm after a long day at the office. Simply make a cup of green tea an hour before bed and you will feel calm and relaxed before going to sleep!
FAQ: Green Tea Benefits
Why green tea is bad for you?
Green tea includes tannins, which might cause your stomach acid to rise. Constipation, nausea and acid reflux are all symptoms of too much acid in the stomach. Green tea can increase these negative effects if it is brewed with too hot water.
What is the best time to drink green tea?
Green tea is best consumed first thing in the morning and before an exercise, according to studies provided by Chicago Sports Institute. The ideal way to start your day is to replace your cup of coffee with a cup of green tea. Green tea, like coffee, contains caffeine and L-theanine in small amounts.
Does green tea reduce belly fat?
Many studies have shown that drinking green tea can successfully help people lose weight and melt away unhealthy belly fat. Green tea is high in minerals and antioxidants, which may help you burn fat, reduce weight, and improve your health in a variety of ways.