{"id":438,"date":"2017-06-01T08:27:22","date_gmt":"2017-06-01T08:27:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=438"},"modified":"2021-03-10T17:34:16","modified_gmt":"2021-03-10T17:34:16","slug":"17-health-benefits-green-tea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/17-health-benefits-green-tea\/","title":{"rendered":"17 Health Benefits of Green Tea"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Many of us get by on our cup of Joe first thing in the morning. That is to say that without our morning coffee, we might struggle to wake up, much less make it through the day!<\/p>\n

But while dependency on coffee is a slightly worrying thing, not all hot beverages are equally concerning. In fact, switching out your morning coffee for a healthier alternative might be one of the very best things you can do for your health. And in particular, choosing green tea could help to give you a major health boost that will help you to wake up and feel healthier while also giving you a lot of other benefits that you don\u2019t get from coffee.<\/p>\n

The really great thing about green tea though is that there are so many different kinds to suit so many different people and so many different purposes. This means there are nearly endless benefits to green tea as long as you know which one to select for your purposes.<\/p>\n

In this post, we\u2019ll look at 17 amazing benefits of green tea and what the best way to get those specific benefits is in each case.<\/p>\n

1. \u00a0Caffeine<\/h3>\n

Caffeine has a lot of benefits for us and actually, it might not be the enemy that many believe it to be. For starters, caffeine<\/a> can actually protect against Alzheimer\u2019s and slow age-related cognitive decline. It is an antioxidant in its own right, and furthermore, caffeine is very effective at stimulating the mind and body in order to help wake us up and get more done.<\/p>\n

For all these reasons, caffeine might help us to perform better in the short term and the long term and the potential side effects are very minimal. Green tea is a great source of caffeine, so this is a good way to get your morning boost.<\/p>\n

\"\"2. \u00a0No Caffeine<\/h3>\n

That said, there are varieties of green tea such as rooibos that contain no caffeine at all. Why might this be a good thing, seeing as we\u2019ve already seen that caffeine isn\u2019t in itself a bad thing?<\/p>\n

One reason is that some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. Some find that caffeine makes them jittery and anxious and that it can cause heart palpitations<\/a>, dizziness, sickness and a variety of other issues.<\/p>\n

Another reason is that caffeine can be addictive and this means that it can cause withdrawal symptoms such as headaches. There is some speculation that our experience of sleep inertia (morning grogginess) might actually be no such thing\u2026 it might actually be withdrawal from not having consumed caffeine during the night!<\/p>\n

\"\"3. \u00a0L-Theanine<\/h3>\n

The great thing about drinking various forms of green tea<\/a>, is that they don\u2019t just contain caffeine but also a host of other brain boosting ingredients \u2013 such as l-theanine.<\/p>\n

L-theanine is a xanthine like caffeine and one that has the opposite effect in many ways \u2013 helping us to feel calmer and less anxious. This occurs in natural balance with caffeine in many green teas, which can provide you with the perfect storm \u2013 increased focus and energy but without the jitters, headaches of other problems. Many people describe this as \u2018calm focus\u2019.<\/p>\n

Some people also seek out l-theanine as a natural treatment for social anxiety and as a way to feel calmer and more confident in social settings.<\/p>\n

\"\"4. \u00a0Other Xanthines<\/h3>\n

Even more exciting, is the fact that many other xanthines<\/a> are also present in a lot green teas, providing us with a natural combination that can make us significantly more alert, more focused and more intelligent (in some capacities at least).<\/p>\n

This is particularly true of the popular drink \u2018yerba mate\u2019. This is a form of green tea that Darwin famously called the \u2018perfect stimulant\u2019. Today, many health bloggers and productivity gurus recommend the drink, including author Tim Ferriss!<\/p>\n

\"\"5. \u00a0Catechins<\/h3>\n

Catechins<\/a> are a form of polyphenols that provide green tea with incredibly powerful antioxidant benefits. This means that they can help the body to neutralize harmful free radicals that cause damage to the cells when they come into contact with them and which can lead to visible signs of aging (wrinkles) as well as potentially causing cancer if they are able to penetrate through to the DNA.<\/p>\n

Catechins are just one of the ingredients in green tea that make it such a popular health food. One in particular \u2013 epigallocatechin gallate \u2013 has been subject to many studies and is thought to be beneficial in treating a wide number of different diseases.<\/p>\n

\"\"6. \u00a0Anti-Cancer<\/h3>\n

The antioxidant benefits of green tea make it highly powerful in combating various forms of cancer. For example, one study found that breast cancer<\/a> risk was reduced in women who drank large amounts of green tea by as much as 22%.<\/p>\n

In men, there was a 48% reduction in the risk of prostate cancer. And in another study, 69,710 Chinese women were studies, showing that green tea drinkers once again had a lower risk of colorectal cancer.<\/p>\n

Many more observational studies suggest the same thing. While these types of study are less controlled than laboratory studies, the evidence is still compelling enough to suggest a very real link.<\/p>\n

\"\"7. \u00a0Enhanced Metabolism<\/h3>\n

Green tea is commonly used for fat loss and in fact, if you look at any fat burning supplement and flip it over to check the ingredients, you will almost always find that it contains some form of green tea.<\/p>\n

This is partly for the caffeine content but also for the fact that green tea seems to boost the metabolism<\/a> in other ways too, perhaps through the catechins and flavanols. Green tea has been shown to increase fat oxidation by as much as 17% in those who drink green tea.<\/p>\n

\"\"8. \u00a0Warming<\/h3>\n

One of the big benefits of tea and coffee<\/a> is the simple fact that those drinks are consumed warm. This helps to relax the muscles and to encourage us to relax and to feel more calm. It\u2019s the perfect way to start the day for this reason!<\/p>\n

The good news is that green tea is similarly warming and this is also potentially another way in which it can help to burn more calories as the body needs to regulate its temperature again in response to the hot drink coming in.<\/p>\n

\"\"9. \u00a0Low Calorie<\/h3>\n

Green tea is calorie<\/a> free, which is especially impressive when you consider all of the health benefits that it presents. Green tea wins extra points though because unlike coffee or black tea, you tend to drink it without milk \u2013 which adds the calories.<\/p>\n

In fact, if you want to get the very most from your green tea, then it is advisable to drink it sans milk. Apparently milk might actually reduce some of the benefits you get from the antioxidants.<\/p>\n

\"\"10. \u00a0Reduced Risk of Stroke<\/h3>\n

In a moment, we will see that green tea can help to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, at least partly by improving cholesterol and therefore blood pressure. As it happens, these benefits can also help to reduce the risk of stroke<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Drinking green tea was shown in one study to reduce the risk of stroke by 42% in women and by 35% in men. This is another very common and very serious health risk and yet another powerful benefit of green tea!<\/p>\n

\"\"11. \u00a0Improved Physical Performance<\/h3>\n

Green tea is popular for enhancing the metabolism as we have already seen and this is partly accomplished by increasing fat burning. What\u2019s interesting though, is that this can also help to provide the body with more energy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In other words, the body becomes better at using energy rather than storing it. This might actually increase physical performance and make us better able to run further and to output physical force for longer.<\/p>\n

Two separate studies found that physical performance could increase by 11-12% in studies!<\/p>\n

\"\"12 Polyphenols<\/h3>\n

As well as being high in catechins, green tea also contains a complex mixture of polyphenols<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These are highly important ingredients in our diet which many of us aren\u2019t getting enough of thanks to our modern preference for processed foods and meat-rich diets.<\/p>\n

Not only are polyphenols important antioxidants that can further help to protect the cells but they are also very effective nutrients that provide a lot of additional roles in the body and they are anti-inflammatory, helping to reduce inflammation that might result in pain and even the inflammation in the brain from pro-inflammatory cytokines that may cause brain fog for many.<\/p>\n

\"\"13. \u00a0Anti-Bacterial<\/h3>\n

Green tea is antibacterial. This means that it can be effective in reducing risk of infection. What\u2019s more, is that it might be able to support the proliferation of good bacteria in the gut, thereby helping with digestion and general gut function.<\/p>\n

Streptococcus<\/a> mutants is the most harmful bacteria found in the mouth and is responsible for plaque formation, cavities and tooth decay. The great news then, is that green tea can actually inhibit the growth of this unwanted invader making it especially useful for combating gum disease, poor tooth health and even halitosis (bad breath).<\/p>\n

\"\"14. \u00a0Lower Risk of Diabetes<\/h3>\n

Lower risk of type 2 diabetes<\/a> is yet another benefit of green tea that you can add to the list. This is a disease that affects a very high number of people in the developed world and is caused by elevated blood sugar due to insulin resistance\/insufficiency.<\/p>\n

Studies show that green tea may actually reduce blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity and as such, one Japanese study found that it could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by as much as 42%.<\/p>\n

\"\"15. \u00a0Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Disease<\/h3>\n

Another unwanted health risk that can be driven out by green tea is cardiovascular disease. Green tea can help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by increasing the antioxidant capability of the blood, thereby preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, green tea can also help to make us calmer and more relaxed thanks to the l-theanine<\/a> content. When you combine these factors, it should come as no big surprise to see that green tea can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 31%.<\/p>\n

\"\"16. \u00a0Nutritional Benefit<\/h3>\n

Green tea actually contains trace amounts of nutrients. We\u2019ve already seen that it contains catechins and flavanols<\/a> to help fight cancer and free radicals\u2026 but did you know that it also acts like a mini-multivitamin thanks to the content of amino acids (theanine is an amino acid for instance) as well as vitamin B2, vitamin C, folic acid, B-carotene and more!<\/p>\n

Combine this with zero calories, zero fat and zero carbs and you have the perfect antidote to today\u2019s \u2018empty calorie\u2019 drinks such as Coke.<\/p>\n

\"\"17. \u00a0Longer Life<\/h3>\n

All these different benefits add up to one particularly impressive feat: longer lifespans.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve seen that green tea can combat many of the most common causes of death in the US, including cancer, heart disease, stroke and more. It can also help to reduce many of the symptoms of old age by preventing wrinkles, high blood pressure<\/a> and age-related cognitive decline. When you combine all these factors, this means that you have a drink that doesn\u2019t just extend your life, but also extends your quality of life.<\/p>\n

This has been shown in many studies. One demonstrated that women were 23% less likely to die of any cause and that men enjoyed a 12% lowered risk.<\/p>\n\r\n

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