Green tea is one of the healthiest beverages, and it is also considered to be a raw superfood. It originated from China, and for thousands of years, it has been used as a medicine. It has lots of uses from lowering blood pressure to preventing cancer. Compared to black tea, green tea has more health benefits attached to it, due to the processing method. It’s because black tea is processed in a way that allows for fermentation, while green tea processing skips the fermentation process. This way, green tea can retain its antioxidants and polyphenols, which gives its many benefits.
If you are looking into incorporating green tea into your diet, and you’d like to know more about what good it can bring you, then you’re in the right place. Today, we are going to give you the many health benefits that you can get from green tea.
Green Tea is Filled with Antioxidants
As mentioned earlier, green tea contains polyphenol antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation in the body, which is a known cause of premature aging. Aside from that, these antioxidants can also protect cells proactively from damage, which can lead to different chronic illnesses. This is the reason why green tea is considered to be a superfood that offers a wide range of health protection.
Green Tea Can Support Brain Health
Drinking green tea is popularly known to make people feel calm and relaxed. It provides caffeine, but also contains L-theanine, which is an amino acid that produces a calming effect. And the combination of caffeine and this amino acid has been shown to optimize brain function to enhance cognitive performance and working memory, and as well as elevate mood. Green tea also has the ability to counter oxidative stress, making it a potent protector against neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Green Tea May Help in Weight Management
Based on human and animal research, green tea has been shown to improve metabolism and stimulate fat burning. Aside from that, it is also connected to limiting the appetite and preventing fat gain by constraining a process known as angiogenesis, which is the formation of new blood vessels where the growth of fat tissue depends on.
Green Tea Supports the Immune System
Green tea contains antioxidants that offer antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal effects that support immunity. Aside from that, its antibacterial property can also help fight bad breath when you drink green tea regularly. Green tea can also act as a prebiotic, which is food for the good bacteria in the gut, which is tied to a healthy immune system.
Green Tea Can Help Maintain Strong Bones
The antioxidants that green tea contains can also help in protecting you against bone loss, reducing the risk of fracture. Based on animal studies, a moderate intake of green tea benefits bone healthy by improving bone quality and strength. There’s also one study which looked at the connection between polyphenol-rich foods like green tea, and osteoporosis. According to researchers, phenols influence bone mineral density by avoiding oxidation-induced damage to bone cells. Aside from that, it also reduces inflammation, which aids in bone building.
Green Tea Can Help in Balancing Blood Sugar Levels
There was a meta-analysis of 17 studies that looked at the relationship between green tea, blood sugar control, and as well as insulin sensitivity in humans. According to researchers, there were favorable effects based on the results of the studies. Green tea helps reduce fasting blood sugar or FBS levels and as well as values for Hb A1C, which is a measure of average blood sugar over the last three months.
Aside from that, there’s another study done in Japanese adults coming from 23 communities where scientists found out that the consumption of green tea was inversely associated with the risk of developing diabetes, even after changing the date for body mass index, age, sex, and other risk factors. Therefore, there’s something about green tea that makes it protective.
Green Tea Can Also Support Heart Health
Aside from the anti-inflammatory effects of green tea and its ability to guard against oxidative stress, it has also been shown to protect the heart. What it does is it reduces the total cholesterol, bad cholesterol or LDL, blood pressure, and as well as triglycerides. In addition, green tea also prevents the oxidation of LDL, which is a process that triggers a domino effect that contributes to heart disease and artery hardening. Drinking green tea regularly is also tied to a lower risk of stroke.
Green Tea Can Help Protect the Skin from Aging
Based on research, polyphenols in green tea protect skin from the effects of ultraviolet or UV light. Therefore, it prevents the acceleration of aging, in addition to its anti-inflammatory benefits. Green tea compounds can also help defend the skin from wrinkles because these compounds have the ability to prevent the breakdown of collagen and elastic fibers, which in turn anticipate the loss of skin elasticity.
Green Tea is Linked to Longevity
Based on studies, the cells of people who regularly drink green tea have a younger biological age by about five years compared to non-drinkers. Also, based on Japanese research, regular green tea drinkers tend to live longer. There was a study done in older adults. Those who drank the highest amount of green tea were 76% less likely to die in the six-year study period.
These are some of the best benefits that you can get from drinking green tea. If you want to feel better, lose weight, and lower your risk of chronic diseases, then try to consider adding green tea to your diet. Plus, it can help you feel calm during stressful days, too.