10 Benefits of Drinking Green Tea We Bet You Didn’t Know
We would not be exaggerating if we called green tea the most healthy drink on earth.
The reason is that green tea is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants that help to improve brain function, lower risk of cancer, loose fat and many more incredible benefits.
We have compiled together 10 benefits of green tea we can bet you had no idea about and what better is that all these benefits have been confirmed in human research studies.
1. Green Tea Contains Bioactive Compounds That Improve Your Health
Green tea has a lot more to it than just being a warm green drink.
It contains many bioactive compounds that do make it into your cup and this contains large amounts of important nutrients.
It has loads of polyphenols like catechins and flavonoids which are powerful antioxidants. These antioxidants reduce the formation of free radicals in your body hence protecting the cells and molecules from damage. These free radicals play a role in aging and all kinds of diseases.
Another powerful antioxidant found in green tea is Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) which according to many studies can treat many diseases and maybe that is one of the reasons that green tea possesses powerful medicinal properties.
Green tea also contains small amounts of minerals that are important for your health.
When picking out green tea go for the higher quality brand as some of the lower quality ones may contain excessive amount of fluoride. But in any case even if you have a low quality green tea the benefits outweigh any risk by far.
2. Green Tea Contains Compounds That Can Improve Brain Function And Make You Smarter
Green tea not only makes you stay awake but it also makes you smarter. The key active ingredient in green tea is caffeine which is a well know stimulant.
It does not contain as much caffeine as there is in coffee but has enough to produce a response.
Caffeine blocks an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain called Adenosine. This increases the firing of neurons and neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine.
Caffeine has been studied intensively in the past and has consistently lead to improvements in many aspects of the function of brain which includes improvement in mood, memory and being alert.
But caffeine is not the only thing found in green tea which helps the brain it also contains the amino acid L-theanine. This amino acid helps to increase the activity of inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, which has anti anxiety effects. Apart from this it also helps in the production of alpha waves in brain and dopamine.
L-theanine and caffeine have a synergistic effect according to studies. These two when combined have a powerful effect at improving the function of brain.
Due to L-theanine and comparatively smaller dose of caffeine green tea gives you a milder affect than coffee.
Many people say that green tea gives them a more stable kind of energy and makes them more productive rather than coffee.
3. Green Tea Increases Fat Burning Process And Improves Physical Performance
Whenever you buy a fat burning supplement check the ingredients there is a big chance that you will find green tea in it.
The reason is that green tea increases the fat burning process and boosts the metabolic rate.
According to a study conducted on ten healthy men, green tea increased the spending of energy by 4 percent.
In another study the fat oxidation process was increased by 17 percent, which indicates that green tea increases the burning of fat.
However there have been studies that show that green tea does not show any increase in metabolism so maybe the effects depend on the individual.
Caffeine has also shown to improve the physical performance by making fatty acids mobilize from fat tissues and being available to use as energy.
Caffeine has shown to increase the physical performance by 11 to 12 percent on an average in two separate studies.
4. Green Tea Contains Antioxidants That May Lower The Risk Of Various Types Of Cancers
Uncontrolled growth of cells causes cancer. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death today.
It is a known fact that oxidative damage has a contribution in developing cancer and antioxidants may have a protective effect.
Green as written earlier contains many powerful antioxidants and therefore helps to reduce the risk of cancer here are a few results of studies that show the effect of green tea on reducing risk of cancer.
- BREAST CANCER: A Meta analysis of observational studies showed that women who drank the most green tea had 22 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer which is the most common type of cancer in women.
- PROSTATE CANCER: A study showed that men who drank green tea had a 48 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer which is the most common type of cancer in men.
- COLORECTAL CANCER: A study conducted on 69,720 Chinese women showed that women who drank green tea had 57 percent lower risk of developing colorectal cancer.
Many other observational studies have shown that people who drink green tea are less likely to develop various types of cancers.
It is important to know that if you put milk in your tea it can reduce the antioxidant value.
5. Green Tea May Protect The Brain In Old Age And Lowers The Risk Of Alzheimer’s And Parkinson’s
Green tea does not only improve the function of brain on short term but it may also protect the brain in old age.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of neurodegenerative disease and is the leading cause of dementia.
Parkinson’s disease is the second most common type of neurodegenerative disease and causes the death of neurons in the brain that produce dopamine.
Many studies show that the catechin compounds found in green tea have various protective effects on neurons in animal models and test tubes therefore they potentially lower the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
6. Green Tea Kills Bacteria And Improves Dental Health
The catechins present in the green tea have many other biological effects. According to some studies they can kill the bacteria and viruses like influenza therefore lowering the risk of infections.
Streptococcus mutans is a bacteria present in the mouth and this bacteria is responsible for the formation of plaque and contributes in tooth decay and cavities.
Studies have shown that the catechins present in green tea can suppress the growth of streptococcus mutans. Drinking green tea improves the dental health and lowers the risk of dental caries.
Another great benefit of green tea is that many studies show that it reduces bad breath.
7. Green Tea May Lower The Risk Of Type Ii Diabetes
In the past few decades type II diabetes has reached epidemic proportions and now around 300 million people around the world are afflicted with it.
In this disease the patient has elevated blood sugar levels due to insulin resistance or inability to produce insulin.
Studies have shown that green tea can improve the insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels.
A study conducted in Japanese individuals showed that those who drank the most green tea had a 42 percent lower risk of developing type II diabetes.
A review of 7 studies that included 286,701 individuals, the ones who drank green tea had an 18 percent lower risk of developing diabetes.
8. Green Tea May Reduce Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular diseases which include heart disease and stroke are the biggest cause of death.
Studies have shown that green tea can improve some of the risk factors responsible mainly for these diseases.
These factors include LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and total cholesterol.
Green tea also increases the antioxidant capability of blood which protects the LDL cholesterol particles from oxidation, which is a part of the way to heart disease.
Well with all the beneficial effects on the risk factors it is not a surprise that people who drink green regularly have up to 31 percent lower risk developing cardiovascular disease.
9. Green Tea Help You To Loose Weight And Lowers Your Risk Of Becoming Obese
As we know by now that green tea can boost the metabolic rate in short term it can therefore also help in losing weight.
Many studies have shown that green tea helps decrease fat in your body especially in your abdominal area.
A study that was a randomized controlled trial in 240 men and women and went on for 12 weeks showed that the group who drank green tea had a significant decrease in their body fat percentage, body weight, waist and abdominal fat.
But there have been studies conducted that don’t show a significant increase in weight loss with green tea so it might depend on the individual.
10. Green Tea May Increase Your Life
Death is inevitable. But due to the fact that the people who drink green tea regularly have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and type II diabetes it makes sense that it can help you live longer.
According to a study conducted on 40,530 Japanese adults who drank 5 or more cups of green tea in a day were less likely to die during a period of eleven years.
- Death due to any reason: 23 percent lower in women and 12 percent lower in men.
- Death due to heart diseases: 31 percent lower in women and 22 percent lower in men.
- Death due to stroke: 42 percent lower in women and 35 percent lower in men.
Another study conducted on 14,001 elderly Japanese aged between 65 and 84 years showed that the ones who drank the most green tea were 76 percent less likely to die during 6 years of the study period.
