This article was last updated on August 9, 2015
A few words about green tea
Green tea is considered to be one of the most beneficial drinks in the world. It has been used in China as a healthy drink ever since ancient times and it was basically used to cure anything, from the simple headaches to depression. Several scientific research has been conducted in order to prove the green tea benefits on the human health. Although tea in general is considered to be healthy and it is the second most widely consumed beverage in the world, no other tea has more benefits than the green tea. Green tea is made from unfermented leaves and this makes it contain the highest concentration of antioxidants that are known as polyphenols and which actually are responsible for the green tea benefits on the human’s health.
Why is green tea so special?
Green tea is so special in comparison to other teas, for example, due to the fact that it is not processed, thus it is the richest tea in catechin polyphenols, and even more, in epigallocatechin gallate – also known as EGCG – which is a very powerful anti-oxidant. This is what actually makes the body enjoy various benefits from green tea.
A wide selection of benefits
According to evidence that has been found after several researchers in this matter, there are plenty of benefits of green tea on your health, from some of the simplest health issues to severe diseases that can benefit from green tea, when consumed properly, of course. Here you can see some of the most important green tea benefits that you can enjoy when drinking this type of tea on a regular basis.
15 Green Tea Benefits You Didn’t Know About
- Prevents cholesterol – not only it helps prevent cholesterol, but it also helps prevent cardiovascular disease
- Helps protect the skin against damage caused by UV radiation, which means that it can also help prevent sun burnings
- Green tea improves metabolism, thus it helps lose weight, as the antioxidants found in green tea help intensify the levels of fat oxidation and it improves the time that your body needs in order to turn food into calories
- Green tea is good to be used in order to prevent diabetes, as it is capable of regulating glucose levels, thus balancing blood sugar levels, thus it reduces the apparition of irritability, fatigue and cravings for unhealthy foods
- Green tea can prevent heart disease, as it helps relax the blood vessels and helps them withstand any changes occurred in blood pressure. Additionally, green tea also protects against apparition of clots, which are responsible for heart attacks
- It helps prevent various types of cancer, as it kills cancer cells, without causing any damage to the healthy tissues that surround them. Some of the main types of cancer that green tea can help prevent include breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, skin cancer and throat cancer.
- Drinking green tea can help prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as green tea benefits the restoration of damaged brain cells and protects brain cells from dying
- Green tea can help tooth decay, as the antioxidants found in this tea is capable of destroying bacteria and viruses that are responsible for causing specific dental conditions, dental caries and also throat infections
- Drinking green tea can help prevent depression, by drinking it helps you relax and tranquilize
- The antioxidants found in this tea have many anti-viral and anti-bacterial agents, which can help prevent various diseases caused by specific bacteria
- Green tea benefits the skin, as it can help prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging, due to the antioxidants contained by this tea
- It can help improve brain function and thus makes the person drinking it smarter. This is mainly because the green tea also contains caffeine, which is not only responsible for keeping you more awake, but also is capable of making you smarter
- Drinking green tea helps you improve physical performance
- Drinking green tea prevents you from getting obese
- Green tea benefits on your health, improving the quality of life and thus increasing the chance to live longer.
Precautions and side effects
Drinking green tea has plenty of benefits on your health. However, many would wonder whether it also has any precautions or side effects on your health. There are barely any negative side effects that green tea has, except from the possibility that drinking it may cause insomnia, because of the caffeine contained by this type of tea. Even so, the effects are not very severe, as green tea does not contain as much caffeine as coffee does. Other possible side effects include nausea, upset stomach, irritability and anxiety.
Piece of advice
There might be some questions aroused when it comes about drinking green tea.
- Some might wonder whether drinking flavored green tea has the same benefits that drinking regular green tea has. According to studies, it is perfectly fine to drink flavored green tea, but it is recommended to avoid drinking it with sugar or even with artificial sweeteners.
- Another advice is to always look for quality green tea, as it is better to opt for green tea that does not contain too many additional ingredients.
- Green tea can be consumed iced, but in this case, it needs to be taken into consideration that the tea might become too diluted with water.
- Green tea is recommended to be consumed fresh.
How much green tea to drink?
As you can see, there are plenty of green tea benefits to enjoy, but the question that remains is how much tea needs to be consumed in order to fully enjoy its benefits. There is no correct answer to this question, yet it is recommended to drink between two and five cups of green tea every day in order to feel its benefits. However, although you may drink up to ten cups a day, it is not necessarily recommended to do so, since green tea also contains caffeine.
Idea for preparing green tea
There are various possible ways to prepare a cup of green tea. However, in order to fully enjoy the green tea benefits, it is recommended to properly prepare your cup of tea. Here is a recommendation on how to prepare your green tea in order to fully enjoy its variety of benefits:
- Put a green tea bag – or between 2 and 4 grams of tea – in a cup of tea
- Fill a kettle with cold water and then boil the water
- When the water is brought to a boil, unplug the kettle and allow it to stand like that for about three minutes
- Pour the water over the tea bag or tea and let it steep for about three minutes; in case you used a tea bag, remove it after the three minutes of steeping
- Allow the tea to get cool for about three minutes
Closing thoughts
There is a wide selection of benefits of green tea that you can enjoy if you drink it on a regular basis. From the simplest pains to some of the most severe diseases, green tea has been used from ancient times as one of the most beneficial beverages to treat certain diseases and conditions and to improve the quality of life.
Featured image: Martin Phox
Reference sites:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/269538.php
https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/green-tea
https://authoritynutrition.com/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea/
