There are a lot of myths and illusions that have existed in the minds of people as benefits and functions of green tea. In this article, we will be covering the major facts and green tea health benefits, side effects and research you need to know about green tea.
What is Green Tea?
Green tea is a very healthy herbal and sugar-free beverage that originated in China and India. It belongs to the group of teas that are made from the leaves of a plant named Camellia Sinensis.
All the three major kinds of teas (being the green tea, oolong tea and black tea) are made from the leaves of this same plant. And, what makes them different is the way the leaves are processed.
For instance, while you don’t need to ferment the leaves to produce green tea, you definitely have to ferment them partially to produce the oolong tea and ferment them fully to get the black tea.
Teas have become a very popular beverage in recent times so much so that apart from water, teas are recorded to be the most consumed beverage in the world.
Did you know that green tea has a couple of stimulants which include theophylline, caffeine and theobromine?
Did you know that the caffeine percentage in green tee by weight is higher than that contained in coffee beans?
Now, lets look at a couple of green tea health benefits, side effects and facts about this beverage.
10 Health Benefits of Green Tea.
Green tea has a lot of health benefits and not all of them will make it to this list but the most vital benefits will be mentioned.
1. Green Tea Burns Fat, Helps You Lose Weight and Prevents Obesity
Green tea has been known to increase the rate at which fat burns in the body and also increase the rate of body metabolism. If it increases the rate of metabolism, then it also makes sense that it could help in the loss of weight for the short term. This is why most fat burning supplements contain green tea.
2. Green Tea Improves General Health
Green tea helps prevent a lot of diseases and keep you in great shape from obesity to heart diseases and even brain diseases. The compounds and oxidants it contain have been known to improve certain body functions thereby contributing to the overall health of the individual.
One of the major compounds that it contains Epigallocatechin Gallate (EPCG) has been known to treat different kinds of diseases because it contains very effective medicinal properties.
3. Green Tea Improves the Function of the Brain and Help you Become Smart.
Green tea contains caffeine just like coffee and caffeine has the ability to block adenosine which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. Now, after taking green tea, your neurons can be fired thereby keeping you awake, agile and smart.
4. Green Tea Reduces the Risk of Cancer
A person is diagnosed with cancer when they are experiencing a growth of cells that is uncontrolled. Green tea contains polyphenol that aids in the elimination of these cancerous cells present in the body thereby preventing their growth.
Examples of the different types of cancer diseases that green tea can help prevent are breast cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer and skin cancer.
5. Green Tea Protects Your Brain and Reduces the Risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease
While you take green tea in the short term, it can improve the function of your brain but most people don’t know that it can also help to protect your brain when you grow old. As humans age, they become subject to neurodegenerative diseases like dementia which is caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
Another very common degenerative disease is Parkinson’s. However, there are certain compounds in green tea that potentially reduce the risk of having these diseases.
6. Green Tea Kills Bacteria and Improves Dental Health
Green tea contains catechins that have been known to kill bacteria like streptococcus mutans which is the major harmful bacteria present in the mouth. This bacterium also causes dental issues like tooth decay and formation of plaque. The inhibition of the growth of the bacteria helps in improving the overall dental health of the individual.
7. Green Tea Reduces the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes.
Your body has a method of controlling its sugar level and it involves insulin. Insulin is very sensitive to the blood’s sugar level and signals the cells in the body to absorb more sugar when the sugar level is high. Overtime, you become diagnosed with diabetes when your insulin is no longer sensitive to the sugar level thereby allowing excess sugar in the blood stream which is not good for the heart.
Green tea helps in stabilizing the sugar levels in the blood and also help improve the sensitivity of insulin thereby preventing you from having diabetes.
8. Green Tea Reduces the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular diseases include heart attacks and strokes and these diseases are the causes of a lot of deaths worldwide. The root causes of these kind of health issues are cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol and they can all be improved by green tea.
9. Green Tea Prevent Wrinkles and Aging Skin
Green tea has antioxidants that fight the free radical damage of the skin. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that can help you prevent skin damage owing to harmful environmental factors.
10. Green Tea Aids in Mood Improvement
GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps in relieving you from anxiety. Green tea contains an amino acid called L-theanine that helps in increasing the activity of GABA. This amino acid also increases the production of alpha waves in the brain and dopamine which aid in relaxation, depression reduction and also stress reduction.
Side Effects of Drinking Green Tea
Apart from the green tea health benefits, side effects of drinking green tea may be seen in some persons.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should abstain from taking green tea because it contains tannins and tannins decreases the absorption of iron and folic acid in the body. If you have been diagnosed with anaemia, you should also refrain from drinking green tea around your meal times.
It was previously mentioned that green tea contains caffeine. So if you are sensitive to caffeine, you should not take green tea. Green tea also contains vitamin K which aids in blood coagulation. So if you are taking any medication that is anticoagulant, you should not take green tea too.
Green Tea Dosage
There is not particular one size fits all prescription for drinking green tea. Some people take just one cup per day and they have recorded significant results.
Others have been known to take as much as five cups per day and they too have recorded significant results. Bottom line is that you need to consult with your doctor before you place yourself on any herbal supplement like green tea.
Conclusion
Hope you benefited from knowing some of these green tea health benefits, side effects, dosage and research facts.
Green tea is healthy and comes in highly recommended if you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, you need to consult a professional before combining it with any other medication or health challenges.
