Green tea is the best nutritious beverage on the planet. It contains many antioxidants and nutrients having powerful effects on the body such as: improve the brain’s functions, lose weight, and reduce the risks of cancers and other amazing benefits.
Below are 10 health benefits have been confirmed by researchers:
1. Green tea contains different biologically active substances helping to improve the health.
Among the biologically active substances in tea leaves used as a beverage have a large amount of essential nutrients existing under the form of polyphenol such as flavonoid and catechins – they are powerful antioxidants.
These substances may help to reduce the formation of free radicals in the body, protect cell membranes and other body organs. The free radicals are considered as the causes of aging process and other several diseases.
One of the important compounds in green tea is Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) has been studied to treat many different diseases. It may be one of the major reasons why green tea has powerful healing properties.
Green tea also has small amounts of minerals really important for the health.
2. Compounds found in green tea can improve brain’s functions and help you to be smarter.
Grean tea not only helps you to be alertness but also helps you to be smarter. The main compounds in green tea are caffeine and L-theanine amino acids.
Caffeine is known as a stimulant. Green tea does not contain much caffeine like coffee but it is enough to stimulate as coffee. Caffeine has been studied to improve brain’s function including improving moods, feelings, reaction time and memory
L-theanine amino acids have ability to pass blood brain barrier, increase the activity of neurotransmitter substance inhibiting GABA and anti-anxiety effect. It also helps to increase dopamine and produce alpha waves in the brain.
Many studies indicated that caffeine and L-theanine has homologous effect. The combination of caffeine and L-theanine offer a powerful benefit in improving brain’s function. Many people said that drinking green tea helps them to have more stable energy and alertness than coffee.
3. Green tea increases fat burning process and metabolism.
If you look at any list of supplements for burning fat, green tea is more likely on the top. It indicated that green tea has been tested to increase fat burning process and metabolic speed. In a study on 10 healthy men, green tea burns energy up to 4%. Another study showed that the process of fat oxidation has increased 17%, so it is clear to confirm that green tea can increase the fat burning. However some studies about green tea did not increase metabolism, therefore the influence can be different depending on each type.
Caffeine also has been tested to improve metabolism by mobilizing fatty acids from fatty tissues and making them available to use as energy. In two separately reviewed studies, caffeine did increase metabolic process about 11-12%.
4. Green tea has antioxidants reducing risks of cancers.
Cancer is caused by being unable to control the growing rate of cells. It is one of leading causes of death. As we know that oxidative damage contributes to the development of cancers and antioxidants may help to protect from cancers. And green tea is a great source offering powerful antioxidants, so it helps to reduce risks of cancers.
- Breast cancer: A study indicated that women drink green tea may have risks of breast cancer (a common cancer in women) lower than 22% comparing with others.
- Prostate cancer: A study indicated that people drink green tea may have risks of prostate cancer (the most common cancer in men) lower than 48% comparing with others.
- Colorectal cancer: In a study of 69.710 women in China, people drink green tea may have risks of colorectal cancer lower than 57% comparing with those did not use green tea.
Many other studies showed that people used green tea are less likely to have risks of cancers.
5. Green tea protects your brain when you are old and reduces risks of Alzheimer and Parkinson
Green tea not only helps to improve your brain’s function when you are young, it can also protect your brain when you are old.
Alzheimer is the most common neurodegenerative disease in elderly people and the leading cause of dimentia.
Parkinson is the second common neurodegenerative disease and relates to the death of central nervous cells producing in the brain.
There are many studies in vitro and in animals indicated that the catechin compounds in green tea help to protect several nervous cells and reduce risks of Alzheimer and Parkinson.
6. Green tea can kill bacteria, improve dental health and reduce risks of infection.
The catechins in green tea have several biological effects. Some studies showed that they can kill bacteria and inhibit viruses (such as flu virus) as well as reduce risks of infection. Streptococcal are the most harmful bacteria in the mouth causing formation of dental plaque and tooth decay.
The study also indicated that catechins in green tea may inhibit the growing of Streptococcal. That’s why it is used for improving dental health and reducing risks of tooth decay. Many other studies also indicated a great benefit of green tea is to reduce bad breath.
7. Green tea helps to reduce risks of type II diabetes.
Type II diabetes is a serious disease outbreak in the past few decades and nowadays attacks about 300 millions of people in over the world. This disease relates to high sugar level in the blood because of insulin resistance or being unable to produce insulin. The studies showed that green tea can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce sugar level in the blood. A study in Japan indicated that people drink green tea may have risks of type II diabetes lower than 42% comparing with others.
According to evaluations of 7 studies in total 286.701 individuals, people drink green tea may have risks of diabetes lower than 18% comparing with others.
8. Green tea helps to reduce risks of cardiovascular diseases.
Cardiovascular diseases including heart disease and stroke are the biggest reason causing death in the world. The studies showed that green tea can improve some elements are major risks of these diseases including total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Green tea also significantly increases the blood’s antioxidant ability which protects LDL cholesterol particles from oxidation – a cause of cardiovascular diseases.
With beneficial effects on risk factors, it is not surprising when people drink green tea having risks of cardiovascular diseases lower than others 31%
9. Green tea helps you to lose weight and reduce risks of obesity
Green tea can increase metabolic rate in a short time, it reduce your food cravings and helps you to lose weight. Some studies indicated that green tea helps to reduce your body fat, especially in abdominal area. One of these studies is random test in 240 men and women in 12 weeks. And the result is green tea reduced significantly percentages of body fat, body weight, waist circumference and belly fat. However some studies did not show the significant increase of losing weight with green tea, so it may need to combine with few grains of salt.
10. Green tea may reduce risks of death and help you to live longer
People drink green tea having less risks of cardiovascular diseases and cancers, and helping you to live longer. In a study of 40.530 Japanese adults for 11 years, most people who drink green tea (5 glasses or more per day) reduce significantly the risks of death:
- The death of all causes: lower than 23% in women and 12% in men
- Death from heart disease: lower than 31% in women and 22% in men
- Death from stroke: lower than 42% in women and 35% in men.