Posted on

10 health benefits of drinking green tea……by Oluwaseun Bakare

Benefits of Green Tea
Photo credit>- Google Images

10 health benefits of drinking green tea

Green tea is the healthiest drink on the planet.

It is composed of many antioxidants and nutrients with great effects on the body.

Some of these effects include improved brain function, fat loss, decreased risk of cancer, and many other impressive benefits.

Here are 10 benefits of green tea that have been proven in numerous studies.

1. Green tea contains bioactive components that improve health

Green tea is much more than just a liquid.

Many of the plant compounds found in the leaves are used for teas as they contain large amounts of important nutrients.

Tea is rich in polyphenols that have effects such as reducing inflammation and helping to fight cancer.

Green tea has 30% polyphenols by weight, including large amounts of catechin called EGCG. Catechins are natural antioxidants that help prevent cell damage and provide other benefits.

These substances can reduce the formation of free radicals in the body, which protects cells and molecules from damage. These free radicals are known because they play a fundamental role in age and all types of diseases.

EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) is one of the most important components in green tea. It has been studied to treat various diseases and could be one of the main reasons why green tea has great medicinal properties.

Green tea has small amounts of minerals that are important for health.

Try to choose a quality green tea, as some may contain excessive amounts of fluoride.

That said, even if you choose a poor quality tea, the benefits still outweigh any risks.

RESUME: Green tea is packed with antioxidants with polyphenol, such as catechin or EGCG for its acronym in English. These antioxidants can contain several beneficial health effects.

2. The components of green tea can improve brain function and intelligence

Green tea does much more than keeping you awake, in fact, it can improve your intelligence.

The key active ingredient is caffeine, which is known as a stimulant.

It does not contain as much caffeine as coffee, but it is enough to produce a response without causing the jitters associated with ingesting too much caffeine.

What caffeine produces in the brain is the blockage of an inhibitory neurotransmitter called adenosine. In this way, it increases the activation of neurons and the concentration of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine.

Caffeine has been thoroughly studied and shown to produce improvements in various aspects of brain function, including improvements in mood, control, reaction time, and memory.

However, green tea contains more components than caffeine. It is also made up of an amino acid called L-theanine, which can cross the blood-brain barrier.

L-theanine increases the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which has antioxidant effects. It also increases dopamine and wave production in the brain.

Studies have shown that caffeine and L-theanine can have synergistic effects. The combination of the two is quite powerful in improving brain function.

Due to the L-theanine and smaller doses of caffeine, green tea can wake you up more gently than coffee.

Many people say that they get more stable energy and are much more productive when they drink green tea instead of coffee.

RESUME: Green tea contains less caffeine than coffee, but enough to produce the same effects. It also contains the amino acid L-theanine, which can work with caffeine and create a synergistic effect to improve brain function.

3. Green tea increases fat reduction and improves physical performance

If you look at the ingredient list of any fat reduction supplement, you will see that green tea is one of them.

This occurs because green tea has been shown in controlled trials in humans to increase fat reduction and boost metabolic rate.

In a study of 10 healthy men, green tea increased energy expenditure by 4%.

Another study showed that fat oxidation was increased by 17%, which indicates that green tea could increase the reduction of them.

However, some studies on green tea do not show any elevation in metabolism, so the effects depend on the individual.

Caffeine alone has also been shown to enhance physical performance by mobilizing fatty acids from fatty tissues and turning them into a source of energy.

In two individual studies, caffeine was shown to increase physical performance by an average of 11-12%.

RESUME: Green tea has been shown to raise metabolic rate and increase fat reduction in the short term, although not all studies agree.

4. The antioxidants in green tea may lower the risk of some types of cancer

Cancer appears due to uncontrolled cell growth. It is one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

It has been shown that oxidative damage contributes to the development of cancer and that antioxidants may have a protective effect.

Green tea is an excellent source of antioxidants, so it makes sense that it can lower your risk of cancer:

  • Breast cancer: A meta-analysis of observational studies found that women who drank more green tea had a 20 to 30% lower risk of developing breast cancer, the most common in women.
  • Prostate cancer: One study found that men who drank green tea were 48% less likely to develop prostate cancer, the most common in men.
  • Colorectal Cancer: An analysis of 29 studies showed that those individuals who drank green tea had a 42% lower chance of developing colorectal cancer.

Many observational studies have shown that people who drink green tea are less likely to develop some very serious cancers. However, higher quality studies are needed to confirm these effects.

It’s important to note that it might be a bad idea to pour milk into your tea, because some studies believe that it reduces the effect of antioxidants.

RESUME: Green tea has many antioxidants that may protect you against cancer. There are many studies that have shown that people who drink green tea have a lower risk of various types of cancer.

5. Green tea may protect your brain from aging, as well as decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

Green tea not only improves brain function in the short term, it can also protect your brain from aging.

Alzheimer’s is the most common degenerative disease in humans and is the leading cause of dementia.

Parkinson’s is the most common neurodegenerative cause and involves the death of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain.

Many studies have shown that the catechin components in green tea can have various protective effects on neurons, potentially lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. These studies were carried out in test tubes and animals.

RESUME: The bioactive components of green tea can have several protective effects on the brain. They could reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, the two most common neurodegenerative diseases.

6. Green tea can kill bacteria, which improves dental health and lowers the risk of infection

The catechins in green tea have other biological effects.

Some studies have shown that they can kill bacteria and inhibit viruses like influenza, lowering the risk of infection.

Streptococcus mutans is the most harmful bacteria in the mouth. It causes plaque formation and contributes to cavities and infections.

Studies show that the catechins in green tea can inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutans. The consumption of green tea is associated with improvements in dental health and a decrease in the risk of tooth decay.

Multiple studies have also shown that tea can reduce bad breath.

RESUME: The catechins in green tea may inhibit the growth of bacteria and some viruses. This can lower the risk of infection and lead to improvements in dental health, a decrease in cavities, and a reduction in bad breath.

7. Green tea may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a disease that has reached epidemic proportions in recent decades and now affects an estimated 400 million people worldwide.

The disease involves high blood sugar levels in the context of insulin resistance or an inability to produce it.

Studies have shown that green tea can improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels.

A study conducted with Japanese found that people who drank more green tea had a 42% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

According to a study of 7 investigations with a total of 286,701 individuals, people who drank green tea had an 18% lower risk of becoming diabetic.

RESUME: Some controlled trials have shown that green tea can cause reductions in blood sugar levels. It could also lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

8. Green tea may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease or stroke, are the leading causes of death in the world.

Studies have shown that green tea can improve some of the main risk factors for these diseases.

These include cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Green tea also dramatically increases the antioxidant capacity of the blood, which protects LDL particles from oxidation, which are responsible for heart disease.

When we consider the beneficial effects on risk factors, it is not a surprise that people who drink green tea are 31% less likely to suffer from heart disease.

RESUME: Green tea has been shown to lower total and LDL cholesterol, and protect LDL particles from oxidation. Observational studies show that people who consume this type of tea have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

9. Green tea can help you lose weight and lower your risk of obesity

Considering that green tea can boost your metabolic rate in the short term, it makes sense that it can help you lose weight.

Many studies have shown that green tea produces a decrease in body fat, especially in the abdomen area.

One of these studies was conducted in a 12-week randomized controlled trial in 240 men and women. In this research, the group that consumed green tea had a significant decrease in the percentage of body fat, weight, waist and abdominal fat.

However, some studies did not show a significant increase in weight loss thanks to green tea, so it is necessary to take it with one gram of salt.

RESUME: Some studies have shown that green tea produces an increase in weight loss. It could be effective in reducing dangerous belly fat.

10. Green Tea May Help You Live Longer

Of course, we are all going to die sooner or later and that is inevitable.

However, if we take into account that green tea consumers have a lower risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, it is logical that it can help to extend life.

In a study of 40,530 Japanese adults, the highest green tea consumers (5 or more cups a day) were less likely to die over an 11-year period:

  • Deaths from all causes: 23% lower in women, 12% lower in men.
  • Deaths from heart disease: 31% lower in women, 22% lower in men.
  • Deaths from strokes: 42% lower in women, 35% lower in men.

Another study of 14,000 older Japanese found that the largest green tea consumers reduced their chances of death by 76% over the 6-year investigation.

RESUME: Studies have shown that green tea consumers are more likely to live longer.

Leave a Reply
