In this article, we’ll look at what makes green tea such an excellent health drink, and some of the many ways that it can benefit your health. Green tea contains naturally occurring antioxidants called polyphenols, which are responsible for its powerful effects on overall health and wellbeing. Polyphenols have also been shown to reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer, as well as certain heart conditions and Type 2 diabetes.Here are some health benefits of green tea to get you started..
Green Tea Helps Prevent Heart Disease
One meta-analysis in five small studies looked at green tea's effects on heart disease and found that drinking green tea may lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and triglycerides. It also found that it might have protective antioxidants. So while more research is needed to confirm these findings, if you're looking for a reason to drink more green tea—other than that it tastes good—you now have one. (Also try these two easy ways to maximize benefits from drinking green tea.) # 1 You should start drinking it daily for heart health. A study in Japan found that men who drank 5 or more cups per day lowered their risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 7 percent.
Green tea reduces risk of certain cancers
According to recent studies, drinking five or more cups of green tea daily may reduce your risk for certain cancers by as much as 50 percent. Researchers found that drinking about 3 cups of green tea daily led to a 31 percent lower risk for cancers in general and a 57 percent reduced risk for esophageal cancer. In addition, there are many antioxidant compounds in green tea which help combat free radicals that cause cancer. These antioxidants can also slow down or prevent cellular damage caused by ultraviolet light from sunlight exposure, another proven carcinogen. Be sure to drink quality tea; if you brew loose leaves or bags, buy organic—it’s been shown that conventional pesticide residues are present in commercial black and green teas.
Green tea boosts brainpower
Drink a cup of green tea, and your body is flooded with caffeine, a natural stimulant. In fact, drinking green tea every day can make you healthier by helping prevent heart disease and cancer, lowering cholesterol levels and boosting brainpower. Many people are familiar with green tea’s ability to promote weight loss; research has found that individuals who drink four cups of green tea each day burn about 70 additional calories a day. And in addition to providing an energy boost for hours after consumption, it helps reduce sugar cravings and carb binges later in the day. If you want to kickstart weight loss or curb your late-night sweet tooth, try sipping on some green tea before bed!
Green tea lowers the risk of Type 2 diabetes
Drinking green tea every day is a safe and effective way to prevent type 2 diabetes, according to a Chinese study published in 2013. People who drank 3 cups of green tea daily were 44 percent less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who didn't drink it. This may be because one cup of green tea contains 10 milligrams of catechins—compounds that inhibit enzymes involved in breaking down sugars, which improves insulin sensitivity and lowers blood sugar levels. In addition, research has found that drinking 3 cups per day significantly reduced fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, body weight and waist circumference in Japanese patients with Type 2 diabetes.