Green tea is gaining popularity in recent years, and rightfully so. It has so many benefits that can help you improve your health. Most people have started shifting away from coffee and towards green tea for its health benefits.
However, many of us are not aware of the reasons why green tea is beneficial to our overall health. In this blog, we are going to look over the eight health benefits of drinking green tea.
Also read: 11 Best Types Of Green Tea For Every Tea Lover
What is Green Tea?
Green tea is one of the most popular beverages worldwide after Black tea, produced from the leaves of Camellia Sinensis(A special plant from where we receive most of our tea). This plant also produces three types of other tea depending on how tea leaves are processed, including white, oolong, and black tea.
White tea: Produced from young leaves of this plant.
Oolong tea: Produced from partial fermentation of mature leaves.
Black tea: Produced from full fermentation of mature leaves.
According to research, the main component of green tea is catechins(catechin is a flavonoid or antioxidant, usually called polyphenol). These catechins contain anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.
Green tea has 20% of tea production worldwide and is consumed more in China, Japan and Korea. It contains 2% to 4% of caffeine, due to which it releases certain types of chemicals in the brain called ‘neurotransmitters’ like serotonin and dopamine.
These chemicals are responsible for our happiness and also helps us fight hypertension problems.
Also reading: 6 Simple Tips To Make Green Tea Taste Good + 3 Recipes
So without any more delay, let’s see the health benefits of drinking green tea.
Benefits of Drinking Green Tea
1. Green tea improves brain function
One of the major benefits of drinking green tea is improvement in our mental health.
It’s found that Polyphenols present in green tea can boost the important brain chemical dopamine availability. Dopamine is a ‘neurotransmitter’ and plays an important role in how we feel pleasure.
The brownish color present in tea is due to the tannin present in it. Tannin is a natural compound that is helpful in the prevention of stroke or brain injury-related damage.
It contains a small amount of caffeine, which is a brain-boosting compound for our body. The caffeine present in tea can improve brain function, mood, reaction time, and memory.
2. Green tea help in losing fat and weight
However, many sources claim that green tea is beneficial to lose weight. Although,
there is only small evidence for this claim. Research shows that it can reduce body weight and body mass index. However, the reduction in weight loss is not so significant.
If you want to gain the benefit of weight loss from it, you may have to consume more than 10 cups daily, which is not recommended nor healthy.
Also read: How Many Calories in a Cup of Green Tea? Find out Here
3. Green tea lowers the risk of cancer
Due to the rich source of antioxidants, green tea prevents free radical damage to our bodies. A free radical in our body, in the long run, can cause cancer, and antioxidants fight with these free radicals.
It’s also rich in polyphenols, a natural compound with various health benefits that helps to fight cancer.
Men who drink green tea have a lower risk of developing advanced prostate cancer.
Women who drink green tea or black tea daily have a lower risk of ovarian cancer.
It’s good to drink it, but it’s not going to cure or prevent all types of cancer. Hence, Prevention is better than cure.
4. Green tea is great for mouth
Catechins present in green tea are great at inhibiting and killing the certain type of bacteria that causes bad breath in our mouth. It also reduces the risk of developing the cavity in our mouth.
Green tea consumption has been found to decrease tooth loss and prevent the development and progression of periodontitis(a gum disease).
5. Green tea is good for heart
Drinking green tea reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 31%. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties present in it lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of strokes and coronary heart disease.
According to research, green tea increases the antioxidant capacity of the blood, which prevents the cause of heart disease.
6. Green tea increases lifespan chances
Green tea gives us so many health benefits, so naturally, it improves the overall quality of our lifestyle. A 2006 study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association showed that green tea is linked with reducing mortality.
This study was conducted with over 40,000 participants and showed that those who drink 3-5 cups of green tea a day have an increased lifespan.
7. Green tea helps fight anxiety
Drinking green tea may help you reduce the effect of anxiety and stress on your body.
According to a study conducted in 2017 by Swiss, green tea has been proven to reduce anxiety.
It contains L-Theanine, an amino acid that is believed to ease anxiety and stress. It also promotes an increase in dopamine levels and improves our mental health.
8. Green tea detoxifies the body
Some studies show that green tea can eliminate the hangover and fatigue caused due to alcohol and lack of sleep.
However, green tea with lemon juice is one of the most popular remedies to instantly eliminate the after-effects of consuming alcohol.
9. Green tea is good for skin
Green tea is a has antioxidants that protects your skin from harmful environmental factors. It is loaded with anti-aging properties that helps to prevent premature aging. In order to get all the skin benefits of green tea, you need to apply it directly on your skin.
Also read: The Secret of Green tea for a Healthy and Shiny Hair
Side effects and Precautions
- A single cup of green tea contains about 25 to 35 milligrams of caffeine. Drinking it for a long time in excessive amounts (more than 6 cups a day) can cause side effects like headache, sleep problems, diarrhea, nervousness, dizziness, etc.
- Caffeine is an addictive substance, same as tobacco and drugs, and is not good for your health in excessive amounts.
- Green tea consumption with stimulant drugs could increase blood pressure and heart rate.
- In pregnancy and breastfeeding, if you consume more than 6 cups a day, it can increase the risk of miscarriage and other negative effects.
- People with anemia should not drink an excessive amount of it, as it can make your anemia worse.
- The caffeine present in it can increase the blood pressure for some people who don’t consume caffeine daily.
- Due to the caffeine, if consumed in an excessive amount, it can worsen diarrhea.
FAQS
Yes, it contains about 2% to 4% of caffeine.
Yes, it helps you lose weight, but not significantly. Also, you may need to consume it in an excessive amount to see some extensive weight loss results, which is not healthy nor recommended.
It’s beneficial if consumed 1 hour before or after the meal.
Consuming it one hour before the meal will help you to avoid overeating.
Consuming it one hour after the meal will help in strengthening digestion and metabolism.
The consumption depends from person to person, according to their blood group.
People with 0+- blood groups have a high level of stomach acid, so they should consume only 2-3 cups per day; otherwise, it may lead to heartburn and acidity.
People with A+-, B+- and AB+- blood groups, have a low level of stomach acid, so that they can consume about 3-4 cups per day.
The recommended cup is 2-3 in a day and always remember that anything in an excessive amount always hurts.
Despite the benefits of drinking green tea, never consume green tea on an empty stomach because it contains caffeine and other alkaloids.
Drinking it on an empty stomach may cause the intestine to absorb too much caffeine, which can cause symptoms such as panic, dizziness, or nervousness.
No, green tea contains caffeine, so drinking it just before sleeping is not good. It can interfere with the quality of your sleep.
Some research shows that drinking green tea may be beneficial just before working out. It may help in fat burning and reduce muscle damage.
Yes, but as soon as you drink it in moderation. It contains caffeine, so consuming green tea in large amounts may cause several problems like miscarriages or low birth weight.
We all know that green tea doesn’t taste so good, but adding sugar is not beneficial, especially if your main motive is to reduce weight.
Sugar contains calories, and by adding sugar, You are canceling out the benefits of weight loss.
However, Instead of sugar, you can add lemon juice to your tea.
Always go for the good premium stuff as it contains more healthy nutrients and also tastes good.
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