Among health aficionados, green tea is becoming more and more popular as it boasts health benefits and other soothing properties and effects. Green tea is far more than just a drink. It is actually considered a superfood because of the amounts of antioxidants and healthy properties it contains. These antioxidants and other healthy properties can have a positive effect on your body and overall health.
Green tea can be associated with many benefits, but today we are going to focus on these 7 benefits that should convince you to start drinking green tea.
1- Promotes Brain Function
Green tea can be linked to promoting healthy cognitive function which can provide clarity and improve your focus. It combines both caffeine and l-theanine which makes for a potent combo to boost your energy levels and brain power. By boosting your brainpower, green tea can boost the function of your memory which has been linked to aiding in diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. A strong trend of improvement in memory has been linked with green tea consumption in these memory-affected diseases. The antioxidants in green tea can also help alleviate stress which can leave you with more clarity and the opportunity to use your brain in better ways. Green tea pairs with our working memory to boost the connectivity between our frontal and parietal cortex which can lead to improved brain performance.
2- Aid in Weight Loss
We all know there is no magic pill to help you lose weight. However, green tea can aid in weight loss as it increases fat burning, boosts your metabolism, and suppresses your appetite. The flavonoids and caffeine found in green tea can help elevate your metabolic rate which results in more calories being burned even if you are not working out. When you burn more calories, you are burning more fat which can lead to weight loss. We aren’t saying that green tea is the end all be all to weight loss, but we are saying it can help! Green tea can also help suppress your appetite which means you are less likely to add extra calories to your day. Caffeine is a well-known appetite suppressant that is found in green tea. According to a study discussed by WebMD, the International Journal of Obesity found that extract from green tea may increase calorie and fat burning that can lead to lose weight.
3- Promote Cardiovascular Health
Green tea can help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. According to an article posted on WebMD, “one large study in Japan followed 40,000 adult participants over 11 years, and found that daily green tea consumption was linked to lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease.” (Read more of the article here.) The anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants found in green tea have been linked to lowering your cholesterol. Lowering your cholesterol means lowering your risk of heart disease and/or stroke. If consumed consciously and consistently, green tea can improve your cardiovascular health and leave you with fewer red flags such as high cholesterol.
4- Benefits Oral Health
Another benefit of green tea is that it can boost your dental health. Regularly consuming green tea can protect against bad breath, gum disease, and even cavities as it reduces oral bacteria. The bacteria-killing properties found in green tea can assist in lowering the acidity of your saliva which can protect your teeth from decaying.
5- Helps to Fight Certain Cancers
The consumption of green tea and cancer prevention have been linked as the predominant polyphenols found in green tea have been proven to activate enzymes that can detoxify your cells and prevent tumor development. Preventing tumor development can reduce the risk of cancer. Green tea can also benefit those battling cancer as it provides healthy nutrients to support their immune system and body. As found by the National Cancer Institute, the polyphenols found in tea can help protect in things such as tumor development and damage caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
6- May Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Green Tea consumption can reduce insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels. This allows your cells to better metabolize sugar. Sugar is a known enemy when it comes to Type 2 Diabetes. High sugar consumption leads to high levels of blood glucose. With Type 2 Diabetes, high blood glucose affects your body because your body does not react correctly to insulin therefore the blood glucose is not stored for energy in your cells. Green Tea can help your metabolic system serve your body properly and avoid some of these issues associated with Type 2 Diabetes. In a medically reviewed article by Everyday Health, it was suggested that green tea is a great beverage to add to a diabetic’s diet.
7- Protects Vision
Green tea can protect our eyes from UV damage, eye disease, and more with its powerful antioxidant properties. The tissues in our eyes are very vulnerable which means even the slightest bit of damage can impact our vision. The antioxidants and flavonoids found in green tea can promote healthy eyes and protect our eyes from being damaged. Gallocatechin, zeaxanthin, and lutein are 3 flavonoids found in green tea that promote healthy eyes. Gallocatechin is absorbed in the retina and can protect our retina from harmful blue light.
The bottom line is that Green Tea has a variety of different health benefits you may not know of. Learn about the health benefits that can impact your life, and start drinking green tea today. Browse our vast collection of loose-leaf teas on our website to kickstart your tea obsession today.
