Discover The Incredible Benefits Of Green Tea
Discover TheIncredible Benefits Of Green Tea - Drinking green tea has become all the
rage recently and it's not just because it tastes great. There are health
benefits, too. It can help you lose weight, help you fight off illness, even
help with some diseases, including cancer. In fact, the health benefits of
green tea have long been heralded by experts.
Daily
Servings
In order to
enjoy the benefits of green tea, you'll want to drink it several times a day.
Usually, with meals is sufficient. However, you'll also want to be cognizant of
the fact that some types of green tea contain caffeine. If you're sensitive to
caffeine, you may want to limit your intake.
Why Green Tea
Benefits You
Green tea comes
from the Carmellia sinensis plant. Much of its health benefits are due to its
brewing process. Unlike black and oolong tea, which undergo full oxidization in
the brewing process, green tea is gently steamed, preserving its natural
antioxidants in their original form.
The antioxidants
help fight free radicals, which are considered a major contributing factor to
the aging process as well as the degeneration of cells. It is also believed
that free radicals play a role in degenerative diseases such as arthritis,
rheumatism, Alzheimer's disease, and even cancer.
According to
tradition, green tea can cure anything from headaches, body aches, and pains to
constipation and depression. In fact, it's said to stimulate the heart and
allow the blood to flow freely throughout the body. It's also said to detoxify
the body, aid in digestion, and eliminate fatigue.
Other Health
Benefits of Green Tea
Study after
study has shown that drinking green tea and eating polyphenol-rich foods
reduces your risk of heart complications. How?
By strengthening
the blood vessels that provide oxygen and valuable nutrients to the heart. In
fact, it's so effective in this area that studies have shown that men who drink
green tea are 75 percent less likely to experience a stroke than those who
don't.
Green tea can
also help lower total cholesterol levels and improve the ratio between good (HDL)
cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol. Not only can the EGCG in green tea
prevent blood from forming abnormal clots (thrombosis), a leading cause of
heart attacks and strokes, studies have shown that men who drink nine or more
cups of green tea daily have lower cholesterol levels than those who drink
fewer than two cups.
More recently,
green tea has become touted for its weight loss properties. The catechin
polyphenols present in green tea can delay the reaction of gastric and
pancreatic lipases in the body.
Responsibility
This enzyme is converting calories in the body to fat. By delaying these
enzymes, green tea can prevent the storage of fat. In fact, a recent study
published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that green tea extract
can increase metabolism and fat oxidation in the body.
Always Use
Caution
With all the
great news coming out about the health benefits of green tea, it's easy to get
excited. However, as with any approach that may affect your health, you should
discuss your use of green tea with your doctor.
While it may
assist in the fight against various health conditions, it should never be your
only line of defense. Work with your physician to incorporate green tea as a
complementary treatment to your traditional medical treatment.