10 Proven Benefits to Green Tea
1. Green Tea Contains Various Bioactive Compounds That Can Improve Health
- It is loaded with polyphenols like flavonoids and catechins, which function as powerful antioxidants.
- These substances can reduce the formation of free radicals in the body, protecting cells and molecules from damage. These free radicals are known to play a role in aging and all sorts of diseases.
2. Compounds in Green Tea Can Improve Brain Function and Make You Smarter
- The key active ingredient is caffeine, which is a known stimulant.
- What caffeine does in the brain is to block an inhibitory neurotransmitter called Adenosine. This way, it actually increases the firing of neurons and the concentration of neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine.
- Caffeine has been intensively studied before and consistently leads to improvements in various aspects of brain function, including improved mood, vigilance, reaction time and memory.
3. Green Tea Increases Fat Burning and Improves Physical Performance
- A study on green tea showed that fat oxidation was increased by 17%, indicating that green tea may selectively increase the burning of fat.
- Caffeine itself has also been shown to improve physical performance by mobilizing fatty acids from the fat tissues and making them available for use as energy.
4. Antioxidants in Green Tea May Lower Your Risk of Various Types of Cancer
- It is well known that oxidative damage contributes to the development of cancer and that antioxidants can have a protective effect.
- Green tea is an excellent source of powerful antioxidants, so it makes perfect sense that it could reduce your risk of cancer.
- Multiple other observational studies show that green tea drinkers are significantly less likely to get various types of cancer.
5. Green Tea May Protect Your Brain in Old Age, Lowering Your Risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
- Multiple studies show that the catechin compounds in green tea can have various protective effects on neurons in test tubes and animal models, potentally lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, the most common neurodegenerative disorders.
6. Green Tea Can Kill Bacteria, Which Improves Dental Health and Lowers Your Risk of Infection
- Streptococcus mutans is the primary harmful bacteria in the mouth. It causes plaque formation and is a leading contributor to cavities and tooth decay.
- Studies show that the catechins in green tea can inhibit the growth of streptococcus mutans, and would also benefit from bad breath.
7. Green Tea May Lower Your Risk of Type II Diabetes
- Type II diabetes is a disease that has reached epidemic proportions in the past few decades and now afflicts about 300 million people.
- One study in Japanese individuals found that those who drank the most green tea had a 42% lower risk of developing type II diabetes than people worldwide by the means of improving insulin sensitivity.
8. Green Tea May Reduce Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
- Studies show that green tea can improve some of the main risk factors for these diseases.
- This includes total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
- Green tea also dramatically increases the antioxidant capability of the blood, which protects the LDL cholesterol particles from oxidation, which is one part of the pathway towards heart disease.
9. Green Tea Can Help You Lose Weight and Lower Your Risk of Becoming Obese
- Given that green tea can boost the metabolic rate in the short term, it makes sense that it could help you lose weight.
- Several studies show that green tea leads to decreases in body fat, especially in the abdominal area.
10. Green Tea May Decrease Your Risk of Dying and Help You Live Longer
- However, given that green tea drinkers are at a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, it makes sense that it could help you live longer.
- In a study of 40,530 Japanese adults, those who drank the most green tea (5 or more cups per day) were significantly less likely to die during an 11 year period.
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