Green tea is heralded as one of the healthiest beverages on the planet. It’s loaded with anti-oxidants that have many health benefits.
Benefits of Green tea
Its health benefits may include:
- Improved brain function
- Fat loss
- Protection against cancer
- Lowering the risk of heart disease
There maybe many other potential health benefits too.
Contain Bio-active compounds:
Green tea is more than just a hydrating beverage. It contains a range of healthy drinks.
It contains polyphenols– a natural compound that helps in fighting against cancer and reduce inflammation.
Green tea contains catechins, which are natural anti-oxidants and helps prevent cell damage in body. It is one of the main compounds that gives green tea its medicinal properties.
It also contains a small amount of minerals that help in improving our health.
May improve brain function:
Along with keeping you alert; green tea also improves the function of your brain. The key ingredient is caffeine, which is known as stimulant.
It doesn’t contain as much caffeine as coffee which can produce jittery effects, but it contains an enough amount to produce a response.
Research has consistently shown that caffeine can caffeine can improve various aspects of brain function such as mood, vigilance reaction time and memory.
However, caffeine is not the only compound in it which improves brain function, it also contains amino acids L-Theanine, which can cross the blood brain barrier.
May help prevent type 2 diabetes:
The rate of Type 2 diabetes is consistently increasing in the recent years, type 2 diabetes is characterized by elevated blood sugar levels which maybe due to insulin sensitivity or inability to produce insulin.
Studies show that green tea may improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels.
May help you lose weight:
As green tea can boost the metabolic rate in the short term, it can clearly help you lose weight in the long run.
Many studies show that green tea help you lose fat specially in the abdominal area.
May help you live longer:
Since the compounds in green tea can help us protect against cancer and heart disease. It makes sense that it can help us live longer. Studies show that people who drink green tea live longer than those who don’t.
What amount of green tea should be used to reap its benefits?
Studies that show the benefits of green tea have conflicting evidence about exactly how much you should drink each day.
Some studies show that one cup a day is enough while other studies deem four to five cups per day to be optimal.
However, the optimal amount depends on the disease.
Some studies also claim no association between drinking green tea and risk of diseases, so these effects may vary from person to person.
One thing proved by mot studies is that those drinking green tea enjoy better health than those who don’t.
Possible side effect of green tea:
The caffeine and catechin in green tea are well-known for their health benefits, but they can also cause side effects in some people specially in large doses.
Effects of Caffeine:
Intaking large doses of caffeine can increase feelings of anxiety, interfere with sleep and cause stomach upset and headaches in some people.
Large doses of caffeine during pregnancy also increases the risk of birth defect and miscarriage.
The amount of caffeine in one cup varies depending on the amount of tea used and the length of time the leaves steep.
Catechins may reduce iron absorption:
The catechins in green tea may lower your ability to absorb iron from foods.
Catechins in some individuals can also interfere with certain medications and decrease their effectiveness.
Bottom line:
When consumed in moderation green tea is safe for most people as it is full of health promoting compounds. However, excess of everything is bad so green tea should also be consumed in moderation in order to reap its maximum benefits.
