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Health Benefits Of Green Tea – 9 Incredible Benefits

Green tea is made from unoxidized leaves of Camellia Sinensis a plant native to China and most of Asia. It is widely known as the healthiest beverage. In this post, we will be highlighting 9 incredible health benefits of green tea you probably didn’t know about.

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Why is Green Tea Beneficial

Like black tea and oolong tea, green tea is made from the leaves of Camellia Sinensis. However, the difference is in how they are processed. Oolong tea is made from partially fermented leaves, black tea from fully fermented leaves, while green tea is made from unfermented leaves. Since green tea is the least processed, it has the highest levels of antioxidants. These antioxidants are the compounds responsible for its numerous health benefits.

Antioxidants are substances that inhibit oxidation🙂 as the name implies. Oxidation in cells produces free radicals which are the foot soldiers in cell damage and eventual cell death. The antioxidants present in green tea are called Catechins, Catechins are a type of Polyphenols called flavonoids. The most important is the Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) to whom all its antioxidant effect is attributed to.

Green tea also has Caffeine which is a known stimulant. Although the caffeine levels found in green tea are nowhere near what is contained in Coffee.

#1 Green Tea and Weight Loss

The EGCG contained in green tea is responsible for this. EGCG is known to boost metabolism. Caffeine also present in green tea promotes fat burning. Another way green tea has been shown to help with weight loss is in its ability to mobilize fat cells. This is done by making them available for use as energy and by inhibiting the breakdown of norepinephrine which in turn promotes fat burning.

#2 Green Tea and Cancer

Studies have shown that green tea could mitigate the proliferation of cancerous cells. Especially in the breast, colon, nasopharynx, lungs, and cervix. Antioxidants present in green tea help prevent cancer by counteracting the actions of free radicals which cause uncontrolled cell division and proliferation of abnormal cells.

#3 Green Tea and Heart Health

The polyphenols present in green tea reduce oxidative stress and cause relaxation of blood vessels. This reduces blood pressure and prevents clot formation. Green tea also reduces the levels of LDL(bad) cholesterol by preventing their oxidation. when LDL levels are high, they form plaques that deposit on blood vessels (atherosclerosis). If this happens in the heart it could prevent blood from supplying the heart muscle causing a condition called Coronary heart disease.

#4 Green Tea and Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition where there is either reduced production of insulin ( Type 1 DM) or insensitivity of the body to insulin ( Type 2 DM). Insulin is the hormone that helps control blood glucose levels by signaling the muscles and fat cells to take in glucose from the blood. Green tea has been shown to control blood glucose levels in Type 2 diabetes by increasing the sensitivity of cells to insulin. A study among Japenese showed that individuals who drank about 3-6 cups of green tea a day had a reduced risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

#5 Green Tea and Oral Health

Green tea also has oral health benefits. Catechins have a mild antimicrobial activity and have been shown to kill bacteria, fungi, and viruses in the mouth, preventing cavity formation and gum disease and overall preventing bad breath.

#6 Green Tea and Brain Function

A couple of studies have shown that EGCG and L-theanine an amino acid found in green tea improve cognition, and attention. They play a key role in warding off Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, these are the 2 most common neurodegenerative diseases that cause dementia. EGCG does this by repairing and restoring damaged brain cells and promoting the growth of new neurons.

#7 Green Tea and Inflammation

The body responds to injury by a process called inflammation. It is a sign the body is trying to heal itself. Acute inflammation which occurs when the body reacts to an offending agent can be a good thing, but when it is a persistent and recurrent phenomenon as is usually seen with chronic inflammation, the cells are in a state of constant injury and repair especially in autoimmune diseases where the individual’s antibodies see its own cells as foreign. This can be debilitating long term. EGCG helps to reduce the inflammatory markers that trigger swelling and redness in joints in cases of Rheumatoid arthritis and inhibits the signaling pathway in ulcerative colitis ad Crohn’s disease.

#8 Green Tea and Bone Density

Our bones are not left out. A few studies have shown that osteoblastic ( bone-forming cells) activities are promoted by the catechins contained in green tea while the reverse is the case for the Osteoclasts ( Cells that resorb bones). This tilts the balance in favor of the osteoblasts, resulting in more mineralization and strengthening of bones.

#9 Green Tea and Longevity

Regular intake of green tea has been proven to improve overall health.by having a generalized antioxidant effect at the cellular level of all our body systems. This reduces morbidity and mortality. The Catechins contained in green tea boost immunity and reduce the risk of death.

In Conclusion

There is a plethora of evidence to prove that green tea has numerous health benefits. its high antioxidant level is guaranteed to take your health and immunity a notch higher.