Health Benefits of Green TeaHealth Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world. It is made from the leaves of the plant Camellia Sinensis and although it first originated in China, its popularity has spread across Asia and the rest of the world.

Health Benefits of Green Tea

benefits of green tea leaves
benefits of green tea leaves

 

The reason green tea has become so popular is because of its many health benefits. Let’s take a look at the most important health benefits of green tea:

  • Green tea is high in antioxidants – If you we had to pick only one benefit of drinking green tea, this would be it. The fact that green tea has so many flavonoids in it (which are plant-derived antioxidants) and catechins make it an antioxidant power bomb! Did you know that there have been studies which proved that catechins are more powerful than Vitamin E and C when it comes to stopping damage to cells from occurring? Drink up if you want to stay or get healthy!
  • Green tea can reduce the risk of developing certain cancers, including breast, lung, skin, colon, bladder and esophageal – According to the National Cancer Institute and their research, the polyphenols in green tea have been shown to help decrease tumor growth. The same polyphenols also help protect against damage cause by UVB radiation. Did you know that countries which drink lots of green tea have lower cancer rates?
  • Green tea can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease – A recent study published in the American Medical Association Journal has revealed that green tea can help reduce the risk of developing heart disease. The massive study followed over 40,000 Japanese individuals between the ages of 40 and 79 for 11 years. It was concluded that the people who drank at least 5 cups of green tea every day has a significantly lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who didn’t.
  • Green tea reduces cholesterol levels – Another study found that drinking high amount of green tea will indeed lower cholesterol levels.
  • Green tea reduces hypertension – Yet another study that toots the benefits of green tea has revealed that green tea will reduce hypertension by half in regular consumers of green tea, compared to non-consumers.
  • Green tea helps promote weight loss – Did you know that if you drink one cup of green tea on an empty stomach, it will reduce your appetite? Make sure you use stevia or honey to sweeten it and avoid sugar.
  • Green tea vs Coffee – If you are addicted to coffee and you want to give it up, know that green tea is the perfect replacement. Green tea has caffeine, so it will give you the kick you need! Drink it cold or benefit and you’ll get the same results.

Types of Green Tea

benefits of green tea types
benefits of green tea types

There is a plethora of green teas from all over the world, but only a handful are popular. They owe their popularity to their amazing taste, but also to their many health benefits. Here are the best types of green tea available:

  • Gunpowder – This type of green tea is the most popular Chinese green tea. It is grown mostly in the Zhejian Province of China. You can recognize this tea by its little pellets that are scrunched up together. Once you add hot water, they open up revealing large leaves.
  • Matcha – this is actually a green tea powder made in the Uji region of Japan. It is quite bitter and flavorful and it can also be used in cakes and cookies. Health benefits of matcha green tea include a high dose of antioxidants and boosting of memory and concentration.
  • Sencha – this is the most popular Japanese green tea and around 80% of green tea produced in this country is Sencha.
  • Dragonwell – This one is also known as Lung Ching and it is very popular in the U.S. One variety of this tea, the pre-rain one, can cost you a fortune, but you can also find cheaper varieties all over the U.S. Its flavor is sweet and mild, which contributes to its popularity.

Fun Fact: Did you know that white tea is derived from green tea? Its color and taste are given by the oxidation process.

What and Where?

We highly recommend organic green tea, if you can find it. This ensures that the tea is not sprayed with chemicals or pesticides. When you think of it, it makes sense that the leaves stay as clean as possible, they are the ones used for the infusion and nobody would like a pesticide infusion in their cup.

Where to purchase? Well, you can buy green tea pretty much anywhere. If you want to choose the classic brands, such as Lipton, that’s alright, but we recommend other brands that make a more flavorful and interesting tea, such as Tazo. Online, you could try the classic Bigelow Tea or Lov Organic.

When buying green tea, we recommend you read the ingredient list. You would be surprised to find that many green tea producers add artificial flavors to their tea. There are some green teas without any artificial flavors added, such as jasmine green tea, lemon or lavender green tea. The flavor is natural and if you find green tea a bit too much, these types of teas should help you better incorporate the beneficial green tea into your diet and lifestyle.

Green Tea Risks

Green tea is good for pretty much everyone, however, it does present certain risks for people with autoimmune disorders. If you have been diagnosed with such a disease, especially a Th2 dominance disorder, you should avoid green tea.

How do you prefer to drink your green tea? Hot or iced?

 

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