Drinking green tea is perhaps the simplest way to create and maintain a healthier new you. The health benefits of green tea are nothing new; it’s been studied since the Chinese began using the plant Camellia sinensis, from which black tea, white tea, oolong tea and green tea are extracted, about 4700 years ago. Research has been done into each of these varieties of tea, but most of the researchers’ focus has been on the health benefits of green tea.

Though not all studies support the same findings, green tea has been claimed to help and/or prevent atherosclerosis, LDL cholesterol, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, liver disease, weight loss, neurodegenerative and halitosis, among other things. Here are a few of the reasons you could benefit from drinking green tea daily:

1. Cancer Prevention

One of the top health concerns these days is cancer. Some studies, including those referenced in the New Scientist magazine, support claims that green tea protects against a variety of cancers, including breast, prostate, lung and gastric cancer. This, they say, is due to the powerful antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) found in green tea that can slow the growth of cancer by drinking two to three cups a day.

2. Weight Loss

Clinical trials have suggested that green tea increases metabolic rates, speeds up fat oxidation, raises the body’s production heat, improves insulin sensitivity and improves glucose tolerance. These trials, conducted by the University of Geneva and the University of Birmingham, support the idea that green tea contributes to a body’s energy expenditure and endurance, allowing for greater weight loss.

3. Reduces Effects of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Studies have shown that polyphenols, a property found in green tea, reduces intestinal inflammation by interrupting the reactions that cause the reactions found in patients with IBD.

4. Reduces Effects of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Polyphenols have also been found to reduce or prevent the damaging effects of obstructive sleep apnea on the brain, in a study conducted by the University of Louisville.

5. Lower Risk of Strokes

Recent findings revealed at the 2009 International Stroke Conference showed that drinking three or more cups of green tea daily can reduce the risk of having a stroke by up to 21 per cent.

6. Lowers Severity of Rheumatoid Arthritis

A study has found that drinking green tea could reduce the severity of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

7. Prevention of Tooth Decay and Bad Breath

The bacteria-fighting polyphenols found in green tea stop the growth of some types of bacteria, particularly those that cause dental plaque and bad breath.

8. Slows HIV progress

A study referenced on BBC News stated that the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) can help to inhibit HIV binding, and could serve as a complementary therapy for HIV patients, though results were not convincing enough to suggest using green tea as a replacement for other treatments.

9. Reduces Effects of Depression

Several studies have supported the fact that drinking green tea daily, even after accounting for other variables, will reduce the severity of psychological distress and depression symptoms.

10. Reduces LDL Cholesterol

Green tea is claimed to help reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol by lowering the levels of triglycerides and increasing production of HDL cholesterol.

Image Credit: Kanko / cc

Drinking one or two cups coffee each day might do more than give you – and your boss – that much-needed boost on those groggy mornings. In fact, it might just be the ‘fountain of youth’ everyone’s been looking for.

Researchers from the University of Athens say drinking coffee helps people live longer by improving the elasticity of arteries, which minimizes the chances of developing heart disease. And with heart disease as the leading cause of death in the United States, the finding has medical professionals and citizens taking a better look at the benefits of making coffee consumption a regular part of a healthy lifestyle.

The research findings come after an analysis of 485 people ages 65 to 100 with high blood pressure. Research participants were from the Greek island Ikaria, called the “land of longevity” and known for having about one-third of its residents reach their 90th birthday.

The results are especially significant for the aging population who are looking for a way to counteract high blood pressure. Aging naturally leads to the stiffening of blood vessels, which sends the risk of high blood pressure soaring.

The research findings also, interestingly, found that varying from one to two cups of coffee per day by drinking less or more does not provide the same benefits.

Dr. Christina Chrysohoou, the head of the study, presented the findings to the European Society of Cardiology Congress. Chrysohoou explained that the university sought to discover why the island’s residents had such unusually long life expectancies and acknowledged that researchers have previously found conflicting results about whether coffee helps or harms the heart.

The results were based on groups of research participants divided into those who drank little or no coffee each day (33%), those who drank one to two cups of coffee each day (56%) and those who drank three or more cups a day (11%).

In the end, oddly enough, imaging scans revealed that those in the middle group who drank one to two cups of coffee a day had a 25% greater blood vessel elasticity than those drinking little to no coffee, but had five times greater elasticity than the heavier coffee drinkers in the latter group.

The study also revealed that those in the middle group were less likely to have high cholesterol, diabetes, cardiovascular disease or to be overweight.

The coffee that study participants drank was mostly traditional Greek coffee in small, espresso-sized cups. Greek coffee is generally much stronger and has more caffeine than the standard American coffee. Greek coffee is also unfiltered and unboiled, allowing it to retain more of the other beneficial components of coffee, including flavonoids, magnesium, potassium, niacin and vitamin E.

More skeptical medical professionals question the results, wondering if they could be duplicated or whether there was a false connection made between longevity and coffee consumption. They also suggested that the social aspect of coffee drinking, which is often in a relaxing, comfortable atmosphere absent from stress, could be a large factor in the findings. The daily momentary escape from stress while drinking coffee could also help avoid high blood pressure.

It’s easy to be skeptical about the health effects of coffee drinking. Coffee retailers promote the health benefits of coffee – a lower risk of colon cancer, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease, as well as a smaller chance of cavities, treatment for headaches and possibly a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. But what are the dangers of this mysterious drug?

There appears to be very few, and minor ones at that. Drinking anything in excess creates potential problems for the body’s self-regulatory processes that naturally correct imbalances and illnesses. Coffee itself has a few specific effects that, with the proper understanding, can be balanced by a healthy diet.

Boiled and unfiltered coffee are believed to contribute to an increase in cholesterol levels, due to two cholesterol-raising compounds cafestol and kahweol. In excess, coffee is also believed to alter the tone and function of blood vessels. Like all caffeinated beverages, it can affect natural heart rhythms by creating a rapid or irregular heartbeat. Similarly, the caffeine causes a temporary rise in blood pressure that can adversely affect those who already have a high blood pressure.

As the caffeine in coffee is a mild diuretic, it is important to remember to increase fluid intake when drinking coffee to avoid dehydration, and some studies have shown that it’s possible this diuretic effect leads to the urinary excretion of calcium. Therefore, if you plan on drinking more than three cups of coffee each day (600 ml), make sure you include some calcium in your diet to avoid osteoporosis, especially if you are pregnant.

Some also blame a lack of sleep on the caffeine found in coffee for several hours after coffee consumption. However, this effect varies from person to person and can be caused by a number of other caffeine-containing beverages and snacks, too. Some also consider caffeine a dependence-causing drug, so heavy drinkers may experience headaches for several days when they suddenly quit drinking coffee altogether.

Most doctors praise coffee-drinking for the health benefits of the beverage. While some studies are not conclusive, evidence has shown that the number of health benefits far outweigh the number of possible dangers. The benefits that are currently being flouted in relation to coffee consumption include a lower risk or smaller effects from a wide array of life-threatening diseases and illnesses. But coffee also contains antioxidants, which improve the quality of life for people who are already healthy. Antioxidants help to prevent oxidation, which is a process that contributes to damaged cells and aging.

In addition, those who drink coffee regularly have a significantly smaller risk of getting Parkinson’s disease. There is also a much smaller risk of getting type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged women. It has also been suggested that coffee drinking protects against liver cirrhosis, gallstone formation, kidney stones and Alzheimer’s disease. It is also a fabulous asthma treatment, as caffeine opens airways and improves asthma symptoms. And another general benefit of coffee drinking is an alertness and improved mental functions.

Weigh out the pros and cons yourself and make your own decision: is too much coffee bad for you?

If you enjoyed this blog post, you might also like our Interesting Coffee Facts page.

Image Credit: flickr / people drinking coffee awkwardly