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.
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