I have tried many variations of green tea in my lifetime, and one thing I can say for sure is that it works. When I am not taking it to meet my weight loss goals, I am taking it for the calming effect that it has on my immune system. Green tea is an amazing weight loss tool, and all the health and weight conscious people-including myself are completely in love with it. It takes a lot of discipline and self-control to give up gourmet sugary foods, but with green tea, the sacrifice is well worth it, because it doesn’t have the best taste, but does good things to your body.
Green tea has a high amount of antioxidants and is also rich in vitamin B, foliates and caffeine to name a few. In summary, it has very powerful components that are essential for weight loss, and has been universally accepted for its many health benefits. Green tea is made from Camellia sinensis leaves. There are many variations to green tea, and they differ based on how it is grown, how it is produced, and the time of the year that it is harvested.
How Does Green Tea Benefit Your Health?
Green tea is synonymous with health today. It offers various health benefits, and among some of the most important ones are: better heart health, skin health, weight loss, and prevention of serious ailments like cancer and diabetes. Green tea is also effective in the area of mental health because it also helps to relieve certain depression symptoms. Here are a few specific benefits that green tea supplies the body with.
Blood Pressure Regulation
The long-term intake of green tea has always been medically associated with improved blood pressure levels. Studies suggest that drinking 3 to 4 cups of green tea can go a long way in reducing and regulating high levels of blood pressure. Most drugs that are assigned to lower for blood pressure act as ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors, but green tea is a natural ACE inhibitor. It prevents the action of this enzyme and effectively helps lower blood pressure.
Lowers The Risk Of Diabetes
Green tea can combine with cells to metabolize and break down sugar better, therefore improving diabetes symptoms. Additionally, the polyphenols found in green tea help to regulate rising glucose levels in the body, therefore cutting down the risk of diabetes.
Promotes Healthy Weight Loss
This list would not be complete without adding in the fact that green tea can work amazing wonders for weight loss in the body. The antioxidants found in green tea work well to actively boosts metabolism, which eventually aids weight loss. The effect of green tea in the body can also help to mobilize fat from fat cells. The active compounds in green tea boost the effects of certain fat burning hormones that are found within the body. Green tea can also increase fat burning during exercise.
Helps Relieve Arthritis
The antioxidant effects of EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), plays a major role in this aspect because it limits the production of certain molecules in the body that lead to inflammation and instigate arthritic pain. Green tea has consistently shown promise in improving the health of the bones and cartilage especially. According to the Arthritis Foundation, the EGCG in green tea is over 100 times more effective than vitamins C and E when it comes to offering soothing antioxidant benefits and remedies to patients who suffer from arthritis.
Promotes a Longer Lifespan
This can be attributed to the various ways that green tea positively impacts health. All of these direct effects on health all compound and help one n tea in a day were far less likely to feel depressed than others who did not. This property of green tea can be attributed to the amino acid L-theanine, which stimulates the release of chemicals like serotonin and dopamine to fight depression symptoms, and the caffeine content in green tea can also play an important role in depression treatment, along with helping relieve day to day stress and anxiety.
Helps To Cure Hangovers
For all of you party animals out there, I have some good news. The next time you stumble out of bed on a Saturday morning wondering how your banging headache from the night before will go away, remember that green tea can be a natural remedy for curing your temporary “ailment”. Because it is high in antioxidants, green tea is believed to detoxify an overworked and exhausted liver as well relieve hangover symptoms. Still drink responsibly though.
Side Effects of Green Tea
When green tea is taken excessively, it can cause nausea, headache, dizziness, and vomiting. I have also personally discovered that when I take green tea on an empty stomach, I generally feel the symptoms that I mentioned. The caffeine content in green tea can increase bleeding. Therefore, it is important not to take green tea if you have a bleeding disorder of any kind. Finally, green tea extracts have been linked to many cases of liver damage. If you have any form of liver issues, avoid use or consult with your doctor.
