Green tea is one of the healthiest beverages. It is considered to be an “anti-aging beverage.” You’ve probably heard a lot about the health benefits of green tea — loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that are great for your body and mind. Green tea has been used as a medicine for thousands of years, originating in China but widely used throughout Asia, this beverage has a multitude of uses from lowering blood pressure to preventing cancer.
11 health benefits of green tea
- Weight Loss. Green tea increases the metabolism. The polyphenol found in green tea works to intensify levels of fat oxidation and the rate at which your body turns food into calories.
- Diabetes. Green tea apparently helps regulate glucose levels slowing the rise of blood sugar after eating. This can prevent high insulin spikes and resulting fat storage.
- Heart Disease. Green tea works on the lining of blood vessels, helping keep them stay relaxed and better able to withstand changes in blood pressure. It may also protect against the formation of clots, which are the primary cause of heart attacks.
- Esophageal Cancer. It can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer, but it is also widely thought to kill cancer cells in general without damaging the healthy tissue around them.
- Cholesterol. Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.
- Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It is said to delay the deterioration caused by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Studies carried out on mice showed that green tea protected brain cells from dying and restored damaged brain cells.
- Tooth Decay. Studies suggests that the chemical antioxidant “catechin” in tea can destroy bacteria and viruses that cause throat infections, dental caries and other dental conditions
- Blood Pressure. Regular consumption of green tea is thought to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
- Depression. Theanine is an amino acid naturally found in tea leaves. It is this substance that is thought to provide a relaxing and tranquilizing effect and be a great benefit to tea drinkers.
- Anti-viral and Anti-bacterial. Tea catechins are strong antibacterial and antiviral agents which make them effective for treating everything from influenza to cancer. In some studies, green tea has been shown to inhibit the spread of many diseases.
- Skincare. Green tea can apparently also help with wrinkles and the signs of aging, this is because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Both animal and human studies have demonstrated that green tea applied topically can reduce sun damage.
The right ways to drink Green Tea.
1. Don’t drink too early in the morning
Drinking green tea on an empty stomach in the morning can cause bad effects on the liver because of its high content of catechins. Drink green tea in the morning around 10:00 to 11:00 pm or early at night.
2. Drink between meals
You can drink a cup of green tea between meals, for example, two hours before or after to maximize the nutrient intake and iron absorption. If you are an anemia sufferer, avoid drinking green tea along with food.
3. Drink before exercise
Green tea can burn more fat because of caffeine in it. It can increase energy so you can exercise longer.
4. Two hours before bedtime
Green tea is not a drink before bedtime since the caffeine can disturb your sleep. It contains the amino acid of L-Theanine which makes you awake and concentrate better. The best time to drink is two hours before bedtime because this is the lowest metabolism moment and the green tea can increase it.
