Green tea has a long history of health benefits and its qualities are considerably more effective than black tea. Both teams come from the Camellia sinensis plant, but green tea leaves are steamed instead of fermented such as black and Oolong tea. This prevents a powerful antioxidant, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), from being oxidized and thereby reduced.
Antioxidant Properties
Most of us have heard of the positive effects that red wine can have on a high-fat diet and the health benefits for heart disease. Large amounts of catechin polyphenols, in particular, EGCG, are present in green tea. And EGCG has twice as much resveratrol as red wine, making it a powerful weapon to lower cholesterol, inhibit blood clots and counteract the effects of a fat diet.
EGCG is also used to treat diabetes and allegedly has glucose-lowering effects. Besides, glucose can cause a person to feel hungry and by controlling insulin levels, you control appetite. Try to drink a mug of green tea with the first hunger pain and you are well on your way to control your appetite.
Thermogenesis
Thermogenesis means heat development. Green tea increases thermogenesis in the body, becomes a powerful appetite suppressant and increases fat oxidation, allowing the body to use fat as an energy source. This means that the body preferably burns fat over protein.
Green tea also increases the body’s metabolism, increasing the speed at which calories are burned. In a recent study, the combination of green tea and caffeine burned more calories than those who received a placebo.
In addition to the benefits of thermogenesis, green tea also has energy-promoting properties, making it a perfect breakfast tea or picking me up in the middle of the afternoon.
Other Healthful Benefits
There are many other circumstances in which green tea is known to be useful:
- Kill cancer cells, while healthy cells remain untouched
- Treat rheumatoid arthritis
- Lowering LDL cholesterol
- Prevent thrombosis that causes heart attacks and strokes
- Addressing cardiovascular disease by inhibiting abnormal blood clots
- Preventing infections
- Improvement of the reduced immune function
- Stopping certain neurodegenerative diseases (such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s)
- Treat multiple sclerosis
- Prevent tooth decay by killing bacteria that cause plaque
When you compare the health benefits of green tea with the harmful effects of regular and light soft drinks, coffee and other harmful drinks, it is easy to see why green tea has a long and successful history for the drinker.
Adding Green Tea to Your Diet
Green tea has become so popular that it can be found in regular supermarkets, gas stations, and convenience stores. There are many flavors and types of green tea, so you will certainly find a combination of flavors that you like.
Also, consider adding green tea water to some cooked foods. Adding tea to a pot of boiling pasta will influence the taste in a fresh new way. Throw the same pasta with pine nuts, pesto and a dash of olive oil and you have a healthy dish with many antioxidant properties. Challenge yourself to find new and exciting ways to add green tea to your diet.
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