Health Benefits of Green Tea
I have a habit of eating something at mid-morning, say between 11 am to 12 noon. The other day, I was not carrying anything to office (to eat that time), however, there was a green tea packet in the pantry! And there, I remembered how I was missing on my daily dose of antioxidants for the last couple of months. I had cultivated this habit of having green tea every day. Somehow, unknowingly due to various reasons, I kept forgetting to drink it. I feel fortunate enough to notice that green tea packet and since then I have been quite regular with this hot cup of “anti-oxidants”!
By now, you all know that green tea is advantageous for health. But do you know why it is good for health? What are its beneficial effects? Today I am going to discuss about the same.
What is green tea and how is green tea different from the regular black tea you consume?
Green tea basically is the produce of the same tea plant from where you get your regular tea. It’s no different or a magical plant that gives you so many advantages. The fresh tea leaves after plucking undergo various processes including enzyme deactivation, fermentation, drying etc. to give the regular black tea powder. While, green tea leaves are much less processed than the regular tea. The fresh tea leaves are not fermented and contain more catechins (a type of antioxidants) than black tea.
Moving on to the health benefits… It contains various anti-oxidants which show the health promoting properties. The category of antioxidants present in green tea are called polyphenols. The major polyphenols present in green tea are gallo-catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epigallocatechin gallate etc. It also contain other antioxidants in some amounts. These help in reducing the harmful effects of oxidative free radicals (highly reactive oxygen species) which attack various healthy cells, cause DNA damage, responsible for untimely ageing of the body, cause heart disease, cancer, strokes and also negatively affect the normal functioning of the various processes in your body.
Green Tea and Weight Loss
The much talked about health benefit of green tea is weight loss. Yes, evidence suggests that drinking green tea does help in reducing body weight in obese or overweight individuals. Though the amount of weight loss is low. But it has shown a reduction in the body fats in these individuals (which is an unhealthy tissue).
Green Tea and Bad Cholesterol Reduction
Studies suggest that green tea may help in decreasing the level of LDL (bad) cholesterol which is responsible for blocking the blood vessels providing blood to heart and brain. Hence green tea is suggestive that anti-atherosclerotic in nature .i.e. anti-blockage forming in the blood vessels.
Thus consumption of green tea may help in prevention of heart disease and stroke!
Green Tea, Insulin and Blood Glucose
It has been shown in studies that green tea enhances insulin activity and insulin sensitivity in human. Thus it may help in managing the blood glucose well. A study also suggests that regular intake of green tea may help prevent diabetes.
Green Tea and Aging
As green tea contain powerful anti-oxidants, it may also may in delaying aging process. Thus help in keeping your skin, hair, organs etc. healthy.
Anti-Cancer Activity
It also possess some anti-cancer properties and help in prevention of certain types of cancer. Though, more evidence is required in this area since many of the studies on cancer and green tea consumption are carried out in laboratory settings.
Green Tea and Alzheimer’s disease
Green tea intake may show a favorable effect in neurological disorders and may support decrease in cognitive shortfalls. Favorable results are seen in literature, particularly for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases as far as green tea intake in concerned. More research may be required in this area as per some experts!
Green Tea can be enjoyed hot or cold.
The most common way to drink it is a hot cup of green tea, either by brewing the tea leaves or by dipping the tea bag in hot and boiling water. (Needless to mention, but yeah, avoid adding sugar!)
If you are not a fan of plain green tee, try adding a few drops of lemon juice to it. Other stuff that can be added to it enhance its taste are crushed basil leaves/ cinnamon powder/grated ginger/lemon grass while brewing and then can be strained before drinking!
You can even have it cold, if you like it that way. After brewing and pouring it in the cup, chill in in the refrigerator for some time or add some ice cubes to it. A great idea to quench thirst during summers instead of those sugary and calorie rich energy drinks.
Remember, excess of anything can be problematic. So you can have 1 -2 cups of green tea a day. You can even go for around 3 cups a day, by replacing the regular tea/coffee with it**. Avoid drinking it on an empty stomach, as it tends to cause acidity for some individuals. Keep a gap of at least half an hour between any meals/snacks and green tea intake, as it may hinder absorption of some nutrients in food.
Please Note
For any blood tests or various health checkups in Mumbai, please visit www.healthdekho.com
Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and not to be substituted for professional medical advice. **Amount of green tea that one can have on daily basis may vary.
References
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259198841_green_tea_paper
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/269538.php
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2855614/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07315724.2006.10719518
