Do you plan to add green tea to your daily routine? Want to improve your health, lose weight, stay healthy, and be active? Green is considered one of the healthiest drinks today, and people have been drinking this bitter and earthy-tasting drink for a long time and are getting numerous benefits.
However, those who have never tasted such a drink with medicinal benefits are still confused about whether to ditch their daily coffee or tea and shift to green tea. Answering this question in just one word or sentence is too difficult. To help you determine if ditching your daily dose of caffeine for this medicinal drink is worth it, we have to tell you about the health benefits of green tea.
Keep reading this blog as it outlines the health benefits of drinking green tea, what green tea is, how green tea is prepared, and how you can get the best out of it, lose weight with green tea and stay fit and healthy.
Green Tea: What Is It?
Green tea is made from Camellia sinensis leaves and buds. In actuality, the colour of this beverage is not green, but it got its name from the emerald green colour you see when brewing the unprocessed and unfermented green tea leaves.
Generally, green tea is drunk and grown in East Asia, where the health properties of plants are highly appreciated and valued. The benefits of green tea are numerous, from improving your brain function to supporting blood sugar control and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Health Benefits of Green Tea
As mentioned above, the benefits of drinking green tea are innumerable, and if you plan to add this healthiest drink to your routine, that’s your first step to achieving a healthy body and mind. Adding green tea to your diet doesn’t require much effort. Just like you prepare coffee for yourself in the morning, you can prepare green tea, and for the steps to preparing a perfect cup of green tea, jump to the next section.
Here’s a list of the benefits that you might get after you start drinking this medicinal drink regularly:
1. Has High Antioxidant Content
All the benefits people get from green tea are due to its high antioxidant content. Antioxidants help reduce oxidative stress in your body by protecting against molecules called free radicals responsible for causing cell damage. The major types of antioxidants found in green tea are called catechins.
Among them, only research is done on epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is trusted to offer the most health benefits to consumers. Some studies have shown that green tea extracts effectively increase the antioxidant capacity of your body and provide comprehensive protection against oxidative stress, which may help you prevent conditions caused by oxidative stress.
In 2012, a reputed team of scientists did one study to determine the effect of drinking green tea on antioxidant capacity, and 35 obese people took 870 mg of green tea for eight weeks. The blood antioxidant capacity of the participants increased from 1.2 to 2.5 micromoles per litre on average.
However, it is essential to note that the dose of green tea given to the participants is considered toxic. Therefore, it is still being determined whether green tea would have a similar effect if taken in smaller doses.
2. Good for Your Brain
According to research, the consumption of green tea benefits mood, cognition and brain function, which is due to the presence of components in green tea, including caffeine and L-theanine. Another study suggests that drinking green tea lowers the chance of cognitive impairment by about 64% in middle-aged and older adults. However, more human studies are required to prove this effect and explore it in-depth.
3. Promotes Heart Health
Regular consumption of green tea can also lower the risk of many heart diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. However, there is a lack of long-term evidence to show cause and effect. It is believed that the anti-inflammatory compounds present in green tea, like EGCG, function by relaxing the blood vessels and reducing vascular inflammation. The amount of green tea required to improve heart health is still unknown.
4. Aids in Weight Loss
Some studies suggest that green tea extracts (GTE) may help with weight loss. GTE is a good source of catechins, which are antioxidants that help you break down fat. In addition, it may increase your metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories while exercising.
Many of the most available studies have only explored green tea extracts rather than steeped tea. However, you can’t rely on green tea for weight loss as it only has a minimal effect on your weight. For faster weight loss, experts advise taking a balanced diet, eating salads and exercising regularly. Excess weight increases your risk of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.
5. Reduce the Risk of Cancer
Cell death and regrowth are pivotal in maintaining your body’s tissues and organs. Those cells are called stem cells, which produce new cells and replace the dead. This whole process is essential to keeping you healthy. When this process and the balance of cells are disrupted, it leads to cancer. And this is when your body begins to produce dysfunctional cells—cells that don’t die when they are supposed to.
The antioxidants in green tea extract, especially EGCG, keep cell production and death balanced. Even a study explored the effects of consuming 600 mg of green tea catechins daily for a year on men at risk of developing prostate cancer, which shows that the risk of cancer not taking catechins is 30%, while for others, it’s only 3%.
6. Great for Your Skin
Green tea extracts have improved skin health significantly in research; you can take them as a supplement or apply them to your skin directly. A large review has shown that green tea extracts (GTE) can help treat several skin problems, such as rosacea, warts, and dermatitis, when applied to the skin diluted with distilled water. As a supplement, green tea can help with skin ageing and acne, a study shows.
A small study also showed that consuming 1,500 mg of GTE for four weeks daily significantly reduced red skin bumps caused by acne. Moreover, both supplements and the topical application helped prevent skin conditions such as inflammation, premature ageing, cancer, and skin elasticity caused by UV rays exposure.
7. Improve Your Oral Health
According to one study on the effects of green tea on oral health, drinking green tea every day can protect against bad breath, gum disease, and cavities. The study indicates that green tea may reduce oral bacteria, which results in the promotion of your teeth and gum health.
In addition, green tea also helps reduce your chances of developing oral cancer. Researchers have found that oral cancer among individuals who drink green tea is much lower than among those who do not. For maximum benefits, drink your tea without add-ins like sugar, lemon and honey.
8. Better Blood Sugar Tolerance
A review in 2020 found that green tea may help reduce blood sugar in addition to fasting in the short term. However, it doesn’t seem to affect blood sugar or insulin any longer. Another study in 2021 suggested people who drink green tea daily have a 10% lower chance of dying from type 2 diabetes.
For confirmation, more well-controlled human studies are required, and it is to be noted that not all the studies have shown positive results in diabetes. However, green tea is still beneficial for humans in several ways. You should always use unsweetened green tea or avoid add-ins to get all its benefits.
9. Help You Live a Long Life
With its protective compounds, green tea might help you prevent several life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer and many cardiovascular diseases. In research conducted in Japan, researchers found that those who drank five cups or more of green tea daily had a lower chance of death from all causes than those who didn’t. So, if you want to stay healthy and live a long life, you should consider drinking green tea daily.
How to Make a Perfect Cup of Green Tea?
In order to make a perfect cup of green tea, you first have to select the best green tea available on the market. Then, you can prepare the green tea and don’t forget to store it in an adequate place in your house. Let’s first know how to select the best green tea on the market!
1. Selection
Selecting the right green tea is crucial to ensuring you get the best flavour and maximum health benefits. Look for high-quality loose leaves or premium tea bags. Varieties like Sencha, Matcha, and Gyokuro offer distinct flavours, so experiment to find your preference.
2. Preparation
- Water Temperature: Heat water to around 175°F (80°C); avoid boiling to preserve the delicate flavours.
- Tea to Water Ratio: Use one teaspoon of loose leaves or one tea bag per 8-ounce cup.
- Steeping Time: Let the tea steep for 2-3 minutes for a milder flavour or up to 5 minutes for a stronger brew. Adjust based on personal taste.
3. Storage
Proper storage ensures your green tea maintains its freshness and flavour:
- Airtight Container: Store in a cool, dark place to prevent exposure to air and light.
- Avoid Odours: Keep away from strong-smelling foods to prevent the absorption of unwanted odours.
- Limited Shelf Life: Green tea is best when consumed within 6-8 months for optimal freshness.
By following these steps, you’ll be on your way to enjoying a perfect cup of green tea, rich in both taste and health benefits. Incorporating this ritual into your daily routine can contribute to improved well-being and a healthier lifestyle.
On a Final Note
Green tea has numerous health benefits, including improving oral health and blood sugar tolerance and promoting a long and healthy life. It is best to consume unsweetened green tea or avoid add-ins to get all of its advantages. By incorporating green tea into your daily routine, you can contribute to improving your well-being and living a healthier lifestyle. Remember to keep away from strong-smelling foods to prevent unwanted odours, and consume green tea within 6-8 months for optimal freshness.
Hopefully, after reading this blog, you will have gotten the information you were looking for and will be able to prepare green tea in the most amazing way, as mentioned above and receive all the health benefits. For more such blogs and articles, stay tuned!
