In the 1994 edition of the Journal of National Cancer Institute, the results of an epidemiological study stated that one of the health benefits of drinking green tea is the reduction of the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by up to 60%.
A Healthy Drink to a Healthy Heart
Study after study has shown drinking Chinese green tea and eating polyphenol-rich foods can reduce the risks of heart disease. Drinking green tea also helps strengthen the blood vessels that provide oxygen and valuable nutrients to the heart and brain. It has been shown that men who drink Chinese green tea have 75 percent less possibility of having a stroke than those who don’t drink this tea.
Green tea helps lower total cholesterol levels and improve the ratio between LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. Study shows that men who drink nine or more cups of green tea daily have lower cholesterol levels than those who drink fewer than two cups.
Green Tea And Lowering Your Cholesterol
Obesity has become one of the major health issues in our society today. In fact, more than half of the American population is overweight or obese. As a result, diet and weight loss plans have become increasingly popular. But not all diet plans work. And not all of them are necessarily risk-free. A safer alternative for people wanting to lose weight are diets involving green tea.
Chinese green tea can be a potential cure to obesity. The catechin polyphenols present in the tea slow down the reaction of gastric and pancreatic lipases in the body.
These enzymes are actually responsible for the convertion of calories in the body into fats. By delaying these enzymes, green tea can stop fat from being stored and help prevent obesity in people.
Green tea also has the ability to lower cholesterol levels and improve the ratio between good (HDL) cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol. The EGCG in the tea can stop the formation of abnormal blood clots, which are a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.
Other Health Benefits From Chinese Tea
Green tea has always been known to have several health benefits, but who knew that it could contribute to weight loss as well?
A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition show that green tea extract can increase metabolism and fat oxidation in the body.
In theory, scientists believe weight loss benefits of green tea extracts are due to the caffeine content, however the results of the study show that green tea extracts have weight loss benefits well beyond that of just the caffeine.
In their study, researchers dispensed the same amount of caffeine as in green tea extracts, but discovered it didn't make significant changes in the body’s overall energy ussage.
This led to the conclusion green tea has additional ingredients that actively interact with each other which increase metabolism and fat oxidation.
Further research seems to indicate a certain compound found in green tea might be what causes weight loss. These compounds in the tea, called Flavonoids, may alter how the body uses norepinephrine, a hormone that monitors how calories are burned.
When flavonoids interact with other ingredients in green tea, more calories are burned and that gets you more weight loss.
Other ingredients actively contributing to the weight loss benefits of green tea are catechin polyphenols. These compounds interact with the other ingredients in Chinese green tea and promote weight loss through thermogenesis.
The best part about the weight loss benefits of green tea are the lack of any adverse side-effects. Unlike other herbal products like ephedra and prescription drugs for obesity, green tea does not increase heart rates or raise blood pressure.
Now, it also appears that green tea may act as a mild appetite-suppressant because of the presence of caffeine. Caffeine in excessive amounts can cause heart palpitations, hypertension, and insomnia. However, green tea contains only low levels of caffeine, so the chance of experiencing these side-effects is minimal.
Chinese green tea is an effective and much safer alternative to other weight loss products which can cause harm to you.
A study conducted by the University of Geneva on the weight loss benefit of green tea found that it can also help thyroid patients. According to dietitian Lynn Moss, M.S., R.D., green tea is a healthier choice for people with thyroid conditions who are sensitive to stimulants. The tea can promote weight loss by increasing metabolism without over stimulating the adrenal glands.
Green Tea discovered part 3- ->
