Top Benefits Of Green Tea

Green tea has been enjoyed as a beverage since antiquity.

As we have learned from recent studies, green tea also provides several health benefits; for this reason, green tea has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for millennia as a treatment for a host of health problems.

This traditional beverage is now gaining a lot of attention for its potential to help people improve their health and lose weight - and there is also evidence that regular consumption of green tea may also help prevent or slow the development of certain cancers.

What is it about green tea that makes it so healthy?

It is thought that the polyphenol compounds present in green tea, including EGCE (epigallocatechin gallate) are responsible for its beneficial effects on human health.

It is thought that these compounds can not only help prevent cancer, but also assist in the regulation of cholesterol levels and even help prevent the formation of thromboses.

Here are ten of the many health benefits which have been attributed to green tea:

1. It is thought that green tea can help prevent the formation of some cancers and may even be helpful in treating the disease.

2. Green tea may be beneficial in the treatment of cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

3. Green tea is used in Chinese medicine as a treatment for MS.

4. Green tea may help improve immune function.

5. Green tea may be able to help prevent Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, among other degenerative diseases of the nervous system.

6. Due to its antibacterial properties, drinking green tea on a daily basis may help prevent tooth decay.

7. Green tea helps promote cardiovascular health, including decreasing the risk of heart attacks by discouraging the formation of blood clots.

8. Green tea can help regulate cholesterol levels.

9. Green tea can temporarily increase the metabolic rate due to its caffeine content - and it is also thought that it can help increase the body's ability to burn fat, providing a boost to weight loss efforts.

Green Tea Vs. Black Tea

All true (as opposed to herbal) teas are made from the leaves of the same plant, the Camellia sinensis, with the chief difference in different varieties having to do with the processing of the leaves.

Green tea is not aged, which results in more of the EGCG and other antioxidant compounds being left intact, meaning that green tea offers more in the way of health benefits than does black tea.

Caffeine

Like all tea, green tea does contain caffeine.

While its caffeine content is low compared to black tea, let alone coffee, people who are especially sensitive to caffeine can find that too much caffeine can cause insomnia.

However, when taken in moderation, even people who are sensitive to caffeine can generally enjoy green tea with no difficulty.