10 Incredible Reasons Why You Need To Start Drinking Green Tea
As we are advancing into a more modern lifestyle, regulating our food patterns has become even more essential. Lack of sleep, inactive lifestyle, consumption of unhealthy calories, stress, etc has made us highly susceptible to lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid disorders, heart ailments, etc. One of the most important culprits that is ruining our health is our addiction to tea and coffee. Working people, specifically, have become so much accustomed to consuming high caffeine beverages that they even face headaches, fatigue, low concentration issues, etc., if they stop drinking them.
You definitely require some kick in the form of beverages to keep your mind active for following a hectic schedule. But getting hooked to unhealthy drinks can be harmful for your health and this may even become vital reasons for your shortened life span. Nowadays, almost everyone is hearing about green tea and its marvellous benefits on maintaining great health. Many studies have revealed that green tea is the safest and the healthiest beverage that can help in getting rid of your caffeine addiction and give you the same revitalising effect. Green tea is a complete package of rich antioxidants that not only boosts your immunity levels but also improves your brain’s cognitive functioning.
Good news is that, regular consumption of green tea can eventually cause weight loss. Moreover, it helps in preventing cancer and aids in cellular development. If you still think that your uncountable cups of coffee are still the best option, then take a look at these 10 incredible reasons why you need to start drinking green tea:
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It Is Rich In Bioactive Compounds
If you start substituting your regular tea and coffee beverages with green tea, then without indulging much in caffeine and unnecessary calories, you can in fact, provide yourself a nutritional boost. Green tea is naturally loaded with essential nutrients such as polyphenols in the form of catechins and flavonoids, which are extremely powerful antioxidants. These nutrients help in preventing the formation of free radicals in the body that are a major cause for pre-mature skin ageing and even fatal diseases such as cancer.
In many medicinal purposes too, there has been a surge in the use of green tea because it is a significant source of Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant that has been scientifically proved to have the ability to fight many diseases.
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Reduces The Risk Of Cancer
The free radical effect that leads to uncontrolled growth of cells is the primary cause of cancer and recently, the statistics reveal that there is an incredibly high number of people suffering from various kinds of cancer and it is basically because of the sedentary lifestyle that most of us are following. The easiest and effective way of preventing cancer is by consuming more and more foods that are rich in antioxidants.
Since green tea contains abundant amounts of antioxidants along with other nutrients that improve our body’s immunity system, then consuming green tea and avoiding tea/ coffee will definitely protect your body from the free radical effect. As per an observational study, it was found that women who consumed more green tea had 22 percent reduced risk of breast cancer. While in case of men, those who drank green tea were found to have 48 percent lesser chances of developing prostate cancer. Another study stated that since China has one of the world’s highest green tea consuming population, women here had a 57 percent lower risk of suffering from colorectal cancer.
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Green Tea Stimulates Effective Functioning Of Brain
Not only does green tea provide you with ample energy, it also helps in making your brain work efficiently. The moderate amounts of caffeine act as a stimulant in the brain, which helps in making the neurotransmitter called adenosine inactive and at the same time promotes concentration of neurotransmitters called dopamine and norepinephrine. This in turn, reduces mood swings, improves attention and comprehending abilities.
Green tea also comes packed with the goodness of amino acid called L-theanine that aids in improving the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA, which lowers the anxiety levels. The double action of caffeine and this amino acid gives you a kick of long lasting energy.
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Lowers The Risk Of Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Disease In Older Age
If you are thinking that consuming green tea makes your mind work with efficacy in the short term, then you are probably wrong. The essential nutrients and antioxidants offered by green tea helps in protecting your brain cells in the long term. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, both of which are common neurodegenerative diseases in humans often causes permanent damage to brain cells, affecting your concentrating and memorising abilities drastically.
Many studies have supported the fact that the catechin compounds of green tea have preventive effects on the brain’s neurons and are capable of reducing the risk of these diseases to a great extent.
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Improves Your Heart’s Health
Since diseases arising from sedentary lifestyle is soaring, it has been witnessed that the number of heart patients is on a constant rise. Heart diseases have become the topmost reason for deaths across the globe and it is basically high deposits of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the arteries that increases the risk of stroke. The power packed antioxidants in green tea increase the body’s ability to prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol particles. Many studies have come in support of the fact that green tea is extremely heart friendly and people who regularly consume green tea can reduce the risk of falling prey to heart diseases by 31 percent.
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Helps In Burning Fat & Improves Agility
As per many studies conducted on a group of individuals, it has been seen that green tea is highly effective in increasing the process of fat burning along with boosting the metabolic rate. According to a study, 10 healthy male volunteers were asked to consume green tea and the results showed that the percentage of energy expenditure shot up by 4 percent. However, some studies have contradicting opinions, but the fact that caffeine content in green tea helps in utilising the fatty acids from the fat tissues hasn’t been denied. This however, helps in increasing the speed of calorie burning and improves physical performance too.
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Improves Dental Health & Heals Infections
Besides fighting cancer causing cells and improve our brain’s functioning, green tea has antiseptic properties too. It helps in killing bacteria and eliminates viruses that can cause severe infections within our body. The most harmful bacteria in our mouth is streptococcus mutans that are the primary reason for plaque formation, cavities and tooth decay. Catechins in green tea fights these bacteria and stops their further growth. Along with improving your dental health, green tea works as a mouth freshener too.
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Helps In Increasing Your Life Span
Though you cannot avoid death, but having a healthy body till you die is important. Since green tea helps in lowering the risk of cancer and heart diseases, it is definitely proportional to increase in the life span. As per a study conducted among 40530 adults in Japan, people who drank more than 5 cups of green tea were at a 23 percent lower risk of dying during the 11 year period of study. Many medical experts have stated that the life expectancy rate in Japan and China is higher because they consume around 4 to 5 cups green tea everyday and thereby, we must start consuming more green tea, not only to reduce stress and anxiety but also for enjoying better health and increased life span.
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Lowers The Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
In the past few decades, there has been a multi fold rise in the number of patients suffering type 2 diabetes. This disease causes your body to lose its ability to produce insulin, causing a stupendous rise in the blood sugar levels in the body. Regular consumption of green tea can remarkably reduce the blood sugar levels while improving insulin sensitivity. According to a study conducted among Japanese people, those who consumed high amount of green tea were found to have 42 percent lower risk of suffering from this diabetes.
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Helps In Losing Weight
Now that you know green tea helps in boosting the metabolic rate, it also makes sense that the increased metabolism rate will help in converting more calories to more energy. Besides making you active, physically and mentally, green tea helps in losing fat. If you regularly intake green tea with less or no sugar, then you will definitely notice reduction in the body fat percentage, body weight, waist circumference and abdominal fat.
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Snehashree Bhat
A young writer who loves to pen words from creative perspective. Passionate internet surfer, a versatile homemaker and a person who finds pleasure in adopting healthier and positive changes in her persona. An enthusiastic feminist who wishes to make serious changes in the stereotypical thought process of the society via the voice of her words.