Who wouldn’t enjoy a nice hot cup of tea during breakfast or any other moment of the day? Tea is a beverage that has been drunk for centuries by different cultures, and the reasons for that go beyond it being a tasty drink. Diverse studies have shown that this green leaf beverage has beneficial effects on the body at different levels. And, today, we want you to discover the amazing health benefits of green tea.
So, if you start drinking green tea, you wouldn’t only be enjoying a flavourful cup of tea but also, would be taking advantage of its beneficial compounds. The best part is that tea, in general, is not expensive or difficult to obtain, so you can always have it available in your cupboard. Without adding further information, let’s go deep into the topic and talk about the beverage benefits on your organism.
Lower the risk of cancer
Are you aware of the term antioxidants? Well, if you are not, then let us explain their importance. Antioxidants are compounds commonly found on plants and vegetables (like the green tea leaf) that prevent or slow the damage in the cells. These cells’ damage is caused by free radicals, which are molecules that the body produces naturally; as a reaction to the environment. If the body is unable to process and remove free radicals efficiently, a process called oxidative stress will start.
Oxidative stress can be caused for different factors that increase the free radicals in the body. Some of them can be internal (like inflammation) or external (like smoking, pollution, UV exposure, etc). This type of stress has been linked to different types of cancers, and green tea has a high content of antioxidants which are helpful to neutralise free radicals and lower the risk of developing cancer.
Protect the brain
When talking about green tea antioxidants, we must talk about catechin. This compound has potent antioxidant activity, that as we have discussed, protects from the body from oxidants and free radicals. Some studies revealed that catechins might protect the brain from neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.
The catechin has protective effects on neurons, which makes them ideal for preventing neurodegenerative diseases. Green tea is one of the natural drinks that will do magic to your immune system and your health in general.
Improves your cardiovascular health
Polyphenols are micronutrients found in plants that besides being antioxidants are amazing managing the blood pressure levels and promote good circulation. Therefore, they will reduce the risk factors of heart disease. If you have several cases of heart disease within your family, then you must act now and change your habits for healthier ones, which includes eating healthy food, exercising, and drinking green tea.
But remember that there’s not such a thing as a magical beverage that will improve your health overnight.
Lowering the diabetes risk
Besides lowering the risk of diabetes, it’s also a helpful beverage to cope with type 2 diabetes. First, let’s put some things on the table; tea in general is a beneficial drink for people who have diabetes because it is a drink with a flavour that doesn’t contain sugar. Apart from that, green tea has been proven to reduce the effects of insulin resistance.
A study conducted in Japan shown that people who drinks between 4 to 6 cups of green tea per day are 33% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes; compared to people that don’t drink green tea at all or only drink a cup per day.
Fortify your immune system
As we said earlier, polyphenols are part of the antioxidants that the green tea leaf has on it. These antioxidants are well known to boost the immune system. Polyphenols are a good ally to fight any infection; they will protect your body from viruses, diseases, and sickness. But the good news doesn’t end here, green tea has antiviral and antibacterial properties, that will help you to reduce your body’s inflammation, and fight pathogens.
Those are some of the benefits of black tea and green tea that can help you, if you’re going through an infectious process. For example, green tea can be a good option for a beverage while fighting a mild infection of COVID-19.
How much green tea should I drink?
Now that we have enlisted the main benefits of green tea, we can assure you that you’ll want to drink it all the time. Even though some foods or drinks will be helpful for some conditions, doesn’t mean that you must consume them in excess. Remember that even too much natural water is bad for your body. Therefore, you should be only consuming the amount of green tea that won’t be bad for your body.
Three to five cups would be the optimal quantity you can drink daily. If you abuse this beverage, you will be prone to feel the side effects of too much caffeine and catechins. Caffeine will increase the levels of anxiety, can interfere with sleep, and can cause headaches and stomach acidity. On the other hand, consuming catechins in large quantities will reduce the iron absorption capacity of your body, leading to anaemia.
Conclusion:
Green tea has a lot of positive effects on your organism. It will help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, will lower the risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes (and will help to cope with the condition), and will boost your immune system. Just by drinking a few cups of tea per day, you’ll be bringing many benefits to your body.
So don’t forget to purchase green tea in teabags of the brand you prefer. Even though there are reasons to choose organic tea over non-organic, both would give the same benefits to your body.