9 Incredible Health Benefits of Green Tea
Green tea is healthy. Like, really healthy. There’s a reason researchers around the world are continuously studying its impact for fighting disease and promoting wellness. And green tea is consistently named a top superfood for its wide-reaching health benefits are nine (9) incredible green tea benefits to help you learn and improve your healthy lifestyle!
1. Green Tea is a Productivity Enhancer
One of the most notable benefits of green tea is the energy boost, without the jitters or crash of coffee. Green tea has less caffeine than a cup of coffee. A serving of Millennia raw green tea, for example, has between 35 and 55mg of caffeine depending on serving size. By comparison, a small-medium roast coffee from the major coffee chains has between 110 to 170mg of caffeine. More than just a reduced caffeine content, there’s an incredible caffeine regulator in tea called L-theanine. L-theanine is an amino acid that crosses the blood-brain barrier and has an important job: promoting enhanced clarity, focus and productivity. Caffeine + L-theanine = zen-like energy and calm alertness that lasts.
2. Green Tea Promotes Beautiful, Clear Skin
Drinking green tea has so many benefits for your skin including:
- Reduced redness, irritation and swelling thanks to its high content of polyphenols, called catechins.
- Unclogging pores and treating acne for its potent ability to treat bacterial growth that causes acne-fighting systemic bacterial inflammation for smoother, toned skin.
- Fighting cancer by promoting DNA repair through the uber-powerful antioxidant called EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate is the tea polyphenol with the most potent ability to protect cells from damage). EGCG is also a potent anti-ageing ingredient when ingested or applied topically.
- Youthful appearance. Green tea is chock full of Vitamins B2, E and C. Vitamins C + B2 are necessary nutrients in the production of collagen and maintaining youthful skin structure and firmness. And Vitamin E supports new skin cell growth and is an intense hydrator for soft, nourished skin.
- No more puffy eyes and dark circles thanks to the tannins and caffeine in green tea, which help shrink blood vessels around the eyes and brighten the area.
3. Green Tea Contains Immune-boosting EGCG Antioxidants
Research shows that another benefit of green tea is the Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which is the polyphenol antioxidant with the most potent ability to protect your body’s cells from disease. A University of Kansas study found EGCG to be 100x more effective than Vitamin C and 25x more effective than Vitamin E at strengthening our immune system and protecting cells from free radical damage and disease.
Fresh, raw, tea leaves are the best natural source of EGCG available among all dietary sources. And tea is known for its ability to stimulate the central nervous system and cardiac function in humans, boosting our immune systems and warding off disease. By keeping tea leaves in their most natural state (i.e. flash-freezing within hours of harvest) we’re able to preserve the maximum amount of EGCG antioxidants and associated health benefits.
4. Green Tea May Help Prevent Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke, are the leading causes of death worldwide. Studies show that the benefits of green tea include improving total cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoproteins) also known as “bad” cholesterol levels which may improve some of the main risk factors for these diseases mentioned above. Green tea also offers benefits by increasing the antioxidant capacity of the blood, which protects the LDL particles from oxidation, which is one part of the path toward heart disease. Given the beneficial effects on risk factors, it may not be surprising that people who drink green tea have up to a 31% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease according to research studies.
5. Green Tea Cuts Down on Stress
One of the green tea's most beneficial components, EGCG, is also linked to the reduction of stress.
Stress and inflammation are thought to be the primary culprits of a host of chronic illnesses. As an antioxidant, EGCG protects your cells from damage associated with excessive free radical production and oxidative stress. Additionally, lower levels of caffeine than coffee, combined with the awesome amino acid L-theanine, helps ease anxiety and lower stress levels – helping promote clarity and focus without the jitters and crash of coffee.
Plus, who doesn’t enjoy a nice warm, relaxing cup of tea at the end of a long day?
6. Green Tea Benefits Longevity And Vitality
Green tea benefits longevity and vitality. There are researchers who call green tea “the fountain of youth” for our skin's cells. EGCG is shown to reactivate dying skin cells and shows potential benefits for skin conditions as diverse as psoriasis, rosacea, wrinkles, and wounds.
And while wellness professionals across the board agree there is no silver bullet when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight – it is a combination of diet, activity, and mindset – studies suggest EGCG may be a powerful ally in boosting metabolism, energy levels, and shedding fat.
7. Green Tea Reduces Stroke Risk
According to Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association’s published journal, the most reduced risk of stroke is associated with drinking green tea on a regular basis. The lead author of the study, Dr. Yoshihiro Kokubo, Ph.D., said, “This is the first large-scale study to examine the combined effects of both green tea and coffee on stroke risks. You may make a small but positive lifestyle change to help lower the risk of stroke by adding daily green tea to your diet.”
8. Green Tea Supports Weight Loss
Green tea contains a type of antioxidants such as EGCG that researchers suggest can speed up the metabolism, as well as break down fat, and increase the amount of energy the body uses. Scientists at the University of Chicago’s Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research found EGCG enabled test subjects to lose up to 21 percent of their body weight. Those injected with EGCG derived from green tea leaves enjoyed reduced appetites and consumed up to 60 percent less food after only seven days.
9. Green Tea Reduces Chances of Type 2 Diabetes
With the surge in Type 2 diabetes diagnoses in recent decades, green tea is receiving lots of attention in medical research circles for its ability to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels. A Japanese study found those who substituted green tea for other drinks had a 42% reduced risk of being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
Whether sipped in a cup or added to your favourite smoothies and recipes, this superfood certainly deserves its health halo as the healthiest beverage on the planet. And by keeping green tea leaves (called Camellia Sinensis) in their most real, raw form – washing and flash-freezing fresh-picked tea, we maximize tea’s naturally-powerful life-giving properties.
YOU ALSO MAY LIKE:
If you enjoyed reading this article, I highly recommend that you check out the following:
