Green tea is a beverage known to have various health benefits that you can take as a dietary supplement due to its wide range of health benefits, which makes it one of the most popular choices for people who are conscious about getting healthier.
Today, we will be discussing in depth some of the benefits of green tea for your overall health. However, before we do that, let’s try to understand the history of green tea.
Throw Back
The origin of Green Tea can be traced back to 2737 BC when the Chinese Emperor Shennong mistakenly drank hot water with dry leaves. The refreshing feeling it gets from it led to the founding of this beverage.
However, tea was drank only among the Chinese elites and was not available to the public until the 14th century. After that, it began to be used for both recreational and medicinal purposes. During the Tang Dynasty in 800 AD, Lu Yu’s interest in tea grew, and he wrote down all about the making of the tea process in a book called “Cha Jing”, also known as ”The Classic of Tea.”
In the 19th century, with the European explorers, this highly flavourful tea travelled to the Western world and became the national beverage of Great Britain.
In recent years, this flavourful tea has continuously gained popularity, and many people are continuing to learn more about the benefits of green tea every day.
Top 10 Benefits of Green Tea
1. Alleviates Your Stress and Anxiety
Green tea has an amino acid called L-theanine, which can make you feel relaxed. The benefit of green tea is alleviating your mental health. So, compared with other teas like black, oolong, and white, green tea has the highest concentration of L-theanine in it.
According to a study made in 2019, it is found that individuals who consume about 200 milligrams a day of L-theanine for four weeks show greater improvements in anxiety, depression, and sleep compared to those who took a placebo.
2. Improve Your Mental Health
A 2020 research suggested that drinking green tea correlates with about 64% lower chance of cognitive impairment, especially in middle-aged and older age adults.
Some studies show the benefits of green tea and how it helps protect against certain neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Due to its high contain of antioxidants, it may protect against cell damage, putting your health at lower risk from such chronic illnesses.
3. Lowers Your Cholesterol
Are you suffering from a high chance of heart stroke and heart attack?
Well, a review published in 2020 has shown that at least consuming green tea can help in lowering bad LDL and your overall cholesterol level.
4. Support Weight Loss
Many find it difficult to lose weight, especially those tough fats around the stomach. So, according to the 2022 review finds one of the benefits of green tea is in losing weight. It found a positive influence on your metabolism, enhancing your journey to fat loss.
The catechins, an antioxidant present in green tea, help to break down fat. Moreover, it is also believed that it increases your metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories while you are exercising.
5. Lower the Risk of Certain Cancers
Another interesting benefit of green tea is that it shows some relations of reducing the chance of developing certain cancers like lung cancer or ovarian cancer.
The 2020 reviews showed some benefits; however, scientists could not be clear about how it kills certain cancer cells.
6. Enhance Your Oral Health
Studies of 2021 have shown some link between better oral health and drinking green tea on a daily basis.
According to one study, it shows the benefits of green tea for oral health when drinking it regularly. It shows that green tea can protect oral health, preventing cavities, gum disease and even bad breath.
7. Lower Your Blood Pressure
The 2021 study on the benefit of green tea on Chinese adults who drink it regularly has suggested a 10% lower chance from type 2 diabetes.
Also, studies from 2020 reviews show some positive impact of green tea, which help in reducing blood sugar level while fasting for a short period.
8. Improves Longevity
Another benefit of green tea is it is a rich source of polyphenols, or plant compounds that act as antioxidants.
A study in Japan found that people who drank five cups or more per day had a lower chance of death than those who drank only one cup or less.
9. Support Your Heart Health
Green tea is a powerful source of antioxidants in it called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. It helps in preventing heart issues like atherosclerosis and plaque buildup in the arteries.
10. Support Your Bones Health
Do you know postmenopausal people have a higher risk of suffering from osteoporosis?
Well, the benefit of taking green tea is that it can lower the risk of osteoporosis. It helps in fighting against bone diseases, preventing the increases in the risk of hip, spine, and wrist fractures when you grow older.
Many studies show that due to its high concentration of antioxidants, it can enhance bone formation and protect against bone mass loss.
Conclusion
To conclude, drinking green tea on a regular basis has various health benefits. Generally, most people enjoy sipping green tea on a daily basis, not just for its benefits but also to keep themselves feeling refreshed. The benefits of green tea you can see it from improving your mental to even physical health from regularly drinking.