Puffy eyes? Swollen lymph nodes? A natural toner? We all have heard some of the craziest hacks and uses for green tea but nobody knows how green tea works. Is it a healthy replacement for coffee or it detoxifies your body? Let’s find out together the health benefits of green tea!
ORIGIN OF GREEN TEA
Green tea was originally invented in China when Chinese Emperor Shennong mistakenly drank a cup of water with a boiled dead tea-leaf in it. The emperor found the flavor extremely refreshing and after that green tea was a common beverage for the emperor and people in China.
FUN FACTS - Initially, green tea was consumed by only the high tiers of Chinese society and was very expensive to purchase, not until the 14th century it was available to the public for medical and refreshment purposes - Initially, when green tea leaves were shipped from China to Europe, they were called Bullet tea because it resembled the shape of bullets while being packed for safe shipping - For people with pets, if your cat litter box is stinking add a few green tea bags and its deodorizing effects will help with the smell without disturbing your cat - It has less caffeine than coffee and black tea but still a better replacement for coffee
Green tea Ingredients
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B
- Caffeine
- Fluorine
- Vitamin E – (Anti-aging properties due to the presence of tocopherols)
- Amino acid – Theanine (Gives tea the refreshing flavor)
- Saponins (Anti Inflammatory Properties)
- Alkalinity – Green tea contains potassium, calcium, zinc, nickel, and molybdenum.
Benefits of Green Tea
While coffee remains the number one beverage around the world, green tea is still given the edge when it comes to healthy beverages because of the many health benefits of green tea. Everyone raves about the use of green tea but the hype has surely left some of the people in a confused state – hence we are here to confirm all the claims and see what’s what.
Read Also: Top 7 healthiest beverages to order on a diet
Green tea and cancer
Green tea has a huge number of antioxidants in it. The antioxidants prevent free radicals to form within our body that causes abnormal growth of cells thus causing cancer. It still isn’t the only factor but the huge amount of antioxidants in green tea does help with prevention of cancer.
Researches on lab rats and some humans have shown the affirmative effects of green tea on the following type of cancers:
- Breast
- Ovary
- Lungs
- Skin
- Stomach
Helps you focus – Caffeine
Green tea contains 35-40 mg of caffeine in it, that makes roughly a half cup of coffee. Green tea gives you the necessary energy and boosts without you feeling jittery or anxious.
Read: How drinking coffee prevents pre-aging
Catechins – Amazing for your mouth
Do you get that stinky breath after having a big meal? Green tea has nutrients like catechins that help in killing and preventing any bacteria that forms in your mouth after a big meal. Researches have proved that bacteria that cause bad breath among humans were killed by drinking green tea hence it also decreases the risk of having a cavity – WIN-WIN!
Helps in weight loss
The presence of caffeine and antioxidants in green tea help in weight loss. Antioxidants help in burning exercise fat and boosting metabolism while caffeine helps in giving the body the energy it needs that eventually leads to weight loss.
Read: You are dieting but not losing weight, here’s why!
Improves brain function
L-Theanine works with the caffeine present in green tea to improve brain function. Green tea health benefits include giving your brain the relaxation without making you feel lazy or dizzy.
Try: Meditation Techniques and muscle relaxation exercises
Improves your heart condition
Green tea helps in lowering your bad cholesterol and increasing your good cholesterol. Green tea ingredients help in keeping the blood pressure in control too. Blood pressure patients can have three cups of green tea every day to keep their blood pressure under control.
Green tea side effects
Benefits of green tea can be discussed over and over again but at the end of the day, you can only have too much of a good thing. Green tea consumption has no reported side effects but the following risks should be made clear:
- May reduces the absorption of iron from food
- May induce diarrhea and irritation
- Headaches, nausea and irregular heartbeat
- Too much green tea may induce heartburn due to the presence of caffeine
- May cause liver damage as taking antioxidant more than 800 mg per day can lead to liver problems
- Drinking green tea on an empty stomach causes stomach/digestive problems i.e. constipation
Read: How much green tea you should be drinking per day?
How to make the healthiest cup of green tea? Yes, there’s a trick
When it comes to making the best cup of green tea, there are a few tips that should be remembered as recommended by the experts
– DO NOT put green tea leaves into the boiling water as they destroy the catechins and you are drinking hot water with green color in it. Put the green leaves in the kettle and let them simmer. Strain afterward.
– Add lemon: Vitamin C activates the catechins and antioxidants in the green tea and helps in the digestion of catechins. Dairy on the other hand prevents digestion. (Skip the donuts with the green tea)
– After adding the lemon, add a spoon of honey as it gives a natural sweetness to the tea and is amazing for your digestive system
AUTHOR’S VIEW
The health benefits of green tea outgrow the side effects as these complications are very rare and can happen only if a person is consuming 15-20 cups of green tea a day
Generally, Green tea is an excellent antioxidant flushing toxin out of your body, aids in fat burn thus leading to weight loss and prevents cancer and heart diseases. Green tea ingredients prove to be beneficial to the human body.
