A Drink of Health
What if we told you that there are studies that show that a certain drink can help you lose weight AND help to prevent diseases such as heart disease or cancer? Well, it’s true! Green tea has a plethora of benefits that are often taken for granted. Not only can drinking green tea improve your overall health, but it has been found to reduce the risk for multiple deadly diseases.
If you have ever wondered why some people are absolutely crazy about drinking their green tea every day, this blog is for you! We’ll go over why green tea is great, how you should take your tea, how much green tea you should drink, and even the potential harms that could come from drinking green tea.
Is Green Tea Really THAT Healthy?
Green tea comes from a plant called Camellia Sinensis. In fact, both black tea and green tea derive from the same plant. The difference comes from the way that the teas are manufactured. Green tea comes from lightly steaming fresh cut leaves whereas black tea is made by fermentation. The beneficial component of green tea comes from something called Catechins. Studies have proven catechins to have antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, antitumorigenic (counteracting formation of tumors), and antimicrobial properties. The most significant benefits that have been advertised about green tea are its positive effects on cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and weight loss. So yes… Green tea really is THAT healthy!
Green Tea and Cardiovascular Disease:
The majority of studies on green tea have been done on entire populations that tend to drink higher levels of green tea daily (ie: Asia). The conclusions of these studies show that drinking about 5 cups of green tea each day is associated with a 20% reduction in the risk of heart disease. This is most likely from the fact that green tea has been shown to decrease blood pressure. It also has been shown to lower your LCL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) levels. These are INCREDIBLE benefits and nothing to take for granted!
Tip: Get yourself one of those to-go coffee mugs and take 5 bags of green tea with you before you leave for work!
Green Tea and Cancer
Studies have shown that drinking Green Tea may significantly decrease the risk of getting lung and ovarian cancer. In fact, drinking just one cup of green tea daily is found to be associated with a 31% reduced risk of developing ovarian cancer. Healthful Life MD thinks that is pretty incredible!
Be Careful- watch the temperature and avoid supplements! Although there are many positive benefits of drinking green tea, some studies have shown that drinking very hot tea can increase your risk for esophageal cancer. Just be sure to cool your tea down before drinking or even drink it iced! Green Tea supplements have been found to be correlated with higher levels of estradiol- this can be detrimental for those with breast cancer. Brewed tea seems to be the optimal choice of intake!
Green Tea and Weight Loss- Can it Help?
Studies go back and forth as to whether green tea can truly help with weight loss. Some studies have had inconclusive results while some seem to help people lose weight to an impressive level. One component in green tea that may help with weight loss is the natural caffeine. Many weight loss supplements contain caffeine because it tends to support weight loss. It has been found the decaffeinated green tea typically does not have the same effect on weight loss. Another study has shown that the catechins within green tea can decrease carbohydrate absorption up to 29%.
Tip: If caffeine tends to keep you up at night, drink it in the morning until 12 and then switch over to water only! Drinking more green tea may also help you increase your water intake.
Memory and Cognition- Food for your brain!
Amazingly, it has been found that drinking higher amounts of green tea is associated with a lower prevalence of cognitive impairment. It has been shown to decrease your risk of cognitive decline or even slow down cognitive decline (in those that have mild cognitive diagnoses). Studies do not show that green tea can help serious levels of cognitive decline such as the later stages of Alzheimer’s or other serious diseases. Why not drink your tea now and give your brain a little bit of mental stimulation!
As long as you cool your tea down and drink it brewed, why wouldn’t you drink green tea? The studies on green tea are increasingly amazing. Drink a cup in the morning as you wake up and journal or maybe in the afternoon for a little pick me up. Let us know if you can feel a difference in any area of health. Enjoy and cheers!