Even though I had promised my dear friend Gülbin, to look into the topic of “fibromyalgia”, I got depressed by reading about this disease that has no specific cause and no treatment. Forgive me; here’s something with a definite “positive twist”.
We’ve all heard that drinking green tea is good for one’s health, but now it is backed up by science. Green tea is an excellent source of both vitamins and antioxidants.
Let’s briefly go over these benefits:
- It helps the brain work better
Green tea increases serotonin levels, gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA) levels, and alpha wave activity. All of this reduces stress and makes it easier to relax. Green tea also contains caffeine, a stimulant, which provides energy. Caffeine also improves mood, memory, and reaction time.
- It improves dental health
Green tea inhibits the growth of bacteria associated with dental disease. It also reduces inflammation, and bad breath.
- It reduces the risk of cancer
Some of the compounds in green tea have anti-carcinogenic properties. A study conducted in 2010 found that women who had breast cancer and who drank at least three cups of green tea a day were significantly less likely to have recurring breast cancer than women who drank little or no green tea.
- It reduces the chances of developing heart disease
Green tea helps the arteries relax and thus improves blood flow. In a 2008 study, published in “The European Journal of Preventive Cardiology”, it was found that people who drank green tea had less constricted arteries than people who did not. Green tea also appears to reduce oxidation of LDL or “bad” cholesterol in the blood stream, and lowers the risk of strokes.
- It promotes longevity
Green tea actually helps people live longer. In 2006, the journal “JAMA” described a study conducted in Japan that involved 40,530 volunteers between the ages of 40 and 79. The researchers found that people who drank over 5 cups of green tea per day were least likely to die over an 11-year period. They also concluded that green tea was particularly beneficial in warding off heart disease.
- It improves digestive health
Green tea has anti-inflammatory properties that aid the digestive tract. Those properties help prevent digestive problems related to inflammation like IBD (irritable bowel syndrome) or Crohn’s disease.
- It reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
At the 2015 international Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease, researchers presented a study that showed that people who drank green tea at least once a week suffered less cognitive decline than people who didn’t drink green tea.
- It reduces the risk of Type II diabetes
Green tea helps lessen sudden increases in blood sugar levels. It also appears to help balance a driker’s metabolic rate and makes them more sensitive to insulin.
- It promotes weight loss
Green tea contains catechins that promote weight loss, especially in people who have been drinking green tea for a long time. Green tea may also promote fat burning and thus make it easier to loose weight. The caffeine in green tea also mobilizes fatty acids so the body can use them for energy.
- It helps keep the liver healthy
The catechins in green tea also help the liver by cleaning it out. The “International Journal of Preventive Medicine” described a 2016 study in which patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were given either green tea or a placebo. The patients who were given green tea showed marked improvement in their symptoms.
Your Cup Of Tea
Given all of the above scientifically proven benefits, you really should add green tea to your diet.
That’s it for now; se you all next time.
