5 Health Benefits of Green Tea

It’s tea time! Green tea has been wildly popular outside of the U.S. for decades, and is slowly gaining traction stateside. This is due to the health benefits associated with the consumption of green tea. Green tea is available for consumption via liquid (from a tea bag), capsule, powder and even as the loose leaves themselves. According to medical journals, green tea in any form contains a considerable amount of antioxidants—due to its unoxidized leaves—which is a major factor in its healing powers. Here are 5 of the most amazing health benefits that green tea has to offer:

1. Green tea helps lower cholesterol

Elevated levels of cholesterol can lead to serious health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, and more. A 2011 study found that green tea in both liquid and capsule form help lower the average person’s cholesterol level, which can help lower the chances for those aforementioned health problems.

Plaque builds up in a person’s arteries, and the antioxidants from green tea help cleanse this plaque which lowers cholesterol levels. Furthermore, the consumption of green tea has additional cardiovascular effects such as helping improve a person’s metabolism and reducing the chances of developing diabetes.

2. Keep green tea IN MIND!

Research from multiple studies has proven that green tea helps stimulate the brain and can improve basic cognitive functions such as sharpening a person’s long-term and short-term memory. Green tea has also been proven to reduce the risk of certain brain diseases and disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.

3. An answer to cancer.

According to the National Cancer Institute, the antioxidants in green tea have proven to provide protective and scavenging abilities that guard the body’s cells from DNA mutations and damage. The antioxidants have also been said to help decrease tumor growth and in some cases can kill off the cancerous cells that the body develops.

A few types of cancer that green tea has said to protect against include: ovarian, breast, lung, skin and prostate cancer. While green tea is not an antidote for cancer or a failsafe repellent to cancer, it has been scientifically proven to help reduce the risk of developing cancer, and that has been seen as a major medical breakthrough.

4. By the skin of your tea!

Studies show there are strong links between green tea and healthier skin. Mentioned above was the fact that green tea may help prevent skin cancer, but green tea can also improve the health and appearance of a person’s skin due to the antioxidants that can protect against UV-related detrimental effects. Furthermore, there have been many reports that green tea has anti-inflammatory properties, and writings from centuries back lay claim that green tea leaves have healing elements when applied directly to a wound or cut of the skin.

5. The best of both worlds!

There is a small dose of caffeine in green tea, which can help energize a person and increase mental focus. Because there is a relatively low amount of caffeine in green tea, this allows the consumer to feel the energy of the caffeine without feeling overly jittery and without the result of an energy crash shortly thereafter.

While green tea has energy inducing effects, it also can have calming and relaxing effects. Studies show that green tea has been linked to the lowering of blood pressure and also can help reduce stress and anxiety. The dichotomy of green tea to be able to energize people and also relax people is truly remarkable.

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