Green Tea
It’s healthier than you think
I once heard someone describe tea as nothing more than “boiled leaf juice.”
Well, it is – but at the same time, it’s so much more than that.
Green Tea has been around for centuries and has been used to treat a wide variety of health ailments, from acne to fatigue to bloat. Although it’s recently gaining popularity in weight loss pills and skincare products, Green Tea deserves a lot more credit than we give it.
Inside Green Tea
Many people attribute Green Tea’s weight loss success to its small concentrations of caffeine. While this does add a little extra kick when it comes to burning calories, Green Tea is also chock- full of the following:
Polyphenols: Phytochemicals that act as antioxidants, stripping the body of harmful toxins and bi-products called free radicals. Polyphenols are what give Green Tea its bitter flavor.
Catechins: Green Tea contains 6 polyphenols that are known as catechins. Studies have shown that catechins may be able to prevent certain types of cancer.
EGCG: Epigallocatechins is the most active and studied of Green Tea’s catechins. EGCG can decrease your risk of developing atherosclerosis by lowering your cholesterol.
Alkaloids: Nitrrogenous compounds that can increase energy levels
Benefits of Green Tea
Because of its high concentrations of the above chemicals, Green Tea offers a wide variety of health benefits. Although it might not be the cure-all solution to everything as some people would have us believe, the studies have shown that Green Tea can certainly help in the fight against cardiovascular disease, cancer, and weight gain.
Cardiovascular Disease:: Millions of Americans are at risk each year are at risk for heart disease and stroke due to high blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels. However, recent research suggests that green tea may be able to reduce lipids and lipoproteins in the blood, thus helping to lower your risk of heart attack.
Cancer: Although research is still being conducted, the catechins found in green tea may be able to break down cancer cells and may even protect DNA against damage caused by oxidative stress. To find out more about this study, click here.
Weight Loss: According to the American Society of Nutrition, the catechins in Green tea could may enhance exercise-induced loss of abdominal fat.
Bottom Lines
Depending on how you look at it, Green Tea may be nothing more than a bitter beverage or the ultimate cure-all for weight loss and heart health. Whether you drink it on a regular basis or simply swallow it in supplement form, Green Tea appears to offer more than meets the eye