Ten Health Benefits of Green Tea that is Scientifically Proven

Green tea is the healthiest drink known to man. It has excellent antioxidant properties and many other healthy components. The use of green tea is said to have originated from China in the 8th century. The ancient Chinese have harnessed its medicinal properties to become one of the most popular beverages today.

Green tea is made from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis, a shrub that grows in Asia. The difference between this plant from black and oolong tea is that it does not go through the process of withering and oxidation. Because of this reason alone, green tea had become an integral part of ancient medicine, and the scientific community further confirmed its benefits.

Here are the ten scientifically proven health benefits of green tea.

1. It can help you live longer
The fountain of youth is a myth, but if you drink green tea, it can help you live healthy and longer. With all the benefits it can offer, green tea will be your fountain of youth. In one of the clinical studies in Japan, they conducted experiments on 40,000 Japanese adults, those who drink five cups of green tea a day have lived longer during the eleven years.

It was also found out that people who drink green tea have a lower death rate from heart disease by 31% in women and 22% in men. It can also lower the risk from stroke by 42% in women and 35% in men, while death from various causes was reduced by 12% in men and 23% in women.

2. It can lower the risk of obesity and can help in losing weight
Several studies were conducted on how green tea can help people who want to lose weight and effectively reduce the fats around the abdomen. A study conducted among 240 people has shown significant drops in body weight, decreased waistline, lower abs fat, and lower body fat percentage.

While other studies cannot replicate the significant results on weight loss.
It is still believed that green tea can help you lose weight to prevent the risk of obesity.

3. It can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases
The most common cause of death is related to cardiovascular problems, like heart disease and stroke. There are many studies to prove the effectiveness of green tea to improve the main risk factors of diseases. It includes improving the LDL cholesterol, which is the bad cholesterol, triglycerides, and then, in turn, help increase the natural antioxidant properties of the body.

With these beneficial effects on the risk factors, those who drink green tea will have a lower risk of getting cardiovascular diseases by 31%.

4. It can lower the risk of getting Type 2 Diabetes
In the United States, Type 2 diabetes is sweeping the country affecting approximately 10% of the people, as stated by the CDC. Those people who are suffering from this disease cannot process insulin properly. As a result, the pancreas will first resist the insulin and instead produce more insulin to make up for insulin insufficiency. In this case, the body will no longer keep up, and its blood glucose levels will increase.

Green tea plays a crucial role by improving the body’s sensitivity to insulin and lowering blood glucose levels. Another study in Japan has found that people drinking green tea have a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 40% compared to non-drinkers.

5. It can improve dental health and lower the risk of infections
The catechins present in green tea can help kill the bacteria and prevent the proliferation of viruses, reducing the risk of diseases. The most harmful bacteria in our mouth are Streptococcus mutans; it is the leading cause of cavities, the formation of plaque, and tooth decay.

Drinking green tea can benefit dental health and lower the risk of getting tooth decay. There are also multiple studies to prove that it can reduce bad breath.

6. It can help protect the brain in the later years
Green tea can help improve the brain’s functions, not only in the short term but can also help protect the brain as you grow older. Meaning it can lower the risk of getting both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Alzheimer’s disease is a common neurodegenerative disease and can cause dementia. Parkinson’s disease ranks second, and it involves the death of the neurons responsible for producing dopamine.

Many studies support that the catechins in green tea have protective effects on the neurons and lower the risk of getting Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

7. It can help reduce the risk of cancer
Cancer is the leading cause of death among Americans. The growth of abnormal cells causes this. When there is an imbalance in the production of free radicals, these chemicals can create damage upon interaction with the cell membrane or DNA.  It can also affect the ability of the body to detoxify; cancer cells can proliferate.

The antioxidants present in green tea can help reduce the risk of cancer, according to different studies to prove its effectiveness. In addition, people who drink green tea are less susceptible to disease.

8. It can help burn fat and improve the body’s physical performance
Many fat-burning supplements contain green tea. It is not surprising because green tea has been shown to boost metabolic rate and increase the body’s ability to burn fat. One study showed a 4% increase in energy among ten healthy men who drink green tea regularly.

Another study has shown a 17% increase in fat oxidation, which supports the effects of green tea in burning fats. The overall effect of green tea in burning fats remains inconclusive; however, because its effects cannot be replicated in some.

9. It can increase your physical performance
You may not think of green tea as an energy booster because of its Zen-like persona, but it can. Some studies have shown that it has positive effects on physical performance. The caffeine present in green tea can help mobilize the fatty acids from the adipose or fat tissues. These are used as an energy source and help improve physical performance.

Two studies have shown its ability to enhance physical performance on average by 12%.

10. It can help them improve the brain’s function
Drinking green tea can not only keep you alert; you can be smarter too. Like coffee, the active ingredient in green tea is caffeine. The amount is lesser, though, but enough to create a response in the body minus the jittery effects of coffee.

Caffeine acts as a stimulant that blocks an inhibitory neurotransmitter called Adenosine. That increases the firing of neurons and increases the concentrations of norepinephrine and dopamine. As a result, caffeine improves mood, reaction times, vigilance, and other aspects of brain function.

What makes the caffeine in green tea different is that it also contains L-theanine. This compound increases the actions of the neurotransmitter GABA, which has an anti-anxiety effect. In addition, the increase results in the surge of production of alpha waves and dopamine.

These combinations of caffeine and L-theanine are very effective in improving the functions of the brain. This results in a more stable energy source and much-improved productiveness than coffee.

Final Thoughts
Whether all these studies prove the benefits of green tea, one thing for sure is that regularly drinking it can significantly affect your health. The findings mentioned here also give further credibility to green tea.

To get the best out of green tea, you have to opt for organic green tea, which is in the purest form and not exposed to contaminants. In addition, it would be best to drink it without sugars and milk because it can take away some of its benefits.