Health Benefits of Green Tea

High Cholesterol

Research shows that green tea lowers total cholesterol and raises HDL (“good”) cholesterol in people. One research study found that men who drink green tea are more likely to have lower total cholesterol than those who do not drink green tea. In another small study of male smokers, researchers found that green tea significantly reduced blood levels of harmful LDL cholesterol.

Reduce High Blood Pressure

Drinking a cup of green tea a day may lower the risk of high blood pressure by nearly 50%, according to a new study. Researchers found that men and women who drank tea on daily basis for at least a year were much less likely to develop hypertension than those who didn't, and the more tea they drank, the bigger the benefits.

Heart Problems

Studies did conform that green tea does protect the heart by lowering the levels of cholesterol and blood pressure, and thereby reducing the risk of suffering a heart attack. It can protect against coronary artery disease as well because of properties of tea flavonoids such as anti-flammatory and antithrombogenic affects.

Green tea can also help after heart attacks by reducing the number of cardiac cells deaths and preventing some oxidative damage that is the cause of heart cell deaths in heart attacks. Consumption of green tea can prevent future disorders in chronic smokers, which is another great reason for choosing green tea.

Much of the recent information on the benefits of green tea for the heart is based on a Japanese study. The research was performed at Tohoku University School of Public Policy in Sendai Japan. The research stated that drinking three or more cups of green tea daily reduces the risk of heart disease by 22 percent in men and 31 percent in women. This was compared to those who consume one 3.4 ounce or fewer amounts of green tea daily.

Cancer

Several research studies have shown that green tea helps protect against cancer. For example, cancer rates tend to be low in countries such as Japan where people regularly consume green tea. The polyphenols in green tea may play an important role in the prevention of cancer. Researchers also believe that polyphenol help kill cancerous cells and stop their progression.

Research done over a period of time does indicate that green tea may have played a part in preventing cancers of the esophagus, stomach, bladder, colon, rectum, pancreas, liver, breast, lung, and prostate. The National Cancer Center Research Institute in Tokyo suggests that “Drinking tea may be one of the most practical methods of cancer prevention available at present”.

Diabetes

Research study state that green tea helps in controlling diabates, by controlling the sugar levels in the blood stream. In people suffering from type I diabetes green tea helps regulate glucose in the body.

Losing Weight

A cup of green tea after your breakfast can help you lose weight. Green tea certainly isn’t the magic bullet of losing weight, it is one of the healthiest but green tea helps boost your metabolism. You can burn 80 extra calories a day simply by adding green tea to your daily routine.

Bone Mineral Density Increase

Another great reason to drink green tea is that it can prevent osteroporosis and increase bone mineral density, decreasing bone loss. Research show that green tea drinker’s bone mineral density was 2.8% greater than in non-drinkers.

Effects on Brain

Green tea has plenty of interesting and positive effects on the brain, particularly in the area of neurology and cognition. It aids the brain in keeping your cells healthy and with drinking green tea at least two cups a day, eventually you will notice the difference and start remembering things a lot better. Green tea helps brain in three main ways: prevention of Alzheimer's, increased memory retention, and enhanced cognitive learning ability.

Relief from the Tooth Pain

Green tea can also be used as a good source of tooth pain relief just add green tea leaves in a hot cup of water, strain it and gargle with that water.

Healing

Green tea is best known for its healing properties, such as placing a green tea bag on a bee sting or any other insect bite will take away the sting and ache and draw out the poison. Placing a green tea bag on an infected wound will aid in healing the wound a lot faster and help to fight the infection.

 Improve Immune System

Having a strong immune system is very important and green tea helps to improve. A strong immune system is what keeps you from getting messed up from bacterial and viral infections. If you are suffering from the flu, green tea would help. If you are suffering from asthma, you should be drinking green tea.

Anti Aging

Green tea has also been shown to be a positive product in reducing or reversing the effects of aging.

HIV

Researchers found a compound in the tea stops the HIV virus binding to cells in the immune system. Professor Mike Williamson, of Sheffield University, said: "It could reduce the risk of infection and help slow the spread of HIV." But he added: "It is not a cure or safe way to avoid infection. It could be used to improve quality of life for those infected."

Green Tea Skin Benefits

Green tea is good for body. But do you know that it shows up as a key ingredient in skin care? Scientific research showed that green tea has a variety of beneficial properties when used tropically.

Skin Protection

Green tea is a natural antiseptic, so it can relieve swellings and protect against many effects of ultra violet radiation such as sunburn and photo aging, as well as immune suppression. It is also found to protect against skin cancer that can be developed by from the sun.

Sooth Acne and Lighten Cream

Everyone has experienced a bad cause of acne at least once in their lives, usually at the worst possible time. In addition to the benefits listed above, green tea catechine are anti-bacterial and can decrease hormone activity. This means green tea is an effective way to control acne, without the unpleasant side effects of benzyl peroxide-based cream.

Mighty Mouth

Green tea is also know for its ability to prevent bad breath and it has the added advantage of tasting good if it’s inadvertently swallowed. Try this to know how much this fact is truth.
Pour one cup of boiling water over 100g of green tea and leaves to infuse for at least 30 minutes. Make a paste by taking one tablespoon of this liquid and one tea spoon of baking soda, and use this to brush your teeth as usual. The natural properties in the tea will curb mouth odor and help prevent plaque-forming microbes from attaching to the teeth.

Refreshing Face mask

This gentle face mask will help remove toxins from your skin, as well as leaving it silky smooth.

Mix 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise with one teaspoon of green tea leaves. Apply it evenly to the face, avoiding the delicate eye area, and leave it for 20 minutes. Rinse the mask off, then dry and moisturize your face.

How to Make Green Tea?

Be sure to properly prepare your green tea. Don't over boil it. Fill a pot with cold water and bring it to a boil. Then remove it from the heat and let it sit for three minutes. Pour the hot water into a cup that has the tea bag and leave it there for three minutes. Take the tea bag out and let it cool off for another three minutes. You can also use green tea leave in place of tea bag. Just strain leaves before drinking.

Side Effects of Green Tea

Even though green tea is natural, it is not always free of side effects. For most people, these side effects are merely bothersome like nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating and gas, insomnia, restlessness, irritability, frequent urination and signs of an allergic reaction, including an unexplained rash, hives, itching, swelling of the mouth or throat, wheezing, or difficulty breathing or swallowing.

However, pregnant women are advised to limit their intake during pregnancy because it was found in different research studies that the EGCG or the epigallocatechins affect the way foliate is used by the body. This element is of extreme significance for pregnant women.

Points to Remember

•  Don't drink green tea when it's scalding hot or when it turns cold. Take it when it’s mild hot.
•  Don't drink tea with medications or when suffering from fever.
•  Don't drink tea on empty stomach or with meals. Drinking tea on empty stomach cause "coldness" to enter the lung and stomach system.

Green tea is indeed the most widely consumed drink in the world after water. Remember to go easy on the green tea. While there are many health benefits of green tea, this is not considered to be a miracle cure. Drink green tea in moderation. Too much green tea has bad effects                                   

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