5 Health Benefits of Green Tea

What’s in your morning cuppa? If you’re one of the 62% of Americans who start their day with coffee, you might want to introduce some novelty into your routine. While bean water has magical benefits, green tea might further protect your overall health.

You can enjoy this beverage hot or iced, as a blended drink, or with a touch of honey. Do you need another reason to switch your morning sip? Here are five health benefits of green tea.

1. It Can Protect Your Oral Health

You might not think about your oral health much. After all, the insurance industry treats your teeth like luxury bones, and many Americans put off necessary care because of the expense.

However, doing so is a mistake — what happens in your mouth influences your total well-being. For example, researchers have found the same staph bacteria that cause gum disease in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and they also suspect it plays a role in heart disease.

Green tea contains polyphenols that resist and destroy oral bacteria, possibly lowering your dementia risk. Additionally, it’s free of the darker tannins responsible for staining teeth like coffee, darker teas, and red wine. You get a double bonus in improved health and appearance.

2. It May Reduce Your Cancer Risk

Green tea is a fabulous source of antioxidants. These plant-based substances protect your body’s cells against oxidative stress, a condition that can lead to ongoing inflammation and various chronic diseases, including cancer.

A recent meta-analysis of multiple studies indicates that women who drink the greenest tea have a 20% to 30% lower risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers believe the beverage may also prevent the disease from recurring.

Additional studies show that green tea drinking lowers your risk of colorectal cancer by up to 42%. Some research also indicates it could prevent prostate cancer, a common condition among men.

The magic again lies in polyphenols, substances stronger than vitamin C in combating oxidative stress. The versions found in tea are called catechins and green tea has six: catechin, gallocatechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin gallate.

3. It Has Heart-Healthy Benefits

Heart disease remains the number one killer of men and women worldwide. Fortunately, switching one or two of your morning cups to this beverage might help lower your chances of a heart attack or stroke.

Green tea benefits cardiovascular health by lowering your LDL or “bad” cholesterol. This type collects on your artery walls, increasing your heart attack and stroke risk.

Green tea also has a beneficial impact on your triglyceride levels. These can cause inflammation around your pancreas and also harden your artery walls, increasing your heart disease and stroke risk. Certain medications might raise your triglyceride levels — talk with your doctor about whether adding green tea to your diet could help reduce your numbers back to normal.

4. It Helps You Maintain a Healthy Weight

You can look beautiful in any size. However, carrying too many extra pounds strains your muscles, ligaments, and tendons, contributing to mobility problems interfering with your exercise ability. Furthermore, they put undue pressure on your organs, making them work harder. Maintaining a healthy weight lowers your risk of various diseases.

Green tea helps you maintain a healthy weight. This beverage is naturally calorie-free and even matcha has only five tiny ones in each blended brew unless you add cream and sugar.

Additionally, green tea could boost your metabolism. One study showed that drinking four cups per day resulted in a substantial reduction in weight among participants. Researchers believe the antioxidant EGCG produces slimming effects.

5. It Provides Gentle, Long-Lasting Energy

If you’re prone to the jitters, switching to green tea might be better than coffee for long-lasting energy that doesn’t leave you shaking. While the beverage does contain caffeine, it’s a much lighter dose than most java. Green tea contains roughly a third of this ingredient for cup cup cup, compared to the magical bean water.

Additionally, green tea contains theobromine, helping to mitigate caffeine’s effects. This ingredient also exists in cocoa and might explain some of the chocolate’s beneficial impact.

Health Benefits of Green Tea

If you’re like many Americans, you probably start your day with coffee. You don’t have to give up your java, but you might want to consider adding green tea to your morning mix.

The health benefits of green tea extend from your waistline to your heart to your brain. Include more of this beverage in your life and improve your complete well-being.