The origin of the green tea comes from China and India, and has been consumed and hailed for its health benefits for centuries globally, but has only recently gained popularity in the United States.
Green tea has many uses.
Often viewed as a must-have superfood, green tea is a fantastic staple to have in your diet for its rich antioxidants.
6 Health Benefits of Green Tea
Weight Loss
Green tea increases the metabolism. The polyphenol found in green tea works to intensify levels of fat oxidation and the rate at which your body turns food into calories.
C ancer Fighter
Cancer is caused by uncontrolled growth of cells. It is one of the world’s leading causes of death. Green tea is an excellent source of powerful antioxidants, so it makes perfect sense that it could reduce your risk of cancer. Multiple studies have shown that green tea drinkers are significantly less likely to get various types of cancer.
Brain Enhancement
Drink Green tea and be smarter Sound too good to be true right?
Until last year, the effects of green tea on cognitive function were speculative, but with the improvements in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Dr. Stefan Borgwardt could view the increased connectivity in the cortices of the brain after consumption of green tea. Specifically, green tea drinkers showed increased connectivity in key parts of the brain associated with memory.
The study used healthy male volunteers and found that when given a soft drink containing green tea extract, those consuming green tea extract not only showed increased connectivity in parts of the brain, but improved performance on working memory tasks as well.
Lower Cholesterol
Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol. An analysis of published studies in 2011 found that consuming green tea, either as a beverage or in capsule form, was linked to significant but modest reductions in total and LDL or “bad” cholesterol.
Prevent Alzheimer’s or Memory Loss
Back in 2004, scientists at the University of Newcastle studied the effects of black and green tea on Alzheimer’s disease. In their laboratory studies, both teas prevented the breakdown of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter strongly linked with memory. The teas also inhibited enzymes known as BuChE and beta-secretase. These enzymes are found in protein deposits found in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients.
Boosts Immunity
The catechins in green tea play a major role in boosting your immune function. The tea protects against oxidants and radicals, thereby enhancing immunity.
