The Health Benefits of Green Tea

For years green tea has been used by the Chinese to treat a variety of different problems, including body aches, digestion problems, headaches, and even to help lengthen life expectancy and improve general well being. While the Chinese have been using this tea for more than 1000 years, today scientific studies are beginning to prove what they have said all along about this tea - it is a medicine for all different problems. Believe it or not, in the world today, green tea is the second highest consumed drink, only beat out by water. Why are so many people beginning to drink green tea so much? It's because of all the great benefits that this tea can provide. So, let's take a closer look at some of the benefits that green tea has to offer those who drink it on a regular basis.

Probably one of the main health benefits of green tea is that it is a great source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are very important to the body and to health. In fact, scientists believe that they can help to prevent cancer, heart diseases, stroke, and even slow down the aging process as well. If you are looking for one source of antioxidants that is cost effective and easy to consume, green tea is a great choice.

You'll also find that another health benefit of green tea is that it can help to increase life expectancy in humans. Believe it or not, studies have shown that those who drink at least five cups of green tea each day are more likely to live longer than those who only drink once cup or less each day. Part of the reason that green tea can increase longevity is because it does help to prevent and treat so many different health problems, leading to a healthier and longer life among those who consume it regularly.

One of the most exciting benefits of green tea is that newer studies are showing that green tea can help to treat cancer, as well as to prevent it. While the high concentration of antioxidants helps with this, there is more to it. The green tea actually restricts blood vessel growth to cancer cells and can cause the abnormal cells to self destruct. Also, green tea helps to block the over production of enzymes that are harmful, which helps to prevent cancers from growing in the first place. Cancer studies regarding green tea are showing results in a variety of cancers, including breast cancer, colon cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, brain cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer.

People who have gone through a stroke or heart attack can benefit from green tea as well. Drinking this tea can help with their recovery after going through strokes and heart attacks. The EGCG that is found in the green tea seems to be what helps to speed up the recovery. Not only can green tea help with recover, but scientists have found that green tea seems to help reduce the risk of heart disease as well.

As people age, hardening of the arteries tends to happen naturally. Blood platelets, cholesterols, and fats start to build up on the walls of the arteries. As they thicken and then clog the artery, a stroke or a heart attack can occur. Drinking 3-4 cups of green tea each day can help to clean out the arteries, providing those who drink it with a 25-46% lower risk of having a heart attack or stroke. It aids in clearing the arteries by helping to reduce blood clots, cholesterols, and triglycerides.

Many people today are fighting the battle with high blood pressure, and once you have high blood pressure, it can be hard to reduce it. However, studies regarding green tea are showing that it can help to reduce high blood pressure. Those who drink green tea for a year are less likely to even develop high blood pressure and those who already have high blood pressure can significantly lower it if they start drinking about 4 cups of green tea each day.

Believe it or not, green tea has also shown great promise with treating and preventing diabetes as well. The theaflavins and EGCG in green tea can help to increase the activity of insulin and reduce the sugar in the blood. However, you should avoid adding milk, since this can decrease the activity of insulin. Drinking six cups of green tea each day for about 2 months has been shown in studies to reduce blood sugar levels up to 20%, and it can also be used for the prevention of diabetes as well.

Green tea has long been touted for aiding weight loss and it really can help with the battle of the bulge. You see, green tea is great for burning fat, but is also provides you with more energy so you can exercise longer as well, also helping you to burn more calories. The catechins in green tea help to burn off fat and reduce the utilization of carbohydrates as well, which enables you to exercise a lot longer.

You'll also find that you can benefit from a boost to your immune system when you begin drinking green tea regularly. Green tea contains antigens, which are present in some bacteria. This helps to build up the immune defense against these bacteria. Drinking about five small cups of green tea each day has been proven to really boost the immune system.