Green tea is usually regarded as a weight loss concoction. Many mass-producing brands pitch it as a beverage that will help you burn fat, after you have indulged in one far too many calories. Read about Benefits of Green Tea below.
Yet, some benefits of green tea are also there from the folklore, without substantial scientific data. It is often made using some herbs and spices present especially in an Indian pantry. The skeptics, however, hail such brews as glorified placebo, and nothing holding scientific merit.
We also have perceptions play a role in drinking green tea. From the movies and T.V shows, coffee is the fuel for the butch and the brave, whereas green tea is limited to the more feminine energy. So, is green tea an elixir of health, or just a drink for the sissies?
Green Tea: Unboxing the myth
Unfortunately for the skeptics, green tea is indeed great for health, according to science as well. It is holistic in its impact and is beneficial in curbing the risk of very many chronic ailments. For disease management however, you should follow the prescription drafted by your Internal Medicine specialist in Lahore, as green tea is not used to treat the ailments.
The 9 health benefits of green tea include:
- Improved brain functionality
Caffeine is found not just in coffee and black tea, but it’s also present in green tea, albeit in not such a great quantity. As a stimulant, caffeine helps the brain become alert. It also improves mood and memory.
Another benefit of caffeine is its ability to make the person focused and vigilant. It also decreases reaction time, as it improved reflexes.
Moreover, green tea also contains L-theanine, which is an amino acid. It helps in increasing impact of the neurotransmitter GABA, thereby promoting its anti-anxiety effects. The combination of caffeine and L-theanine is a potent one, ensuring alertness and improved brain functionality.
- Potential role in Cancer Prevention
With cancer rate on an incline globally, the fact that green tea plays a role in cancer prevention is extremely significant.
Scientific research conducted on animals and test tube cell studies have shown a positive impact of green tea on curbing risk of breast, bladder, ovarian, colorectal, lung, prostate, skin and stomach cancers.
However, to exact the role of green tea, more research is underway.
Another way green tea helps in lowering risk of cancer is due to its antioxidant properties. Free radicals harm the cells, and thereby increase the danger of cancer. Antioxidants help in neutralizing these compounds and dispelling the danger of a debilitating condition.
- Weight loss
Whereas drinking cups of green tea and hoping for the pounds to drop will not happen, since green tea is not a magic potion that melts fat away, it can potentially help in increasing your metabolism. This way, your body can burn more calories, thus increasing the chance of weight loss.
Moreover, green tea may also help boost fat burning mechanism in the body. However, this impact is not universally observed; only some people are able to benefit from increased fat burning effect of green tea.
Caffeine in the green tea also helps in mobilizing fat, and thus makes it available to be used as fuel for energy. It is also a better alternative to the fattening fancy coffees and colas.
- Protects brain from aging
Another potential benefit of green tea is its ability to prevent neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The catechin compounds present in green tea are helpful for lowering dementia.
- Decreased risks of stroke
Stroke occurs when blood supply to the brain in compromised, leading to the death of brain cells. Stroke can lead to paralysis, speech problems, impaired memory, and even death. Thus, it is vital to take steps to lower chances of stroke, and green tea is one such way.
Although the contribution of green tea in decreasing stroke risk is minor, but it is significant, nonetheless.
- May reduce risk of type II diabetes
To call uncontrolled diabetes a harbinger of illnesses is not an exaggeration. Even controlled diabetes paves way for many ailments around the body, including heart disease, neuropathy, eyesight issues etc.
Green tea helps in preventing type II diabetes, because of the polyphenols present in it. It also thus plays role in curbing diabetes-induced complications as well.
- Lowered cholesterol levels
Bad cholesterol settles in the blood vessels and causes them to become hard. This makes it hard for the heart to pump blood around the body. Moreover, it also increases the risk of heart disease and heart attack. Thus, it is very important to moderate cholesterol levels.
Green tea has been found to reduce slight levels of bad cholesterol in the body.
- Skin problems due to inflammation
You cannot just drink green tea for health, but its topical application is also helpful for inflammatory skin condition. Green tea contains the compound, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, or commonly known as, EGCG, which has anti-inflammatory properties.
When applied to the affected areas, it yields positive results, improving circulation in the area as well.
- Good for your heart
According to one research, green tea is useful for decreasing the mortality rate from cardiovascular diseases. Polyphenols in green tea are good for lowering blood pressure, inflammation and improved epithelial functioning.
However, due to presence of caffeine, people with hypertension should first confer with the Best Internal Medicine Specialist in Karachi before resorting to the use of green tea.