Green tea-a kind of leaf which was derived from Eastern countries such as China, Japan, and so on has become one of the most popular refreshments for all kind of social class. Green tea flavor some are light; some are strong which makes anyone who has ever tasted it to remember for a long time. But not everyone knows about the real benefits of green tea beyond a drink. I myself is a green tea drinker have learned lots of things about green tea. The following list of benefits of green tea that WikiYeah collects from nutritionist will walk you to discover the amazing effects of green tea on the human life.
12 Beauty And Health Benefits Of Green Tea
Active Principles In Tea
The medicinal properties of tea are attributed to flavonoid phytochemicals called polyphenols. The polyphenols found in tea mainly belong to the subtype called catechins. Green tea has more catechins than black tea (about 25% vs 4%). White tea is almost as rich in catechins as green tea but is different in composition and less well studied. The main catechins in green tea include gallocatechin (GC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin (EC), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).
1. Improve Overall Health
Green tea is more than just green liquid. Many of the bioactive compounds in the tea leaves do make it into the final drink, which contains large amounts of important nutrients. It is loaded with polyphenols like flavonoids and catechins, which function as powerful antioxidants.
These substances can reduce the formation of free radicals in the body, protecting cells and molecules from damage. These free radicals are known to play a role in aging and all sorts of diseases.
One of the more powerful compounds in green tea is the antioxidant Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), which has been studied to treat various diseases and may be one of the main reasons green tea has such powerful medicinal properties.
Green tea also has small amounts of minerals that are important for health. Try to choose a higher quality brand of green tea, because some of the lower quality brands can contain excessive levels of fluoride. That being said, even if you choose a lower quality brand, the benefits still far outweigh any risk. Green tea is loaded with bioactive compounds that can have various beneficial effects on health.
2. Stimulates Brain Activity
When it comes to beauty and health benefits of green tea, it does more than just keep you awake, it can also make you smarter. The key active ingredient is caffeine, which is a known stimulant. It doesn’t contain as much as coffee, but enough to produce a response without causing the “jittery” effects associated with too much caffeine.
What caffeine does in the brain is to block an inhibitory neurotransmitter called Adenosine. This way, it actually increases the firing of neurons and the concentration of neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. Caffeine has been intensively studied before and consistently leads to improvements in various aspects of brain function, including improved mood, vigilance, reaction time and memory. It is also a natural ingredient to help you create a good solution on how to improve mental health in the natural way.
However, green tea contains more than just caffeine. It also has the amino acid L-theanine, which is able to cross the blood-brain barrier. L-theanine increases the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, which has anti-anxiety effects. It also increases dopamine and the production of alpha waves in the brain. Studies show that caffeine and L-theanine can have synergistic effects. The combination of the two is particularly potent at improving brain function. Because of the L-theanine and the smaller dose of caffeine, green tea can give you a much milder and different kind of “buzz” than coffee.
Many people report having more stable energy and being much more productive when they drink green tea, compared to coffee.
Green tea contains less caffeine than coffee, but enough to produce an effect. It also contains the amino acid L-theanine, which can work synergistically with caffeine to improve brain function.
3. Heart Disease And Cholesterol
The next one in this list of health benefits of green tea is heart disease reduction. Scientists think green tea works on the lining of blood vessels, helping keep them stay relaxed and better able to withstand changes in blood pressure. It may also protect against the formation of clots, which are the primary cause of heart attacks
Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol. Regular consumption of green tea is thought to reduce the risk of high blood pressure. [See: daily healthy living tips]
4. Muscle Strengthening Activities
If you look at the ingredients list for any fat burning supplement, chances are that green tea will be on there. This is because green tea has been shown to increase fat burning and boost the metabolic rate, in human controlled trials. In one study in 10 healthy men, green tea increased energy expenditure by 4% .
Another study showed that fat oxidation was increased by 17%, indicating that green tea may selectively increase the burning of fat. However, I’d like to point out that some studies on green tea don’t show any increase in metabolism, so the effects may depend on the individual. Caffeine itself has also been shown to improve physical performance by mobilizing fatty acids from the fat tissues and making them available for use as energy.
In two separate review studies, caffeine has been shown to increase physical performance by 11-12%, on average. Green tea has been shown to boost the metabolic rate and increase fat burning in the short term, although not all studies agree. So, this is one of nutrition tips in many muscle building techniques for guys.
5. Lower The Risk Of Various Types Of Cancer
Cancer is caused by uncontrolled growth of cells. It is one of the world’s leading causes of death. It is well known that oxidative damage contributes to the development of cancer and that antioxidants can have a protective effect. Green tea is an excellent source of powerful antioxidants, so it makes perfect sense that it could reduce your risk of cancer, which it appears to do:
Breast cancer: A meta-analysis of observational studies found that women who drank the most green tea had a 22% lower risk of developing breast cancer, the most common cancer in women. Prostate cancer: One study found that men drinking green tea had a 48% lower risk of developing prostate cancer, which is the most common cancer in men.
Colorectal cancer: A study of 69,710 Chinese women found that green tea drinkers had a 57% lower risk of colorectal cancer.
Multiple other observational studies show that green tea drinkers are significantly less likely to get various types of cancer.
It is important to keep in mind that it may be a bad idea to put milk in your tea, because it can reduce the antioxidant value.
Green tea has powerful antioxidants that may protect against cancer. Multiple studies show that green tea drinkers have a lower risk of various types of cancer.
6. Good For Old People
This is one of the most common benefits of green tea that everyone knows. Not only can green tea improve brain function in the short term, it may also protect your brain in old age. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease in humans and a leading cause of dementia. Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease and involves the death of dopamine producing neurons in the brain.
Multiple studies show that the catechin compounds in green tea can have various protective effects on neurons in test tubes and animal models, potentally lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The bioactive compounds in green tea can have various protective effects on neurons and may reduce the risk of both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, the two most common neurodegenerative disorders.
7. Killing Bacteria, Improves Dental Health And Lowers The Risk Of Infection.
The catechins in green tea have other biological effects as well. Some studies show that they can kill bacteria and inhibit viruses like the influenza virus, potentially lowering your risk of infections. Streptococcus mutans is the primary harmful bacteria in the mouth. It causes plaque formation and is a leading contributor to cavities and tooth decay.
Studies show that the catechins in green tea can inhibit the growth of streptococcus mutans. Green tea consumption is associated with improved dental health and a lower risk of caries. An awesome benefit of green tea is that it can reduce bad breath. The catechins in green tea may inhibit the growth of bacteria and some viruses. This can lower the risk of infections and lead to improvements in dental health, a lower risk of caries and reduced bad breath.
8. Lower Your Risk Of Type II Diabetes
Type II diabetes is a disease that has reached epidemic proportions in the past few decades and now afflicts about 300 million people worldwide. This disease involves having elevated blood sugar levels in the context of insulin resistance or an inability to produce insulin. Studies show that green tea can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels. One study in Japanese individuals found that those who drank the most green tea had a 42% lower risk of developing type II diabetes.
According to a review of 7 studies with a total of 286,701 individuals, green tea drinkers had an 18% lower risk of becoming diabetic.
9. Prevent Skin Cancer
There have been a number of encouraging studies of skin benefits of green tea. Animal studies showed protection from skin cancer. Both animal and human studies have credibly demonstrated that topical green tea formulations reduce sun damage. Green tea appears to exert sun damage protection by quenching free radicals and reducing inflammation rather than by blocking UV rays. Therefore, green tea may synergistically enhance sun protection when used in addition to a sunscreen.
A small study showed benefits of 2% polyphenone (via a particular type of green tea extract) in papulopustular rosacea. In particular, a significant reduction in inflammatory lesion was reported compared to placebo.
What about wrinkles, skin sag and other signs of aging? Can green tea help? Considering their well-documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, topical green tea polyphenols are likely to slow down the development of some signs of aging. Whether green tea can actually diminish wrinkles and skin sag is far more uncertain.
In a 2005 study, forty women with moderate photoaging were randomized to either a combination regimen of 10% green tea cream and 300 mg twice-daily green tea oral supplementation or a placebo regimen for 8 weeks. No significant differences in clinical grading were found between the green tea-treated and placebo groups. On the other hand, histologic grading of skin biopsies did show significant improvement in the elastic tissue content of treated specimens. More human studies are needed to not only determine the scope of anti-aging skin benefits of green tea but also to work out the optimal usage.
There is preliminary evidence that green tea may inhibit matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), the enzymes whose excessive activity contributes to age-related degradation of the skin matrix (see our article about MMP). In a 2009 in vitro (test tube) study, green tea extract was shown to inhibit two key subtypes of MMP, collagenase and elastase. Notably, in the same study, white tea was even more effective than green tea as an MMP inhibitor. (For details, see our article on the skin benefits of white tea.)
10. Depression And Stress
Theanine is an amino acid naturally found in tea leaves. It is this substance that is thought to provide a relaxing and tranquilizing effect which can support people to alleviate depression when it comes to how to overcome depression quickly.
11. Weight Loss
Green tea can increase the metabolism and is one of healthy foods for weight loss. The good polyphenol in fresh green tea can work to intensify levels of the fat oxidation and the rate at which the body turns all of the foods into calories. Moreover, all scientists stated that the catechins (antioxidants) in the green tea can increase the abilityof the body to burn fat as fuel, which will help for improved muscle endurance.
12. Anti Aging
Some uncertainty regarding the extent of green tea benefits and its optimal usage is likely to remain for years to come. Yet, if you wish to include green tea in your skin care today, there are sensible ways to go about it.
In particular, since sun protection benefits of green tea are particularly well documented, it could make sense to apply a green tea formula under your sunscreen when venturing into the sun. It is best to combine green tea with zinc oxide-based sunscreens because zinc oxide is chemically inert and should not react with green tea (which some chemical sunscreens might do, especially in sunlight).
It may also be useful to incorporate green tea into your skin maintenance routine to possibly slow down skin aging. Also, you will know how to lighten your skin naturally by using green tea. However, simply buying a green tea cream may not necessarily be the best way to go. Like most other antioxidants, green tea polyphenols are oxidized and lose their activity when exposed to air. Whether commercial green tea creams retain the activity is unclear and may vary widely from product to product.
If you are willing to put in a bit of extra effort, here are some alternatives. Freeze freshly brewed green tea as ice cubes and uses them as a toner. (Just don’t apply ice cubes to your skin right out of the freezer, let them start thawing first or you may get a freeze burn.) Or you can make your own fresh green tea cream using standardized extract as an active ingredient. You can also drink lots of green tea or take green tea extract in capsules as discussed above – the polyphenols might reach your skin via the bloodstream in sufficient amounts to make a difference, and it is also a good solution when it comes to fast skin whitening tips.
This post shows you 12 health and beauty benefits of green tea with simple uses! If people have comments about this writing, please leave them at the end of the post! Make sure you like WikiYeah on Facebook to be updated every time we post brand new tips and tricks on ways to live a healthy life.
