5 Reasons to Drink Green Tea Daily

Tea is the one of the most popular drinks second only to water. I have been a tea drinker off an on for years, mostly white tea although my true love has always been coffee. This last year I have been learning alot more about green tea and all it has to offer and let me tell you the list is long! Here are a few of the things…

1. High in Antioxidants

Green Tea contains EGCG which is a powerful antioxidant: there are more EGCG found in green tea than any other type of catechin, and it is known for being the potent antioxidant of the catechin group. Besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The EGCG in green tea has been found to be twice as powerful as resveratrol an antioxidant found in red wine. Just 1 gram of green tea leaves contains 127 milligrams of catechins. Dark Chocolate comes in a distant second.

2. Good for your Skin

The catechins found in green tea help to fight against damage caused by free radicals. UV radiation from sunlight is the most common cause of free radicals in skin cells which causes premature aging. The antioxidants in green tea slow down aging by neutralizing these free radicals.

3. Helps to Relieve Stress

So, now we know that green tea can help prevent cancer and protect your skin, but did you also know that it can help to improve your mood! Theanine, an amino acid in green tea provides a calming, destressing effect by being able to cross the blood-brain barrier, where it blocks the stimulating effects of caffeine and lowers stress and anxiety. Research suggests that drinking five or more cups of green tea daily may reduce the incidence of psychological distress by 20 percent! So, the next time you are feeling overstressed take a very minutes to enjoy a warm cup of green tea or two.

4. Helps to Burn Fat

The catechins in green tea may trigger weight loss by stimulating the body to burn calories and decreasing body fat. ECGC works to stimulate the central nervous system and releases fat into the blood stream, so that the body can use the fat as fuel. This process of using fat as fuel is known as thermogenesis, and it involves the production of extra energy, the shedding of excess water and the burning of body fat.

5. Lowers Blood Pressure

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is the most common form of heart disease. Research has found that if you drink 1/2 cup of green tea daily for at least a year you could reduce your risk of developing hypertension by 46%. If you were to drink 2 1/2 cups of tea each day you could reduce your risk by 65%.

These are just a few of the wonderful benefits that green tea could have in store for you.  So, do yourself a favor and drink of a cup of green tea today!

 

A couple helpful links for more information:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/486339-does-green-tea-relieve-stress/#ixzz2M6LLdm6U

http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/green-tea-antioxidants.html#sthash.sJWODAlz.dpuf

 

Question:

Do you enjoy drinking tea, if so what kind?