Health Benefits of Taking Green Tea!

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via ANKWD - Welcome to the gateway of Citizen Journalism! by divya on 9/21/08

 

Do you need a dose of caffeine to get going in the morning? Are you apprehensive that your caffeine intake might cause health problems for you? Do you want a remedy for it? Well, you are reading just the right article for it then. The solution is “Green Tea”. Green tea has increasingly become a very popular drink worldwide because of its immensely powerful health benefits.

Asian cultures have used green tea for medicinal purpose throughout the course of time. However, in Ancient China, it was used especially against headaches and depression. Green tea has a great importance in China history. It is produced from the leaves of Camellia Sinensis. While green, oolong, and black tea all come from the same plant, the Camellia green tea is processed differently than the other teas. The leaves are steamed. Therefore, the compound that is so helpful isn’t oxidized as it is in the other teas. Green tea has considerably less caffeine than coffee.

The various health benefits of consuming green tea are:

• Lowering of cholesterol: Green tea helps in reducing cholesterol levels in the body as it has high concentration of antioxidants. Green Tea helps to increase liver’s LDL receptors. This helps in reducing bad cholesterol in the blood, thereby lowering the total cholesterol levels.
• Remission of cancerous cells: The antioxidant in green tea is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times better than vitamin E. It helps in inhibiting the enzymes which aid cancer cells spread throughout the body. It can decrease tumor sizes and prevent further tumor formation.
• Eases the pain associated with arthritis: The antioxidants in the tea ease swelling, which in turn, helps ease the pain associated with arthritis.
• Keeps bones strong: The very key to this is high fluoride content found in green tea. It helps keep the bones strong by preserving the bone density.
• Prevents heart diseases: The tea helps break down plaque on artery walls. This allows better blood flow, and thus, heart disease prevention.
• Cures infections: Another health benefit of drinking green tea is its ability to cure infections. The antioxidants in the tea have the ability to kill the disease causing organisms. Polyphones and antioxidants exist in green tea. These help with the stimulation of the immune system. This helps in building strength and fighting immunity.
• Treating acne: Natural antioxidants and antibacterial properties of green tea make it useful for the treatment of acne. It also reduces some of the hormone levels that are known to cause acne. For acne problems, it can either be ingested or administered directly on the skin in the form of a cream.
• Prevents cavities: As green tea can destroy bacteria and viruses, it inhibits the growth of cavities, which are primarily caused by these things.
• Promotes longevity: The polyphones in green tea help to fight against free radicals. This helps in fewer wrinkles and longer life.
• Helps in weight loss: Green tea helps shed those extra kilos. It burns fat and boosts the metabolism rate naturally. It can help burn up to 70 calories in just one day. That translates to 7 pounds in one year.
• Prevents obesity: Green tea prevents obesity by stopping the movement of glucose in fat cells. If you are on a healthy diet, exercise regularly and drink green tea, it is unlikely you’ll be obese.
• Prevents Diabetes: Green tea improves lipid and glucose metabolisms, prevents sharp increases in blood sugar level, and balances the metabolism rate.
• Slows process of Alzheimer’s: Though there is no cure for this disease, green tea helps slow the process of reduced acetylcholine in the brain, which leads to Alzheimer’s.
• Retards the growth of Parkinson’s: Antioxidants in green tea helps prevent against cell damage in the brain, which could cause Parkinson’s. People drinking green tea also are less likely to progress with Parkinson’s.
• Prevents cold and flu: Vitamin C in green tea helps prevent cold and flu.
• Reduces Asthma: Theophylline in green tea relaxes the muscles which support the bronchial tubes, reducing the severity of asthma.
• Relieves stress: L-theanine, which is a kind of amino acids in green tea, helps in relieving stress and anxiety.
• Relieves allergies: EGCG found in green tea relieves allergies. So, if you have allergies, you should really consider drinking green tea.