Many Health Benefits of Green Tea

As you may know, the benefits of green tea are abundant and far-reaching. Green tea is used by many to lose weight, improve cardiovascular condition, or simply as a preventative health measure. Bottom line, studies show that those who drink green tea enjoy a longer, healthier life. The general benefits of green tea may include:

•     Lowers total cholesterol and LDL (bad)-cholesterol levels
•     Increases HDL (good)-cholesterol levels
•     Reduces blood pressure
•     Lowers blood sugar
•     Acts as "blood thinner"
•     Reduces the risk of cancer
•     Reduces the risk of heart attack
•     Decreases the risk of stroke
•     Decrease the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis
•     Protects against Parkinson's disease
•     Enhances immune function
•     Acts as an antibacterial and antiviral agent
•     Helps burn extra calories
•     Prevents dental cavities and gum disease
•     Builds stronger bones
•     Boosts longevity

Green Tea - Increase Metabolism Naturally

A University of Geneva medical study showed that over a 24-hour period, green tea extract increases the metabolic rate by 4%. This increase in fat oxidation was higher than in subjects who used a placebo or caffeine. In addition, this stimulation of thermogenesis and fat oxidation by the green tea extract was not accompanied by an increase in heart rate. Thus, green tea extract has a distinct advantage over stimulant diet drugs, which can have adverse cardiovascular effects, especially for obese individuals with hypertension and other cardiovascular complications.

Green Tea - Suppress Appetite Safely

Scientists at the University of Chicago have found that green tea caused rats to lose up to 21 percent of their body weight. Rats injected with a green tea extract lost their appetites and consumed up to 60 percent less food after seven days of daily injections. The lead scientist on the study explained that a person would have to drink green tea almost constantly to obtain these results.

Green Tea and Polyphenols

Green Tea is the #1 source of polyphenols, chemical compounds found in fruits and vegetables. These extremely high levels of polyphenols deliver green tea's unique results in several ways. Just one example is a subgroup of polyphenols, exclusive to green tea, called catechins. EGCG, the most abundant and powerful of green tea's 5 main catechins, is dubbed the 'super antioxidant' because it is 200 times more powerful than the popular antioxidant vitamin E. This super antioxidant eliminates free radicals, the unstable molecules in the body that are the major cause of both aging and disease, which are continually attacking the body. Unfortunately, polyphenols have a quick life span (short half life) of about 3 hours, thus the scientific reason behind researchers' recommendation to drink green tea a minimum of 8 times a day.

So try green tea today to take advantage of what many people have already discovered and live a happier healthier life.

Author: Gerald Meyer
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Green Tea and How to Burn Body Fat

Green tea has been used for medicinal purposes in both China and Japan for at least 4000 years. It’s an easy to prepare and delicious drink that has perhaps had more positive health attributes associated with it than any other herb. Not least of these claims is that this tea is excellent for those trying to lose weight, but is this true?

With obesity on the rise, more and more people are asking how to burn body fat. This type of tea is purported to be an easy weight loss aid, especially when combined with a healthy weight loss diet. Numerous studies have shown that if you were to drink between 3 and 5 cups of green tea each day you’ll use around an extra 70 calories per day. This is not a huge number but it is important for two reasons.

Firstly, by switching to green tea you have stopped (or at least you should have stopped) drinking other things like sugary carbonated drinks, lattes and even fruit juices. By doing this you’ll have instantly cut out all the extra calories contained in these drinks before we even consider the fat fighting ability of green tea itself. Secondly, 70 calories each day comes to about 25,000 per year! Since one pound of body fat is equal to around 3500 calories then you’ll be losing 7 lbs per year just by switching your drink. Another weight loss bonus of green tea is that it contains caffeine which will temporarily raise your metabolism causing your body to burn more calories through the internal energy process called thermogenesis, this happens even when you are at rest.

In addition to its ability to burn body fat, there are other beneficial attributes linked to green tea. Research suggests that by drinking green tea regularly and often, you will reduce your risks of developing some cancers and cardiovascular disease.

What is it in green tea that brings these health benefits? As we digest food, the stomach eventually turns it into something called triglyceride. When there is too much of this substance in the blood it gets turned into fat. Triglyceride is broken down by a particular enzyme and when you drink green tea, production of this enzyme in increased and triglyceride removed more rapidly. This amazing tea is therefore hindering the absorption of fat in the body and also regulating the rise in blood sugar. Keeping a check on blood sugar levels is important because highs and lows in the blood sugar level can cause us to crave food, particularly sweet, fat gaining foods. Also, when you drink this tea, a type of flavonoid called catechins is produced and it is believed that this chemical plays a significant role in reducing the risks of developing certain types of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

One often cited benefit of this amazing drink is that it’s full of polyphenols a strong type of anti-oxidant. In fact, it’s believed that this is what gives green tea its bitter flavour. If a molecule has one or more pairs of free electrons then it is referred to as a free radical. These sorts of molecules can harm body tissue by adversely interacting with it. Anti-oxidants work by ridding the body of these free radicals, a process which is thought to lessen the risk of getting cancer and heart disease.

These are some of the major health benefits associated with green tea. There are many more and if you haven’t included it in your diet perhaps now is the time to start.

Nothing in this article should be construed as instruction or advice and before beginning any diet or exercise appropriate medical advice should be obtained.

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