Native to China and India, green tea has been long used by the locals for its extraordinary health effects and fortunately, the benefits of green tea are nowadays recognized by medical experts in the West as well. Green tea is brewed from the leaves of the bush called Camellia Sinensis and it is famous not only for its health benefits, but also for its great taste – so much so that it is in the top 3 most popular beverages in the world. However, if you don’t like tea, it does not mean that you cannot benefit from the wonderful effects of green tea: green tea is available in the form of a nutrition supplement, as drops and capsules as well.
Green tea, both as a drink and as an extract, can help those who want to lose weight. It is beneficial for the entire circulatory system as it is good for the immune system and prevents numerous illnesses. So let’s see now all these benefits one by one, in more detail.
Table of Contents
The Weight Loss Benefits of Green Tea
One of the ingredients in green tea that helps with your weight loss efforts is caffeine. The substance works as a mild stimulant and it has proven been efficient in breaking down and flushing out fat cells.
The fat burning effects of caffeine are further enhanced by another component in the tea: Epigallocatechin gallate. This substance is a potent antioxidant that boosts your metabolism, accelerating the pace at which your body transforms the nutrients introduced with food into energy.
Green tea contains polyphenols as well, substances that can regulate blood sugar levels. Keeping blood sugar stable is very important if you want to avoid hunger pangs and cravings that can ruin your weight loss diet or make it very difficult to follow, to say the least.
The Benefits of Green Tea for the Cardiovascular System
Numerous scientific studies have been conducted into the benefits of green tea extract on blood circulation and on the functioning of the cardiovascular system in general. The majority of these studies have concluded that green tea consumed in quantities of over 5 cups a day or extract administered in the form of drops, tablets or capsules reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and lowers the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood, responsible for blocking the arteries and causing other circulatory problems.
What’s more, it also increases the level of good cholesterol (HDL), responsible for maintaining the health of the blood vessels. Green tea also helps prevent heart attacks and strokes by keeping blood pressure at a healthy level.
Strengthening the Immune System
Green tea contains antioxidants in high concentrations. These substances help the body strengthen its defense system against the harmful effects of oxidization stress. Numerous studies have proven that green tea is a mighty ally against the effects of free radicals.
Disease Prevention
Green tea is able not only to help you recover from certain physical conditions, like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, but it can also help you avoid these conditions, disease prevention being among the principal benefits of green tea:
- Inflammation – inflammatory processes are the body’s normal reactions to the harmful external factors that affect us day by day. There are some diseases, however, that appear as the result of false alarm and green tea is highly beneficial not only in the treatment of these conditions, but also in preventing them from appearing.
- Liver disease – another one of the incredible benefits of green tea is liver protection. By strengthening the liver, green tea helps the organ eliminate the toxins it is exposed to, thus preventing it against illnesses.
- Infections – green tea has powerful antibacterial and antiviral components, which help your body resist attacks by flu and other viruses.
- Cancer prevention – green tea might also prevent several forms of cancer. The risk of developing breast cancer, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer is much lower among people who consume green tea regularly or supplement their diet with green tea extract.
The benefits of green tea are tremendous – whether you prefer to drink it as a delicious, refreshing beverage or you add it to your diet in the form of extract, green tea will make you feel better and be fitter.
