Are you thirsting for a beverage that tastes delicious and is healthy too? Dr. Andrew Weil, MD suggests green tea. Research is showing that this drink packs a lot of punch when it comes to fighting off weight gain, diabetes, and even cancer.
Green tea originated in China around 2737 B.C. It is derived from the plant Camellia sinesis. Because the brewing process simply involves steaming the leaves to create the tea there are none of the sugars found in soda or fruit drinks that are commonly found on American shelves.
One of the health benefits of green tea is that it contains antioxidants. Antioxidants prevent “free radicals” in your body from damaging cells, which in turn can cause health issues. In fact, green tea shows promise for providing skin protection from the sun as well as lower the risk of developing cancer. These include bladder, prostate, and breast cancer.
Another positive benefit of green tea is how it affects your mood. Although it does have some caffeine, green tea has less caffeine than coffee. It additionally has an amino acid called L-theanine, which helps keep you calm. This acid also raises the amount dopamine in the brain and even has an impact on lowering blood pressure. All this means green tea can help you stay focused, calm, and relaxed.
A third benefit for green tea is its role in keeping your cardiovascular system healthy. Studies show that drinking green tea lowers the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure or suffer from a stroke. Also, the polyphenol EGCG improves the heart muscle and lowers the amount of cholesterol in your arteries.
Green tea can help you lose weight by improving your body’s ability to burn fat. With diabetes, the drink can prevent spikes and dips in blood sugar levels which lead to crashes, as well as lower the chance of developing type-2 diabetes.
Want to learn more about the health benefits of green tea? Read the full post here: 10 Reasons to Drink Green Tea.
