Green tea is obtained from Camellia sinensis. It is a native of India and China. It is used as a beverage globally that has some health effects. The leaf extracts are used as a medicine. Green tea is used to enhance mental ability. It is used in weight loss and diet programs and to medicate stomach problems, nausea, diarrhea, body aches, osteoporosis and some tumors. Green tea often hinders various cancers and some women use green tea to fight human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes genital warts.
Green tea is used in the treatment of low blood pressure, Crohn’s disease, heart diseases, diabetes, dental cavities, kidney stones, Parkinson’s disease, skin damage and fatigue syndrome. Applying green tea bags on skin soothes tan developed due to exposure to sun . It also decreases puffiness below the eyes, relieves the stress from eyes and checks bleeding in teeth.It is manufactured in the form of an ointment to treat genital warts. Green tea is not fermented at all and is obtained by steaming leaves at very high temperatures. The most futile parts of it are the bud, stem and leaf. It has vital and important molecules called polyphenols which contributes to many benefits of green tea. They decrease the formation of inflammation, safeguard cartilage and minimize joint degradation. It has 5% of caffeine which has damages the brain’s power of thinking and maximizes urine output and boosts up neutral networks and the oxidants guard heart related functions.
Green tea Benefits :
The health benefits of green tea are numerous due to the presence of various antioxidants and other vital benefits in it.
1. Cancer Prevention :
According to the results of various researches conducted, the polyphenols present in green tea are known to reduce the chances of getting affected from cancer in those who drink it. For a normal healthy living about 3 to 10 cups a day is recommended for maintaining a healthy body. It also protects people from skin cancers due to overexposure to sunlight. It cures any type of cancer like breast cancer, pelvic cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer and also tumours. It has proved its cancer eradicating ability in animals and in laboratory tests. Green tea curbs the growth of cancer due to the presence of polyphenols. Although the exact reason by which green tea kills the cancerous cells is not known, some people have associated it to the ever evolving lifestyle. Yet some researchers are of the opinion that green tea also has some lack of preventive measures against cancer.
2. Cardiovascular Health :
Of all the different varieties of tea available, green tea has the essential nutrients to treat heart risks. It reduces the risks of cardiovascular disease by lowering the levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. Over consumption of green tea results in the formation of kidney stones because it is rich in oxalates. When drunk wisely with caution about 5 to 6 cups a day, may increase our body’s health. Green tea boosts the heart and its related functions with the presence of catechins.
3. Minimizes Cholesterol :
A cup of green tea provides people with a pleasant sense of feeling, boosts morale, prevents free radicals from damaging the body by antioxidants and reduces the levels of cholesterol. Drinking a required amount of cups a day can help to maintain the cholesterol levels in the blood whereas having four cups of green tea has no effect over cholesterol. Green tea minimizes the bad cholesterol and attenuates the levels of good cholesterol. Sometimes the reverse happens that is it attenuates bad cholesterol and reduces good cholesterol. So we must not rely on green tea too much. We must take in low cholesterol foods along with green tea backed up by some physical exercise.
4. Reduces Stroke :
Strokes are non fatal conditions that stakes the lives of many people in the world. Many people in the world associate cardiovascular diseases and strokes to be a part of aging process. But it is not so. A cup of coffee or green tea a day can lower the risks of stroke. Green tea possesses powerful dose of antioxidants like catechins that eradicates the risks of stroke completely. Researchers conducted a survey among people of both sexes, different ages, races and countries and found that green tea lowers the effects of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Coffee especially green coffee beans, on the other hand, possesses high amounts of chlorogenic acid that lowers the risks of stroke. We may add a small amount of green tea to our daily lives to have a positive lifestyle.
5. Prevention Of Diabetes :
The association between green tea and diabetes is not so clear but drinking about three to four cups of green tea a day helps to reduce the chances of diabetes. It reduces the risks of developing diabetes in those who consume it regularly rather than in those who rarely consume it. Insulin helps to regularly activate sugar metabolism which checks sugar level in the body. But in the case of diabetes, the sugar levels go down and this can be corrected by injecting insulin into the body. Alternatively green tea helps to synthesize cells so that they are able to activate sugar metabolism. It also boosts up the metabolic system of the body. Drinking more green tea helps to increase the amount of polyphenols. Green tea has more amount of polyphenols than black tea. Polyphenols are also present in fruits like grapes, blueberries, blackberries and pomegranate etc. Some researchers are of the opinion that green tea has no positive effects on diabetes.
6. Helps To Reduce Obesity :
Green tea helps to lower the rate of obesity in people who regularly consume it. It helps in the burning of fat and increases the rate of metabolism in the body. Polyphenols, catechins and caffeine present in green tea helps to minimize the fat stored in the body. Caffeine is reputed to be the fat reducing agent. To reduce fat, it should primarily be broken down in the fat cell and transported into the blood to make it available as energy. The active nutrients in green tea can help this by boosting the fat burning hormones in the body. Several dieticians advise their patients to consume more amount of green tea for healthy and fast recovery. Some studies have shown that weight loss is achieved by not all persons but it also depends on the individual. Green tea helps to stop absorbing fat that is it absorbs less required amount of fat. While drinking green tea everyday we must also consume high protein foods and low-carb foods for desired effects.
7. Helps To Cure Inflammation and Swellings On The Skin :
Inflammations are caused by the body’s response to some allergic substances. Although it is quite normal, some cause serious damage if left untreated. Green tea helps to cure any skin inflammations and swellings. Researches were conducted by treating animals affected by inflammation with green tea, it showed improvements in the skin conditions. Green tea has anti-inflammatory properties. It is also used in the treatment of psoriasis and dandruff. Dry, red and flaky rashes on the skin were treated with green tea and found to be cured. For those people affected by inflammations, green tea is either applied externally on the affected area or consumed as a drink. It is proved that having green tea in both ways helps to eradicate the inflammations. Inflammations in mouth, cavities, gums and teeth are treated by green tea.
8. It boosts brain memory power :
In the morning many people prefer to drink tea rather than coffee to get benefitted from its high antioxidant properties. Even so, people only drink black tea rather than green tea but now people have switched to green tea. Green tea is not only good for the body but also for the mind as it boosts memory functions and is used in the treatment of many brain conditions such as dementia. It improves the cognitive functions of the brain. It enhances the connections between the parietal and the frontal parts of the brain thereby resulting in the increase of cognitive functions of the brain. EGCG which is a vital antioxidant present in it helps to reduce the risks of age related brain problems. Neuropsychiatric disorders are also treated using green tea. It helps also in the growth of degenerative neural cells in the brain.
9. Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Problems of the brain :
Some scholars conducted experiments to prove the effects of green tea towards alzheimer’s disease and were successful in it. They proved that the green tea helped to reduce the growth of a plaque called amyloid peptide in the brain cells. Some are of the opinion that the scholars used a high dosage of the chemical nutrients in the green tea than those actually needed by the body. More research has to be done in order to prove this. This proved effective even in the diagnosis of animal models. EGCG present in green tea has been known to effectively destroy bacteria in the mouth, reduce the levels of cholesterol, improve the bone conditions, prevent cancers and diabetes and also to maintain weight and increase the metabolic rate of the body. The polyphenols present in the body helps to reduce the risks of the free radicals present in the body. In fact some researchers are of the opinion that antioxidants in green tea do not help to lower the risks of dementia.
10. It improves the quality of dental health :
The catechins in green tea help in the maintenance of the health of green tea. Some bacteria and virus are killed by the green tea. The powerful bacteria in the mouth is Streptococcous mutans. It causes carries, plaque and tooth decay. Green tea is known to stop the growth of these bacteria and improve the overall condition of the teeth. Green tea enhances the condition of the gums. It minimizes the loss of tooth caused by the formation of plaque. The antioxidants present in the green tea prevents cellular damage and cancer cells in the teeth. The green tea also serves as a mouth freshener by killing all the microbes that cause bad breadth. It also outperforms mints, parsely seed and even chewing seeds.
Foot note :
Though there are no side effects of drinking tea, too much drinking is very harmful for our health. Too much drinking causes insomnia, irritability, nausea and dizziness and many more due to the presence of caffeine. It also can cause heart related problems and neural disorders. Green tea has high amount of substances that trigger side effects associated with other herbs and medicines. Green tea supplements also have substances unsafe for health or unproven health benefits. It is always advised to consult a physician prior to start any medication along with green tea. Particularly breastfeeding and pregnant women, women with heart problems, high blood pressure, kidney malfunctions, liver problems, peptic ulcers, or anxiety disorders should strictly abstain from green tea.