Green tea has a long history of healthful benefits and its qualities are significantly more effective than black tea. Both teas come from the carnellia sinensis plant but green tea leaves are steamed rather than fermented like black and oolong teas. This prevents a powerful anti-oxidant, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), from being oxidized and therefore diminished.
Antioxidant Properties
Most of us have heard of the positive effects red wine can have on a fatty diet and its healthful benefits on heart disease. High amounts of catechins polyphenols, particularly EGCG, are present in green tea. And EGCG has twice as much resveratrol as red wine, making it a powerful weapon towards lowering cholesterol, inhibiting blood clots and negating the effects of a fatty diet.
EGCG is also used to treat diabetes and is reported to have glucose-lowering effects. In addition glucose can cause a person to feel hunger and by controlling insulin levels, you control appetite. Try drinking a mug of green tea at the first hunger pain and you are well on your way to managing your appetite.
Thermo genesis
Thermo genesis literally means heat generation. Green tea increases thermogenesis in the body, becoming a potent appetite suppressant and increasing fat oxidation, helping the body to use fat as an energy source. This means the body is preferentially burning fat over protein.
Green tea also raises the body’s metabolism, increasing the rate at which calories are burned. In a recent study, the combination of green tea and caffeine burned more calories than those given a placebo.
There are many other conditions in which green tea is reputed to be helpful:
- Killing cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells untouched
- Treating Rheumatoid arthritis
- Lowering LDL cholesterol
- Preventing thrombosis which causes heart attacks and strokes
- Addressing cardiovascular disease by inhibiting abnormal formation of blood clots
- Preventing infection
- Improving impaired immune function
- Stopping certain neurodegenerative diseases (such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s)
- Treating multiple sclerosis
- Preventing tooth decay by killing the bacteria that causes dental plaque
Add to its thermo genesis benefits, green tea also has energy-boosting properties, which makes it a perfect breakfast tea or mid-afternoon pick me up.
When you compare the heath benefits of green tea with the harmful effects of regular and diet soda, coffee and other damaging drinks, it is easy to see why green tea has a long and successful history of benefiting the drinker.
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mmmm.. I love the aroma of Green tea!!!
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its amazing…..try it with a teaspoon of honey….its a healthy choice to kickstart any time…a very rejuvenating drink!!!!!!
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Very informative article ..healthy trend to switch to green tea ..
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its a very healthy drink…Try it….!!!!!
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Can green tea be taken with milk as well or is it strict no-no?
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You get the whole benefits with plain tea….If you are a tea drinker – you may have heard about catechins. These compounds play a role in preventing cancer and heart disease. However a fascinating new study has shown that when milk is consumed with tea – the effect of the catechins is effectively canceled out.
But this is very controversial, hence cannot be pinpointed at….generally green tea is never drunk with milk…..Its definitely not a strict no-no…..Its left up to you to decide keeping in mind the controversy…..
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Hi Sanjana,
Thanks for your quick reply and educating me about this.
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