Lately green tea has been much talked about for its health benefits. While the claims that it's a superfood are not yet proven, it does seem to have the potential to help improve your health when taken as part of a healthy diet. So what are the benefits that it could have? Here are the reasons green tea is good for you …
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1. Antioxidants
We hear a lot about antioxidants these days. But why do we need them? Antioxidants work to counteract the effects of free radicals, which are unstable molecules caused by things like stress and pollution. One very good source of antioxidants is fruit, but in addition you can find them in green tea. And the more antioxidants in your diet, the better!
2. Cancer
Studies suggest that drinking green tea reduces your chance of getting many types of cancer. Although green tea isn't going to be a preventative all by itself - you'll need to look after your general health to lower your chances - anything that may help is worth trying.
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3. Metabolism
Green tea also appears to speed up your metabolism. It's not a miracle answer to weight loss, and won't make you lose weight on its own, but if you want to lose weight it could be helpful to switch to drinking green tea. In addition to its small impact on your metabolism, drinking green tea instead of coffee will save you quite a lot of calories.
4. Cardiovascular Disease
Did you know that cardiovascular disease such as stroke and heart disease is one of the main causes of death in women? Green tea can help reduce your cholesterol levels, which is one of the risk factors in cardiovascular disease. One study suggested that 5 cups a day or more reduces your risk of dying from heart disease by 26% (source: health.harvard.edu).
5. Diabetes
Some studies suggest that green tea may also help to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. It's not certain whether it works, as other studies have shown no effect. However, if you take your coffee sweetened, it could be beneficial to switch to green tea, as you're less likely to take that with sugar - which can only be good for your health.
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6. Anti Aging
One of the benefits of antioxidants is their anti-aging properties. They work to stop the collagen in the skin from breaking down. Because of this green tea is now appearing in a lot of beauty products. But the best way to get the benefits has to be drinking the tea. And wouldn't we all like to look younger for longer?
7. Memory
Do you assume that you're too young to have to worry about memory loss? Whatever your age, it's good to look after your brain health. Again, that antioxidant factor is good for your brain, as green tea has a specific component called EGCG that could boost your brain function.
So it's well worth switching to green tea to give your health a boost. Although these benefits aren't guaranteed to cut your risks of developing health problems, anything that may help is worth a try. If you're taking medication, check with a pharmacist or your healthcare provider, as green tea can interact with certain medication. Do you swear by a certain superfood?
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