People have been drinking green tea for centuries now. This is probably one of the oldest beverage preparation in history. Have you ever wondered why people drink green tea until now? Well, studies have proven that drinking green tea has a lot of health benefits. For one, it is well known to have antioxidising benefits. The animal kingdom needs oxygen in order to survive and that includes the humans.
Body processes need oxygen. This element is abundantly found in the air and with proper intake, it burns the glucose and fat present in the body to supply the needed heat and energy. So you see, oxygen is an essential element needed by the body but anything in excess is harmful and too much oxygen can also have negative effects.
The byproducts of oxidation are free radicals. Sometimes, other molecules interact with the free radicals and so these molecules are also turned into free radicals which can disrupt the normal functioning of the said molecules. If this continue to happen, it could lead to tissue damage and finally, cell destruction.
There are even times when the abnormal functioning of molecules can lead to certain degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, artherosclerosis, cancer, heart diseases, and Parkinson’s disease. Humans are quite fortunate because their bodies are equipped with the right defenses in order to prevent the free radical’s harmful effects.
By eating a lot of fruits and vegetables which contain antioxidants, the free radicals are prevented from causing any harm to the human body. Aside from fruits and vegetables, you can also get antioxidants from green tea. As you can see, by drinking green tea and eating the right amount of fruits and veggies, you can prevent diseases and cell damage.
The tea plant or Camellia Sinensis is popular for its antioxidants which fights diseases. The Chinese people have been using the tea plant for centuries and you can usually find green tea in every household. The Chinese believe that the tea is a very healthy beverage whic promotes good health and well being. Aside from China, green tea is also widely used in Thailand, India, and Japan.
Traditional Chinese and Indian medicines usually contain green tea because it can serve as a stimulant, an astringent (to heal wounds and control bleeding), as a diuretic (to promote the excretion of urine), and an agent that can improve the heart’s health. Green tea is rich in polycatechins which is responsible for the many health benefits. The tea also contains other ingredients which further enhance its antioxidising properties.
Catechins are powerful antioxidants. Aside from it, green tea contains vitamins C, E, and A. It also has properties which makes it anti-carcinogenic, neuro-protective, cardio-protective, and anti-microbial. Green tea is well known to prevent cancer because of the antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate.
Now that you know the benefits of drinking green tea, don’t you think it’s also time that you start taking it? Let healing wonders of green tea improve your overall health. There are now a lot of green tea products sold in the market at very affordable prices. aside from the green tea drinks, you can also find health supplements which contain extracts of green tea. For optimum health and well being, try to incorporate green tea to you diet.
If you’re trying to lose weight or you simply want to maintain your current weight, it would also help a lot if you make it a habit to drink green tea before, during, and after meals. But always remember, too much of anything can also be harmful. So just take green tea in the right amount.
April 2nd, 2009 at 5:25 pm
the reason green tea is helpful to your skin is because it contains resveratrol, some doctors says resveratrol benefits is unproven in human, others who have reaped the benefits disagree, but i personally drink about 10 cups of green tea a day, and regardless of its benefits, i feel great and it energizes me.