It is seen that those who want to maintain their health care for green tea consumption. Thanks to the numerous antioxidants and health-beneficial micro components it contains, it has important benefits to keep the body fit, to perform daily functions smoothly and to protect against diseases.
To make the most of these benefits, green tea should be consumed regularly. Therefore, these positive effects can be benefited by adding 1-2 cups of green tea to the diet every day.
What are the benefits of green tea?
Today, a great increase in the popularity of herbal treatment methods has been observed and many herbal products have been brought to the agenda with their health claims, but among them, the effects of which have been proven by scientific studies are very few. Green tea is one of these rare foods.
Green tea is a very valuable nutrient with many diseases, including the most common health problems. The most important reason for this is the antioxidant components it contains.
Thanks to the antioxidant ingredients that provide powerful effects, regular green tea consumption brings benefits to the improvement of brain functions, protection against many types of cancer, reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and many more. Some of the most obvious positive effects of regular green tea consumption on health are:
Contains bioactive ingredients that are beneficial to health
Although green tea is a delicious type of tea, it promises much more than a drink to enjoy during breaks. Even one cup of green tea contains significant amounts of bioactive ingredients. Polyphenols, one of the most important among these, help reduce inflammation in the body and protect against many diseases.
Among the polyphenols, the component that is specific to green tea and responsible for many of these strong positive effects is catechins. Catechins, especially the type of epigallocatechin gallate, which is abundant in green tea, are natural antioxidants with important protective effects on the body, especially in the prevention of cell damage.
These antioxidants prevent cancer free cells by removing free radicals that circulate in the body and cause cancer. At the same time, since green tea is a beverage with a high mineral content compared to many other types of tea, it helps to fully meet the body’s need for micronutrients.
Improves cognitive functions
Green tea contains a significant amount of caffeine, although not as much as coffee. This amount can be defined as the ideal amount for caffeine to provide positive health effects without showing negative effects such as tension and palpitations.
Caffeine helps you feel more vivid and fit during the day while also helping to maintain cognitive functions. Caffeine increases the amount of neurotransmitters that support neurons such as dopamine and norepinephrine by blocking Adenosine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.
It also provides effects on improving cognitive functions, such as improving mood, accelerating reaction time and enhancing memory. In addition to caffeine, green tea contains an amino acid called L-theanine that can cross the blood brain barrier.
This amino acid increases the activity of the GABA neurotransmitter, which helps prevent anxiety. It also increases the production of dopamine and alpha waves in the brain, strengthens cognitive activities and provides protection against diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Helps maintain form by speeding up fat burning
In many scientific studies, important effects such as regular consumption of green tea accelerate fat burning and increase metabolic rate have been noticed. For this reason, it is suggested that green tea consumption facilitates weight control, accelerates weight loss and helps prevent obesity.
Despite all these positive effects, green tea is a beverage with a very low calorie content. One cup of green tea contains only 2 kilocalories of energy. Green tea is among the healthy drinks that people who follow a weight loss diet can safely consume, as it contains nearly zero energy content and helps slimming.
Protects against chronic diseases
Another important effect of green tea is that it protects against chronic diseases. Looking at the scientific researches, it has been seen that green tea reduces insulin resistance and balances blood sugar levels in many.
Thanks to this feature, green tea helps regulate blood glucose levels in diabetic patients and helps prevent disease in healthy individuals. Green tea is an invaluable nutrient to prevent cardiovascular diseases that cause deaths worldwide.
Green tea when consumed regularly; It provides important protection against heart and vascular diseases by lowering total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.
Reduces the risk of developing cancer
Cancer, which occurs with the uncontrolled proliferation of cells, is the second most common disease group in the world after cardiovascular diseases.
The important antioxidant content of green tea prevents the formation of oxidative damage in the cells and provides a protective effect against all types of cancer, especially breast cancer, prostate cancer and colorectal cancers.
In many scientific studies on this subject, it emphasizes that individuals who have the habit of consuming green tea regularly have a much lower risk of getting cancer.
Likewise, consumption of green tea is very effective in terms of increasing the success rate of treatment and shortening the recovery time in people who receive cancer treatment.
How should green tea be consumed?
It is beneficial to consume 2-3 cups a day in order to benefits from the positive effects of green tea that do not count. However, there are some issues that need attention. First of all, green tea should be chosen from the products of known and sure brands.
Green tea that is sold in the open and has been waiting for a long time may cause more harm than good in the body as it may be risky in terms of foreign substance mixture, moisture increase and aflatoxin formation. Likewise, low-quality green teas can contain excessive levels of fluoride.
Consuming these teas, which regularly contain excess fluoride, may cause various negative effects to start to be observed in the body. Green tea purchased from known brands should be prepared by paying attention to the correct steeping time. Since the above-mentioned bioactive components can be damaged in over-boiled green tea, the desired positive effects may not be obtained.
For this reason, tea brewed in water close to boiling for 5 minutes is enough for it to be ready for drinking. Bag green teas obtained from known brands may also be preferred. It can be consumed plainly or by adding different spices such as lemon, basil, mint.
Green tea, a beverage that does not end with counting its positive effects on health, can be consumed 2-3 glasses a day. However, people with any chronic disease, pregnant women or drug users should consult their physicians before starting regular green tea consumption. If their physician does not see any inconvenience, they should start consuming green tea.
For this reason, if there is no obstacle to your green tea consumption from a medical point of view, you can start consuming green tea regularly and help protect your health.
