Health Benefits of Green Tea

I've been a Green Tea Drinker now since 2004. My Tea of preference is Bigelow Decaf Green Tea.

Green Tea Leaves

I'm a Melanoma Cancer Survivor, and lost my left leg and almost my life to the Cancer. But I survived and I made changes to my diet and added Green Tea. I had read all the positive benefits of drinking Green Tea so that's why I started drinking it. I'm still Cancer Free and it's now 2015, 11 years Cancer Free! I'm sure the change in diet and exercise plays a big part in everything but i truly believe that Green Tea plays a big part in that also. Anyway here's some facts I gathered on - The Health Benefits of Green Tea.
* It is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that have powerful effects on the body. This includes improved brain function, fat loss, a lower risk of cancer and many other incredible benefits. Here are 10 health benefits of green tea that have been confirmed in human research studies.


Green tea has been shown to improve blood flow and lower cholesterol. A 2013 review of many studies found green tea helped prevent a range of heart-related issues, from high blood pressure to congestive heart failure.

What’s good for the heart is usually good for the brain; your brain needs healthy blood vessels, too. In one Swiss study, MRIs revealed that people who drank green tea had greater activity in the working-memory area of their brains. Green tea has also been shown to help block the formation of plaques that are linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Green tea seems to help keep blood sugar stable in people with diabetes. Because catechins lower cholesterol and blood pressure, they can help protect against the damage a high-fat diet can cause.


How it Works
Premium green tea is a varietal of the Camellia sinensis bush.  Green tea leaves are not oxidized or fermented.  Green tea is processed with a three-stage system of steaming, rolling and firing the tea leaves which retains crucial molecules called polyphenols, which are strong antioxidants.  These polyphenols, specifically catechins, and their effects on the body, have led researchers to support the health benefits of green tea.

1)      Cardiovascular Health
A Japanese study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association followed 40,000 people over an 11-year period and determined that those who drank at least five cups of green tea daily were significantly less likely to suffer from cardiovascular complications and death, particularly from stroke.  The results were attributed to green tea’s polyphenols and their effects on helping to prevent the thickening of artery walls.

2)      Cholesterol Levels
A study published in the British Medical Journal of over 1,000 Japanese men over the age of 40 who drank large quantities of tea, daily, showed that cholesterol levels remained balanced over time.  They concluded that the anti-inflammatory compounds contained in green tea help to limit the absorption of cholesterol.

3)      Weight Loss
Published in the British Journal of Nutrition, a study was conducted on the health effects of green tea catechins in overweight and obese men.  Over time, a lower body mass suggested that green tea’s catechins may increase metabolic function and decreased body weight.

4)      Aging and Cognitive Function
Research published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research found that the properties contained in green tea helped to improve cognitive function in the part of the brain that controls short and long term memory.  Catechins contained in green tea are believed to have aided in increased brain cell production during the study.

5)      Reduced Stress

Research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently found that individuals who drank five or more cups of green tea daily were much less likely to suffer from stress than those who drank one cup or less a day.
Furthermore, the ritual of steeping green tea encourages a relaxing, Sip-by-Sip lifestyle.

The health benefits don’t end here; green tea and the effects of its antioxidants are currently being researched as an aid to treating and preventing diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Chronic Fatigue and many other ailments.  It is time to discover why many tea enthusiasts have long enjoyed this nourishing beverage that contains so many healthful antioxidants.

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/health-benefits-of-green-tea


http://the.republicoftea.com/teablog/2015/02/10/the-health-benefits-of-premium-green-tea-a-survey-of-recent-research/?
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