People have been drinking variants of tea for several thousand years, starting in China and India. Today, tea is consumed more widely than any other beverage on the planet apart from water
Nutritionist Avni Kaul says there are 3 main varieties of tea: green, black, and oolong. All of them are made from the leaves of the same species of plant called Camellia sinensis; the only difference is in how the tea leaves are processed. Green tea is extracted from unfermented leaves, while oolong tea is made from partially fermented leaves and black tea is completely fermented.
Green tea is one of the best beverages you can drink. It is free of sugar, does not have any calories, and is filled with antioxidants that provide numerous health benefits. Plus, it’s refreshing.
Green tea contains various bioactive compounds including caffeine and other alkaloids, polyphenols, and vitamin K, and after infusing many of the bioactive compounds in the tea leaves effuse into the final drink. Green tea also has a high concentration of powerful antioxidants are known as polyphenols.
A study conducted by the University of Minnesota and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has suggested that Green tea extract contains ingredients (catechins) that may lower the risk of breast cancer. On the other hand, Yale University scientist has suggested that the green team improve the flow of blood, and reduce cholesterol. It is also beneficial for preventing heart-related diseases and high blood pressure.
Things which are good for your heart is also, good for your brain. In one Swiss study, it was observed that people who drank green tea had better activity in the working memory area of the brain.
In this article, Delhi’s top Nutritionist and Dietician Avni Kaul share some incredible health benefits offered by green tea. Here they are.
It Improves Brain Function And Mental Performance
Although the stimulants present in tea can keep you awake, they can also make your brain function better. The major stimulant, caffeine, is present in tea at sufficient dose to provide a lift for most people without causing any increased anxiety and “jitters” linked with too much coffee.
In the brain, the major method of action of caffeine is to block adenosine receptors, allowing neurons to work for longer, boosting brain activity. Studies have proved caffeine improves concentration and memory.
Also, the amino aide L-theanine has a soothing effect while simultaneously increasing alertness, which, in combination with caffeine, can improve brain function and help you be more productive.
Burns Fat
Green tea also, boost your metabolism and help you burn fat. Green tea helps you to lose weight and lower your risk of becoming overweight or obese. Most of this effect is due to caffeine, but other compounds in tea also contribute to this effect. By helping you judiciously burn the fat you have stored in your body for energy, green tea could help you feel fuller and maintain a steadier energy level, resulting in fewer hunger cravings and lower calories consumed. body fat percentage, body fat mass, waist circumference, hip circumference, and areas of fat throughout the body.
Reduces Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a disease that has reached epidemic proportions over the past few years and now affects millions of people globally. And yet, it is almost completely avoidable and mostly reversible in its early stages by strictly reducing the intake of sugar (carbohydrates).
Diabetics lose their sensitivity against insulin, which means insulin is less potent in signaling to cells to absorb sugar from the bloodstream, resulting in both increased blood sugar and higher blood insulin levels.
Green tea can effectively lower and help stabilize your blood sugar levels (glucose levels. Green tea can even improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels. There was a study among Japanese individuals which showed that those who drank green tea had a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Enhance Your Physical Performance
Green tea also helps to boost physical performance, increase exercise endurance, and reduces reaction time, which results from caffeine, although other compounds in green tea may help this effect. Caffeine, and green tea’s, capability to activating fatty acids in fat tissue to make them more easily available for use as energy also responsible to aid physical performance. The antioxidants in green tea help to prevent tissue damage during physical exertion as well.
Prevents Infection And Illness
Because some of the bioactive ingredients in green tea are anti-viral and anti-bacterial, it can also curb bacteria and viruses in your bloodstream and throughout the rest of your body. Similarly, green tea also helps in blocking viral and bacterial infection via your nasal passages. All this shows that green tea assists prevent colds and the flu, and furthermore seems to be able to remove the symptoms of colds and the flu once you are sick.
