Green tea is a tea variant, which is made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis. Unlike oolong tea and black tea, green tea did not undergo the same withering and oxidation process applied in the latter two variants. Originating in China, green tea is packed with several health benefits.
Antioxidants and Cancer
Green tea can fight cancer with its antioxidants. According to Authority Nutrition, green tea contains bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols catechins and flavonoids; these are antioxidants, which defend cells and molecules from being damaged. Another antioxidant present in green tea is Epigallocatechin Gallate or EGCG. It has been studied to treat several illnesses. As antioxidants, it also means they can decrease the production of free radicals and eliminate them from the body. As a result, abnormal cellular activities, such as cellular aberration, which leads to cancer, can be prevented.
Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Health
Obesity and high amounts of bad cholesterol are some of the risk factors for the development of heart diseases like coronary artery disease, which leads to stroke. According to Medical News Today, some studies in 2011 found that drinking green tea, in either beverage or capsule form, was associated to considerable decline in the levels of low-density lipoproteins or bad cholesterol in the blood. Bad cholesterol is linked to obesity and vascular clogging, which further leads hypertension, cardiac overload, heart failure, coronary artery, disease and stroke.
A study in 2006 also found that drinking green tea was linked to decreased mortality rates due to various causes, which covers cardiovascular diseases. The study involved more than 40,000 Japanese participants aged 40 to 79 years old and they were followed in 1994 up to 11 years. The study findings revealed that the participants who consumed at least five cups of green tea a day had a considerably reduced risk of dying, as opposed to those who drank less than a cup of tea daily.
Another study published in the journal “Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association,” as cited by the publication, revealed that drinking tea or coffee regularly is linked with a decreased stroke risk. In a statement, study lead author Yoshihiro Kokubo said that it was the first large-scale study to identify the combined effects of both green tea and coffee on the probability of developing stroke, adding that the inclusion of green tea to the diet help reduce the risk of the disorder..
Brain Function
Green tea has the power to boost the nervous function. According to Authority Nutrition, caffeine found in green tea is a known stimulant, which keeps the brain in active mode. The publication added that while tea has less caffeine content that coffee, it is enough to yield a response without having jittery response linked to excessive caffeine intake.
Sample Recipe
Green tea can be used along with fruits like kiwi and mango, just like in Green Tea Kiwi and Mango Smoothie. According to The Fit Indian, the ingredients include two and a half cups of diced mango, three-fourth cup of fat free vanilla yogurt, one-fourth cup of honey, half teaspoon of lime rind, three ripe kiwifruit, half cup baby spinach, two tablespoons of bottled green tea, two tablespoons of water, and two cups of ice cubes.
To prepare, the mango, water, lime rind, two tablespoons of honey, and half cup of yogurt are processed in a blender until smooth. Then, the mixture is dropped into four separate glasses and then placed in the freezer. Once done, the blender container is rinsed and two tablespoons of honey, one-fourth cup of yogurt, baby spinach, and kiwifruit are placed inside and are blended. Next, the green tea mixture is spooned onto the mango mixture and then garnished with kiwi fruit slices.
