How Can Green Tea Improve Your Health?

Green tea is one of the types of drinks that provide us with a large set of health benefits. This tea has been known and used in China for thousands of years as a remedy to many ailments, and just recently it has been re-discovered by the Western World, leading to many scientific studies that confirm many of its benefits.

An epidemiological study was conducted in 1994, and the results showed that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in both men and women by 60%! Other studies show that green tea is very helpful to lower the overall cholesterol levels and balance in favor of good cholesterol.

The main benefits include helping with cancer, infections, high cholesterol issues, impaired immune function, cardiovascular diseases and rheumatoid arthritis.

The components that bring all these benefits are called catechin polyphenols, and inside this group there is one particular anti-oxidant that stands out among the rest: epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG.

Can Green Tea Speed Up Your Metabolism?

Green tea has been used by millions of people to lose weight.  This ancient drink has been used in China and Japan for centuries, but it was not until recent times’ studies and research that green tea came to the Western world.

The benefits of drinking this tea are real and you can take advantage of this in your battle against excess weight.

Studies have shown that green tea increases the metabolic rates and speeds up fat oxidation. According to Abdul G. Dulloo, from the University of Geneva, author of a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:

“Green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content per se,”

Now, there are some people that say this study was done in a small group, and that possibly the benefits of weight loss won’t be too big on an obese person. But having talked to many people like me, who drink green tea on a regular basis I know that green tea can be a powerful ally to drop excess weight!

What is Green Tea Powder?

Green tea powder is another presentation of the green tea. To produce it, the manufacturer needs to pulverize the whole leaves, this means that oftentimes the products also includes the veins and stems from the leaf.

It offers the same benefits as other presentations, so there should be no worries about that.  But powder is for many people a more convenient way to get the green tea, as you can instantly prepare it in a cup of hot water – or iced water as I tend to recommend! But you can also go beyond that.

For example a delicious way to use powder is on a vanilla ice cream, or if you are trying to lose weight with green tea you can add it to some healthy yogurt.  But surely you can get more creative!

Powders are great – and did you know that one green the benefit is that it improves the health of your skin? It helps in the renewal of skin cells in the body, and among other things it will help you elevate your protection against sun exposure – which in turn will help you avoid premature signs of aging and dry skin.