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 green tea benefits include helping with cancer, infections, high cholesterols issues, impaired immune function, cardiovascular diseases and rheumatoid arthritis.

The components that make drinking green tea 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.

As an antioxidant, EGCG inhibits the growth of cancer cells, and also kills these cells without making any damage to healthy tissue. As it has been said, it lowers cholesterols and aids in preventing heart attacks and strokes thanks that it prevents the formation of abnormal blood clots. This component also limit the negative effects of smoking and a diet with fat. As a matter of fact, it has been found out that heart disease is low in Japan despite that fact that 60% of Japanese people are smokers.

Relatively new studies have also shown that green the benefits may be more: in 199 the American Journal of Nutrition found evidence that drinking green tea could help in dieting by allowing you to burn more calories. Also it can prevent tooth decay thanks that it is an excellent agent to fight bacteria!

On the other hand, if we are going to talk about negative effects, we won’t find anything serious. Drinking green tea has been linked to insomnia because it contains caffeine. But the levels of caffeine in green tea are lower than the levels found on coffee, so this isn’t really a major problem.

Green tea metabolism boosting benefits are true and you can take advantage of this in your battle against excess weight.

Studies have shown 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 the pounds of excess fat. Of course, you won’t lose a lot of weight just by drinking green tea, and you won’t lose ANY pound of fat if you continue eating bad, but with a good nutrition and exercise schedule you could be boosting your efforts seriously.

Also, keep in mind that you can go beyond green tea metabolism benefits.  Green tea contains powerful antioxidants (flavonoids) that can help protect heart disease, cancer and stroke. If you are a coffee drinker, it would be a very wise idea to swap it for green tea.  This way you can take advantage f that boost in metabolism every day.

Green tea can be found in the form of “tea bags”, capsules and even powder, you will reap the benefits in any presentation you choose, although you can save a lot of money just opting for tea bags.