People think that the most popular drink in the world – aside from water – is coffee. You’d be surprised that this is not accurate.
And if you think it’s beer, you’d be wrong, too. As a matter of fact, the most popular drink consumed by more people than any other drink is tea. And when it comes to tea, green tea is king.
Why? Here are 11 benefits you may not even know about tea that will show you why it’s the best drink in the world.
1. Fights Cancer
The polyphenols present in green tea have been shown in a number of studies to be especially helpful in lowering the risk of developing cancer of the breast, oesophagus, skin, colon, and prostate.
2. Boosts Cognitive Processes
Coffee can make you alert, but it can also cause jitteriness making you feel as if you’re nervous for no reason. Green tea improves cognitive processes especially attention and focus so you can get the job done without having to worry about getting jittery.
3. Alleviates Painful Joints
Green tea is naturally rich in quercetin, a substance that has amazing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. While it doesn’t cure arthritis itself, it can help reduce inflammation and allow you to take full advantage of the full use of your joints.
4. Helps Get Rid of Acne
Almost everyone gets acne, especially teens and young adults. What many don’t know is that green tea also contains antimicrobials that can be effective against the bacteria that cause acnes. Its antioxidant properties also help extend its benefit to the optimum health of the skin.
5. Lowers Cholesterol Levels
We’re all wary about cholesterol and its effects on the workload of the heart. Drinking green tea can help lower bad cholesterol and help our heart function at a more normal pace.
6. Fights Stress
Aside from its ability to improve your mood, green tea can also help reduce the body’s production of stress hormones.
7. Perfect for Allergy Sufferers
Flavonoids in green tea are excellent anti-inflammatory agents. They may not stop an allergen from entering the body, but they sure can minimize its effects.
8. Assists in Managing Sugar Levels
Green tea contains Catechins that can slow down the entry of glucose in the blood. This way, you don’t get that abnormal increases in insulin release and predispose you to hypoglycaemia.
9. Aids in the Management of Urinary Tract Infections
Green tea is a natural diuretic that makes you want to pee more frequently. This will flush out whatever bacteria is causing your UTI. Its anti-inflammatory properties can also aid in the reduction of inflammation in the urethra and bladder.
10. Heals Black Eyes
Herbalists always recommend putting a compress of green tea on black eyes to speed up the healing process. It’s also effective in reducing the puffiness of the eyes or even that tired look one gets when overly stressed.
11. Helps Asthmatics
Just like allergy sufferers, asthmatics can also benefit from the flavonoids of green tea. These help reduce inflammation of the airways, making it a lot easier to breathe.
There are many reasons why green tea is ever-increasing in popularity. These benefits alone underscore green tea’s usefulness as a beverage.
12. (BONUS) Assists in Weight Loss
I know that most people already know that green tea assists in weight loss. However, do you know how it aids in shedding the kilos?
4 Ways Green Tea Aids in Weight Loss
1. It is rich in antioxidants.
One of the most known properties of green tea is its large number of antioxidants. Because it is rich in these nutrients, your body will start to function at its best.
For example, your muscles will increase their ability to be repaired which, in turn, increases their ability to burn fat. If your goal is to lose the fat in your body, muscle health is important.
The specific antioxidant that is found in large amounts in green tea is catechins. Catechins are responsible for promoting weight loss by reducing abdominal fat.
Abdominal fat is one of the stubborn types of fat because they are just difficult to lose. But with regular green tea drinking, the catechins in your drink will slowly improve your abdomen’s ability to burn the fat around it.
2. Caffeine helps stimulate calorie burning.
It’s not only catechins that make green tea perfect for weight loss. Green tea is rich in caffeine which is known for its weight loss properties. Caffeine can boost your metabolic rate which will increase the fats that are burned every hour.
If you are wondering why coffee drinkers often lose weight easily, it is because coffee can make one feel full enough to get by a few hours without eating a full meal. Although this is not advisable, green tea’s caffeine content can help you feel bloated and at the same time lose weight.
3. It is a low-calorie drink.
Whenever you feel hungry in between meals, drinking a cup of green tea will help you feel full enough to survive the few hours before lunch.
What’s great about this is that you don’t have to worry about the extra calories you will gain because green tea is low in calories. It’s a light drink that doesn’t make you feel bloated.
4. It acts as a fat-burning supplement.
Although drinking green tea alone cannot guarantee a drop in your weight, it is a great supplement to your other weight loss techniques. If you are on a diet, then drinking green tea will help reinforce the fat-burning effects of the diet.
The same goes if you are exercising. If you feel that you are thirsty, you can switch drinking water to drinking a cool green tea mix that will help you stay refreshed and full at the same time.
Overall, green tea is a healthy drink for anyone who plans on having a lifestyle change. You can start by drinking it in the morning or whenever you feel that you are hungry. After a few weeks, you will see results.
If you would like to find out more about other type of teas, you can check out this article.
