7 Benefits of Drinking Green Tea
on Mar 29, 2024
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As one of the most popular drinks in the world, green tea is so good for you. Learn about the health benefits of drinking green tea, from better immunity to lower risk of disease.
What Is Green Tea?
Green tea, black tea, white tea, and oolong tea all come from Camellia sinesis, a small tree native to East Asia. The type of tea depends on how the leaves are prepared.
To make green tea, the leaves are picked and processed when they’re young. The process is different for each kind of green tea. Some are pan fried, while some are steamed then they’re rolled and dried. The dried leaves are then steeped in hot water to make green tea.
The drink contains caffeine because the plant is a source of caffeine. However, it has less caffeine than black tea and coffee.
RELATED: How to Brew Green Tea Properly
7 Green Tea Health Benefits
1. Lowers Oxidative Stress
One of the top benefits of green tea is its ability to reduce oxidative stress. This is a process that happens when free radicals damage healthy cells. Eventually, this cell damage can increase the risk of chronic conditions like cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Green tea reduces oxidative stress because it’s high in antioxidants. These are beneficial compounds that make free radicals less dangerous.
The antioxidants in green tea are called polyphenols. They include many types of antioxidants, including flavonoids, catechins, flavanols, and phenolic acids.
2. Decreases Inflammation
If you want to naturally manage inflammation, sip on green tea. Its main compound, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), has powerful anti-inflammatory effects.
EGCG is an antioxidant. It also reduces inflammatory proteins and reactions involved in inflammation.
Like oxidative stress, inflammation can lead to disease over time, so it’s important to control. Examples include heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
The EGCG in green tea might even manage joint and bone inflammation, making it useful for osteoporosis and arthritis.
3. Supports Heart Health
Regularly drinking green tea is great for your heart. It can reduce the risk of heart disease, one of the most common chronic conditions in the U.S.
First, green tea protects blood vessels from oxidative stress and inflammation. This is important because blood vessels bring blood and oxygen to and from the heart.
It also improves cholesterol levels and blood pressure, the major risk factors for heart disease. Plus, green tea protects cells called cardiomyocytes. These are cells that help your heart beat properly.
4. Boosts Energy
For a gentle boost of energy, drink green tea. It’s a natural source of caffeine, a substance that increases energy.
When you consume caffeine, it stimulates the nervous system. It also blocks adenosine, a hormone that promotes sleep.
Caffeinated drinks like green tea can also improve alertness, focus, and concentration. This makes it a popular morning beverage. Green tea also contains L-theanine, a compound that balances the effects of caffeine. So the energy boost won’t be too intense.
5. Promotes Immunity
Green tea is a source of vitamin C, an essential nutrient that’s needed for a healthy immune system. Vitamin C is involved in wound healing and making the skin strong. This keeps harmful germs out of the body.
Additionally, vitamin C helps white blood cells find and fight germs, including bacteria that might make you sick.
The nutrient even has antioxidant properties, so it protects cells from oxidative stress and reduces the risk of disease.
6. Improves Brain Function
Aside from helping you focus, green tea is great for overall brain health. It’s due to the antioxidant compounds in the tea.
Antioxidants protect brain cells from oxidative stress, a process that can cause damage and increase the risk of cognitive disorders. These are conditions that negatively affect memory, learning, and focus. They become more common with age.
Green tea antioxidants also reduce chronic inflammation, another major risk factor of cognitive conditions.
7. Reduces Diabetes Risk
Blood sugar, or glucose, is the body’s main source of energy. But if your body has a hard time controlling blood sugar, it can get too high. This can lead to type 2 diabetes and can cause health problems like nerve damage and heart disease if it’s not managed well.
Drinking green tea can help. The antioxidants in the drink improve how your body handles blood sugar. Plus, green tea reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, two processes that contribute to type 2 diabetes.
Side Effects
Although green tea has less caffeine than black tea or coffee, it might be too much if you don’t usually drink caffeine.
If you’re sensitive to caffeine, avoid drinking too much green tea at once. Otherwise, you might have a hard time sleeping or experience the jitters.
Green Tea Drinks
- Iced Green Tea
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- Cold Brew Green Tea with Fresh Mint
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- Iced Green Tea Lemonade
