5 amazing health benefits of Green Tea

Did you know that tea is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, second only to water? That’s not surprising if you consider that tea has been cultivated for centuries, beginning in India and China.

The main difference about all three varieties of tea (green, black, and oolong) is in how they are processed. Green tea is made from unfermented leaves and reportedly contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols.

As you may know, antioxidants are substances that fight free radicals, which are compounds in the body that damage cells and its DNA. Many researchers believe that free radicals contribute to the aging process as well as the development of a number of health problems, especially degenerative diseases including cancer and heart disease.

Let’s go back to the antioxidants such as polyphenols in green tea. They can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage caused by free radicals.

Many of you know that green tea is a great diuretic (makes you pee to help the body to get rid of excess fluid), but many of you don’t know that green tea has astringent properties as well, in other words, it helps to control bleeding and heal wounds.

Several studies suggest that green tea (Camellia sinesis) in particular has many health benefits. 

Check 5 amazing health benefits of green tea:

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Green tea may help fight glaucoma and other eye diseases

Scientists have confirmed that the healthful substances found in green tea, such as their powerful antioxidant and disease-fighting properties, do penetrate into tissues of the eye. A 2010 study shows how the lens, retina, and other eye tissues absorb these substances and raises the possibility that green tea may protect against glaucoma and other common eye diseases. Chi Pui Pang, the study author point out that green tea is full of catechins (those include vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, and zeaxanthin). These substances have a powerful antioxidant property that act especially on the eye.

Green tea may reduce risk factor for heart disease

More evidence for the beneficial effect of green tea on risk factors for heart disease has emerged in a 2008 study. It was found that the consumption of green tea rapidly improves the function of cells lining the circulatory system; the loss of function that occur on this so named endothelial cells is a key event in the progression of atherosclerosis. Results showed that endothelium-dependent brachial artery dilatation increased significantly after drinking green tea, with a peak increase of 3.9 per cent 30 minutes after consumption. The cardiovascular benefits of all teas - as well as dark chocolate and red wine - are attributed to the flavonoids they contain and their antioxidant properties.  

Green tea gives you healthy teeth and gums

Researchers found that routine intake of green tea may also help promote healthy teeth and gums. A 2009 study analyzed the periodontal health of 940 men, and found that those who regularly drank green tea had superior periodontal health than subjects that consumed less green tea. Green tea's ability to help reduce symptoms of periodontal disease may be due to the presence of the antioxidant catechin. By interfering with the body's inflammatory response to periodontal bacteria, green tea may actually help promote periodontal health, and ward off further disease. Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth, and has been associated with the progression of other diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. 

Green tea could modify the effect of cigarette smoking on lung cancer risk

Drinking green tea could modulate the effect of smoking on lung cancer shows a 2010 study. Among smokers and non-smokers, those who did not drink green tea had a 5.16-fold increased risk of lung cancer compared with those who drank at least one cup of green tea per day. Among smokers, those who did not drink green tea at all had a 12.71-fold increased risk of lung cancer compared with those who drank at least one cup of green tea per day. 

Skin treatment following cancer treatment

Green tea extracts work as an effective treatment for patients who suffer from damaged skin following radiation treatment for cancer according to a 2006 study. Researchers show that this might partly be due to the anti-inflammatory properties of tea. It acts at the cellular level, by inhibiting inflammatory pathways, to reduce inflammation. They also show that tea extracts reduce the duration of radiation-induced skin damage by up to 10 days in patients who received radiation treatment.