Top 10 Benefits of Drinking Green Tea

Green tea is the oldest tea type in the world. It emerged in China back in 2,737 B.C. and remains very popular to this day. Many people are very fond of this marvellous drink for several reasons. Some take to its sophisticated taste, others appreciate its originality. However, one of the most important assets of loose leaf green tea is its great health benefits!

You may wonder why. Well, green tea is the most “natural” tea type. It does not undergo oxidation, like black tea. Therefore, the tea leaf is preserved in its original state. The only procedure that green tea leaves undergo is rolling, but this does not affect the quality or contents of the tea leaf.

So, let us discover the 10 top health benefits of drinking green tea!

1. Green tea contains lots of antioxidants 

Given that tea leaves are known to contain a substantial amount of antioxidants, such as polyphenols, green tea contains most of those. That is why green tea is well known for preventing, and sometimes even fighting, different types of cancer.

For example, according to scientific research, green tea is very good for preventing 3 particular types of cancer, i.e. prostate cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer.

2. Good for your brain health

Green tea contains a reasonable amount of caffeine, which is known to improve your concentration, and therefore to keep your brain alert.

Benefits of Drinking Green Tea: Brain Health

However, the content of caffeine in green tea is definitely not excessive. For example, black tea contains much more of it, to say nothing about coffee. Therefore, the amount of caffeine in green tea will never be dangerous for your cardiovascular health.

Another element contained in green tea, which may contribute to your brain health, is the aminoacid L-theanine. This compound is also known to improve concentration, as well as lower your anxiety levels.

3. Increases fat burning

Thanks to the elements contained in green tea, it increases fat burning. It is known to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, which is very good for your health, as well as for your figure!

4. Improves your breath

Green tea contains a lot of catechins, which are known to suppress the growth of certain bacteria, such as streptococcus mutans, which is responsible for some problems related to dental health and, therefore, may lead to bad breath.

5. Prevents type 2 diabetes 

In addition to other health benefits of green tea, there is another very substantial one: it lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. Why? Because green tea improves insulin sensitivity. Therefore, given that type 2 diabetes often stems from insulin resistance, green tea may prove helpful in this situation.

6. Improves your cardiovascular health

This is a very important addition to the health benefits of green tea! As mentioned previously, green tea tends to lower the levels of LDL cholesterol (or “bad cholesterol”) in your blood.

Benefits of Drinking Green Tea - Heart Health

Given that an excessive amount of bad cholesterol may lead to very serious health conditions, such as a heart attack or a stroke, the fact that green tea would lower the amount of bad cholesterol means that it may play an important role in preventing these diseases.

7. Green Tea aids weight loss

Here is another addition to the list of health benefits of green tea! and a very important one to boot! As mentioned earlier, green tea tends to help fat burning and, therefore, would most definitely aid weight loss!

Furthermore, green tea is a natural diuretic. Therefore, it does tend to prevent water retention. And not only is it good for your general health or wellbeing, but it would also be a pleasant surprise on your scales!

8. Green Tea is good for your skin

Green tea is full of health benefits, including very important ones, such as improving your cardiovascular health, or preventing cancer. However, here is another interesting benefit: green tea is actually very good for your skin!

You may wonder why. Well, green tea contains loads of antioxidants, such as polyphenols. These elements, in addition to preventing serious diseases, such as cancer, are responsible for slowing the ageing of your skin. Therefore, green tea will make your skin look younger and fresher. Isn’t it lovely?

9. Increases your life expectancy

Here is possibly the main element in the long list of health benefits of green tea!

There is, indeed, a direct connection between drinking green tea and increasing your life expectancy, and there are several reasons for that! First of all, as mentioned earlier, green tea improves your cardiovascular health, and tends to prevent serious conditions connected with it, such as heart attacks and strokes.

Given that statistically these conditions are at the top of the list as reasons for deaths in the UK, green tea may help increase your life expectancy.

Moreover, another very frequent reason for death is cancer. Therefore, due to a high content in antioxidants, green tea may prevent many types of cancer. Thanks to that, it will make you live longer, and happier!

10. Its taste is exquisite

Well, you may think that this point, despite being an unmistakable asset, should not be included in the list of health benefits of green tea. Well, this is arguable.

Why? Because when you are eating or drinking something nice, it is good for your mental wellbeing! And, in the case of green tea, there are not even calories to “counterbalance”! And, given that mental health is directly connected to your physical wellbeing, one can definitely consider the wonderful taste of green tea as its health benefit!

Enjoy the taste of drinking green tea

As far as its taste is concerned, it differs depending on its many varieties. If you wish to try the most classic type of green tea, you might like to go for Sencha Green tea. If, on the other hand, you preferred a stronger version of this tea type, Gunpowder Green tea may be an option for you. However, if you are looking for something truly original, Genmaicha tea would be an excellent choice! In addition to Sencha tea, it also contains roasted rice, which definitely contributes to its extraordinary taste!

Finally, if you are fond of particularly fine green tea, the best choice for you would be Japanese Gyokuro Tea, which is the most sophisticated green tea type! That is why it belongs to a group of “tencha” teas (which translates from Japanese as “tea from heaven”)!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this post on the benefits of drinking green tea by our guest blogger, Alexandra Littaye, from Bedford Tea. Bedford Tea offers you a wide selection of Loose Leaf Green tea types! Drink green tea, and be healthy and happy!

Be sure to visit their beautiful website at bedfordtea.com. You might just find the perfect gift for Christmas.