1. Green Tea May Reduce Your Risk of Cancer
Freshly harvested green tea leaves contain polyphenols, remarkable compounds with a host of therapeutic actions. Of these, the most abundant and active substance is epigallocatechin gallate, abbreviated EGCG. These substances have exceptional antioxidant and cancer prevention properties. Green tea's ability to prevent cancer is well documented. It has been found to be particularly effective against cancers of the gastrointestinal tract (including the stomach, small intestine, pancreas, and colon), lung cancer and estrogen-related cancers, including most breast cancers.
2. Green Tea Provides Outstanding Heart Protection
The superior antioxidant properties of polyphenols also make green tea one of your greatest allies in the fight against heart attacks and other forms of cardiovascular disease. Japanese researchers have found that green tea extract raises blood levels of antioxidants and reduced plaque-forming oxidation. Studies suggest that green tea consumption is also associated with lower total cholesterol levels, as well as an improved ratio of HDL (good) cholesterol to LDL (bad) cholesterol.
3. Green Tea Burns Fat and Increases Metabolism
The polyphenols found in green tea appear to block the enzyme that breaks down norepinephrine, a brain chemical that regulates your metabolism. The higher your levels of norepinephrine, the faster your metabolism, which in turn allows you to burn calories even more efficiently. Researchers have found that people who took a green tea extract burned an additional 500 calories per week, with no changes in diet or physical activity. That equates to about eight pounds a year.
4. Avoid Green Tea If You are Pregnant
As amazing as green tea is for you health, it is not a health boon for pregnant women or women trying to conceive. As it turns out, the EGCG in green tea affects the way your body uses folic acid, a B vitamin that is crucial in not only conceiving, but also in the health of the baby. The EGCG binds with an enzyme called dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), which is necessary for breaking down and utilizing folic acid. When EGCG binds to DHFR, it inactivates the enzyme, thereby negatively affecting how folic acid is used within your body.
5. Green Tea Does Contain Caffeine
A cup of brewed green tea contains 8 to 50 mg of caffeine, depending on the strength of the brew, far less than the amount found in coffee. However, even among caffeinated drinks, green tea stands apart from the pack. It rarely produces the overstimulation associated with coffee and cola. However, if you are particularly sensitive to or concerned about caffeine, you can still enjoy all the health benefits of green tea. Simply drink the water-decaffeinated form or take green tea polyphenol supplements.
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