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Green tea is a superfood with many health benefits. In fact, studies show that consuming green tea can help lower cancer and diabetes risk.

The antioxidant-rich superfood can also boost your brain health.

7 Green tea health benefits

Green tea is a superfood full of nutrients and antioxidants that are responsible for its many health benefits. Here are seven amazing reasons to drink more green tea.

1. Green tea helps lower Alzheimer’s disease risk

Several studies suggest that the catechin compounds in green tea have protective effects on your neurons. Diseases like Alzheimer’s are neurological and consuming green tea to protect your neurons can help lower your risk of developing it in the first place.

2. Green tea boost brain function

Caffeine helps improve brain function, and tea has a lot of caffeine. But green tea also contains an amino acid called L-theanine.

L-theanine can cross the blood-brain barrier. When it does so, it can boosts the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), along with dopamine and alpha waves in the brain. In doing so, it can help prevent anxiety. This means the combination of caffeine and L-theanine can help promote optimal brain function.

According to one study, consuming just one cup of green tea daily made participants, aged 55 and older, 38 percent “less likely to experience a decline in their mental abilities.” Consuming a second cup per day made the participants 54 percent less likely to show a decline in their mental health.

3. Green tea can help reduce cancer risk

Research also shows green tea can help lower cancer risk thanks to the superfood’s antioxidant content. Oxidative damage is linked to the development of cancer and the beneficial antioxidants in green tea can help protect you from free radical damage.

Data from studies has found that:

• Women who drink green tea have a 20 to 30 percent less risk of developing breast cancer.
• Men who consume green tea have a 48 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer.
• Drinking green team can make you 42 percent less likely to develop colorectal cancer.

4. Green tea can lower Type 2 diabetes risk

If you have Type 2 diabetes, you have elevated blood sugar levels due to insulin resistance, meaning your body is unable to produce insulin. Studies have determined that green tea can help decrease insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels.

5. Green tea can lower infection risk

Catechins in green tea don’t just help with your neurons. They also inhibit the growth of certain dangerous microbes.

According to research, catechins in green tea help kill bacteria and inhibit viruses like influenza, lowering your risk of infection. Green tea catechins specifically inhibit the growth of the bacteria Streptococcus mutans responsible for dental decay.

6. Green tea promotes fat burning

Some natural fat-burning supplements usually include green tea because studies have shown that the superfood can increase fat burning and boost your metabolic rate.

7. Green tea boost your physical performance

Green tea contains caffeine which helps improve your physical performance by mobilizing fatty acids from your fat tissues. This makes the fatty acids available for use as energy.

The next time you’re headed to the gym, enjoy some green tea for a better workout.

How is green tea made?

Different kinds of tea are made from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis).

The variety used to make green tea is Chinese tea (Camellia sinensis sinensis). This plant thrives in cool temperatures and high elevations, and is usually grown on mountain slopes. This plant produces green and white tea with a sweeter, gentler taste.

The most popular green teas consumed in America come from China and Japan. Despite being made from the same plant, these teas taste different from the other  as they’re processed differently – Chinese tea that is pan-fired while Japanese tea is steamed.

Not sure what kind of green tea to get? Here are some popular types of green tea to consider:

Chinese green tea

• Biluochun is a type of Chinese green tea grown in the Dongting mountain region near Lake Tai, Jiangsu. Biluochun translates to “green snail spring” and is named for the shape it is rolled into, a tight spiral resembling a snail shell.
• Longjing translates to “dragon well.” This tea was granted the status of imperial tea during the Qing dynasty. It remains one of the most popular teas in China. Quality Longjing tea leaves are tender, whole and uniform. It has a mild and sweet flavor with hints of chestnut.

Japanese green tea

• Gyokuro or Jade Dew is a type of shaded green tea, meaning the tea bushes are covered with a cloth or screen to protect them from the hot sun as it grows. Limiting the amount of sunlight the plant receives suppresses the generation of catechins from amino acids. This produces a tea that is smooth and light.
• Hojicha is made by toasting tea leaves and produces tea with a toasty, mellow flavor.
• Matcha is made from the same shade-grown tea leaves used to make gyokuro. The leaves are grown in the shade for three weeks before getting picked and their veins and stems are removed then steamed, roasted and stoneground into a powder.

Considerations before drinking green tea

While green tea is a popular superfood, here are some things to consider before drinking it, especially if you’ve never had it before:

• Avoid green tea if you have caffeine sensitivity since it can cause anxiety, insomnia, irritability, nausea, or an upset stomach.
• Limit your consumption of green tea if you take blood thinners like warfarin since it contains vitamin K that can make your medication ineffective.
• If you are taking stimulants, drinking green tea can increase your heart rate and blood pressure.

Tips for brewing green tea

If you purchase green tea without specific brewing instructions, ask the vendor how to brew it properly.

Here are some tips to keep in mind if you want to make a perfect cup of green tea:

• Use fresh, pure, cold, filtered water. If you use water that’s too hot, your tea will become more bitter.
• If you aren’t able to directly control the temperature, let the boiling water rest before pouring it over the leaves.
• Let the tea steep for 30 to 60 seconds.
• If you’re watching your calorie and sugar intake, add milk and sugar to green tea sparingly.

Drink green tea to boost your intake of beneficial antioxidants and improve your brain health.

Sources:

FoodStorageMoms.com

ReadersDigest.ca

TheSpruce.com

Guide.Michelin.com

VitalSigns.MonHealth.com