Green tea is one of the most popular beverages worldwide. It is brewed in several countries and considered a healthy alternative to sugary drinks. A new study has suggested that green tea may help fight three health problems-obesity, insulin resistance and memory impairment.

The study was published July, 2017 in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

“Green tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water, and is grown in at least 30 countries,” said Xuebo Liu, Ph.D., a researcher at the College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, in Yangling, China. “The ancient habit of drinking green tea may be a more acceptable alternative to medicine when it comes to combatting obesity, insulin resistance, and memory impairment.”

Consider some of the frequently asked questions on green tea

How much green tea should you drink a day?

No one really knows for sure. In China, people drink up to 5 cups of green tea daily. There is really no evidence on how much one should consume for the health benefits of drink green tea. In the absence, drinking in moderate amounts is recommended.

How should you drink green tea?

Green tea is best taken with warm water. Adding very hot water to the tea may destroy some of its nutrients. So, let boiled water rest for about ten minutes, then, pour the water over the tea and brew for about one minute or more before serving.

Is green tea or black tea better for you?

Both are extracted from the same tree. However, green tea has a higher concentration of some anti-oxidants.

Green tea contains ingredients such as: B vitamins, folate (naturally occurring folic acid), manganese, potassium, magnesium, caffeine and other antioxidants, notably catechins.

What are some of the benefits linked to drinking Green tea?

Many of the studies linking green tea to specific benefits have not yet been fully established. Very few studies involved humans. It is important to note that lab results demonstrating some benefits in rats may not be reproducible in humans.

Green tea prevents tooth decay, plaques and bad breath

It protects your teeth by preventing the growth of germs that lead to build up of plaques. One of these organisms is Stretococcus mutans which is notorious for not just plaques but dental cavities and tooth decay. Do you know that green tea contains catechins which prevents the growth of this organism. So, drinking the tea may be as effective as mouthwashes used in maintaining good dental hygiene.

Green tea lowers the risk of diabetes and heart disease

In a major review of previous studies of green tea on diabetes, those that drankthe tea daily had 18% lower risk of becoming diabetic. How does green tea produce this effect? It does this by making insulin more sensitive to blood glucose. Similarly, it reduces the risk of heart diseases and stroke by lowering levels of cholesterol in the body.



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Apart from the benefits that have been proved, research is still on going on other health benefits such as:

Green tea and longevity– Do you know that persons who drink cups of the tea daily have been reported to live longer? In a study of over 40,000 adults in Japan, those that lived longer drank the tea regularly in addition to some of other lifestyle factors. Of course, this claim is not conclusive because some other unexplained factors in that environment may explain longevity.

Green tea improves thinking abilities- The tea contains caffeine and L-theanine. So, theoretically these compounds could synergistically work to reduce anxiety, improve alertness, clarity, helping you to remain mentally active. However, the exact amount required to achieve this effect is still unclear.

Green tea helps reduce weight-Some studies suggest that the tea reduces weight gain by increasing the rate at which people metabolize fat. Although, many of the studies have small samples and are inconclusive, it seems the tea may still be as useful addition to other weight loss strategies.

Green tea reduces the risk of cancer- Cancer cells are less likely to develop if antioxidants regularly mop up chemicals that cause cell damage. The tea is rich in antioxidants that may offer theoretically offer important health benefit. Some studies evaluating the impact of drinking tea on cancers show that drinking the tea may reduce the risk of breast cancer, colorectal cancer and prostatic cancer by 20 to 50%. Nevertheless, further reviews show that this may not be true.

Green tea prevents memory loss and protects against common aging problems such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Most of these studies using animals suggest that taking some of the compounds commonly found in the tea protect brain nerves, preventing early degeneration. It is difficult to confirm these assertions in human subjects, so these claims may not be conclusive.

Is drinking green tea good for you?

According to Alison Hornby, a dietitian “In the Far East, green tea has been used as a treatment for a variety of conditions ranging from arthritis to weight loss, as well as a preventative measure for diseases such as cancer, although the evidence for the majority of these conditions is weak or lacking. “However, as a social drink, it appears to be safe in moderate amounts, so lovers of green tea can continue to enjoy it.”



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