Green tea is widely regarded to be one of the healthiest beverages on the planet. But it’s only in recent years that scientists have discovered just how beneficial this leaf-based drink is. It turns out that green tea has a remarkable effect on our bodies, thanks to how it chemically signals to our cells.
People have been drinking green tea for many thousands of years – ever since the cultivation of the tea plant. Green tea would have been the first type of tea that humans drank because it is just the unprocessed tea leaf mixed with water.
But what benefits can green loose leaf tea offer you? Let’s take a look.
It Contains Compounds That May Improve Longevity
Isn’t it remarkable that the natural world contains compounds that might help us to live longer? It sure is. And you can find one of those select chemicals in green tea.
Green tea contains a catechin called EGCG. The full chemical name doesn’t matter. What is important is the fact that EGCG appears to have the ability to downregulate specific cellular pathways that promote aging. Scientists believe that one of the reasons regular green tea drinkers have better health is that their cells age more slowly. Green tea makes the body think that it is younger than it is, with all the benefits that that brings.
The better the quality of the tea, the higher the catechin content, so it’s always worth choosing a bespoke brand. Big box names often promote quantity over quality and so are best avoided if health is your goal.
It Boosts Fat Burning
If you take a look at many of the most popular fat burning supplements on the market, you’ll notice something: almost all of them contain green tea (or chemicals derived from it). It’s not just the caffeine in green tea that leads to fat burning, but all of the other compounds it contains.
It seems as if green tea is able to improve people’s insulin sensitivity. This is important because when insulin is high, the body has a greater propensity to lay down new fat. When insulin is low, it can’t, and so it doesn’t, keeping the person lean.
Green Tea May Protect Against Cancer
Every year, a new study confirms that something out there in the environment causes cancer, whether it’s climate change, being stressed, or sitting down too much. However, arguing that what we eat and drink can make a difference to our odds of getting the disease is still strangely controversial, despite the mountain of evidence suggesting that nutrition is the primary determinant of the disease. Some food and drink promote cancer, while others prevent it.
Green tea is strictly in the prevention camp. Studies have found that people who drink green tea on a regular basis are around 48 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer, and 20 to 30 percent less likely to develop breast cancer.
Other studies show that green tea may have positive action against other forms of cancer too.
