7 Benefits of green tea for your skin, mind and body (easy green tea recipe included)
12/05/2020 / By Joanne Washburn / Comments
7 Benefits of green tea for your skin, mind and body (easy green tea recipe included)

Coffee is arguably the most popular beverage to enjoy first thing in the morning. But recently, more and more people have been drinking green tea to get their daily fix of caffeine.

Dating back to ancient China, green tea is considered one of the healthiest beverages on Earth. For one, green tea is loaded with powerful antioxidants like catechins and other flavonoids. Green tea also provides minerals that our bodies need to function properly, such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc.

You can steep green tea leaves to make tea or grind them to make smoothies and desserts. Green tea can even be incorporated into rice bowls, pasta dishes and stir-fries.

Top green tea benefits

The following health benefits give green tea a supercharged edge over other hot drinks, including other kinds of tea.

  1. Boosts immune health – Green tea’s powerful antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties help support your immune system for better protection against illnesses. Catechins in green tea also counter toxins released by harmful microbes.
  2. Supports heart health – Green tea keeps your heart in good shape by reducing total cholesterol, bad cholesterol and blood pressure. High cholesterol levels and high blood pressure raise your risk of stroke and heart attack.
  3. Slows down aging – Catechins in green tea help destroy free radicals in your body. Free radicals may damage DNA if left unchecked, accelerating your body’s natural aging process.
  4. Energizes – Green tea is great for a subtle energy boost that lasts. That’s because an amino acid called L-theanine in green tea produces a calming effect despite the presence of caffeine. L-theanine can boost your cognitive performance and elevate your mood as well.
  5. Detoxifies the body – If you feel sluggish from lack of sleep or a hangover, drink green tea. Catechins help stimulate detoxification enzymes. By drinking green tea, you’re really helping your body remove all toxins and waste products causing sluggishness or general malaise.
  6. Supports weight loss – Green tea can help boost your metabolism, stimulate fat burning and control your appetite. Taken together, these effects may help you lose extra pounds faster or maintain a healthy weight more easily.
  7. Helps manage diabetes – Green tea is alkaline in nature, meaning its pH level is above 7.2. Diabetes patients are generally encouraged to eat alkaline foods to control their blood sugar.
  8. Promotes good oral health – Powerful antioxidants in green tea help kill bacteria in the mouth that cause cavities, tooth decay, gum disease and bad breath. If you want healthy teeth and gums in the long run, drink green tea regularly. You can even use green tea as a natural mouthwash.

Types of green tea

Although all kinds of tea come from the same plant, green tea has some varieties. These varieties differ based on leaf-length, method of processing and harvest season. These include:

  • Gyokurocha – In this variation, young and tender leaves are plucked from the tips of branches. Since younger leaves contain less tannin and caffeine, they naturally taste less bitter. Gyokurocha has a green color that is almost transparent.
  • Genmaicha – Genmaicha is a combination of green tea and roasted brown rice. It yields a nice, yellow tea with a mild, pleasant flavor.
  • Sencha – In this green tea variation, older leaves are plucked from the middle of the branch. Naturally, the leaves taste bitter and more robust. Sencha gives the same light green color as gyokurocha.
  • Bancha – Bancha is the tender twigs of a tea plant. It makes for a strong and bitter tea that’s golden in color.
  • Matcha – Matcha is ground up tea leaves. It has a weaker aroma than the leafy varieties and is usually consumed in East Asia.
  • Houjicha – This is a form of Japanese green tea made with green tea leaves and a powdered grain like wheat, barley and rice. Houjicha can appear green or golden brown in color.

Easy green tea recipe

There might be several green tea drinks and products in the market, but nothing beats a nice hot cup of green tea made with fresh tea leaves. It’s best to drink this in between meals to help with nutrient absorption.

Ingredients:

  • 14 ounces of water
  • 1 teaspoon green tea leaves

Preparation:

  1. Heat the water to 185 F. Don’t let the water boil.
  2. Pour about six ounces of hot water into a teapot and let warm. Once warm, pour this out.
  3. Place the leaves in the teapot and pour in the remaining hot water. Place the lid on the teapot.
  4. Let the leaves steep for 2 minutes. Do a taste check to test for the strength of the tea. For a stronger tea, steep for another 30 seconds, then do a taste check. Do this until you reach your desired flavor.
  5. Pour the tea into a cup through a strainer. Serve hot.

Green tea is a zero-calorie beverage that can confer numerous health benefits, from stronger teeth to a lower risk of stroke. To reap these benefits, drink green tea regularly as part of a balanced diet.

Sources:

EverydayHealth.com

OrganicFacts.net

Diabetes.co.uk

AskTheDentist.com

TeaHow.com

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