By: Nikki Nies
If you’ve ever been in a Teavana or any other tea speciality stores, if you’re like me, you’ve been bombarded by the many different forms, flavors and names of teas. While tea has been around for thousands of years, it’s not right to clump all teas together. Yes, it may be obvious to be able to identify that English tea does not reap the same benefits as green tea. Yet, can you differentiate green from oolong? or jasmine? I’m no tea aficionado, so if you know the difference, kudos!
You’ve probably heard tea is great for you! There’s an ongoing debate if the type of matter really matters. It does! Green tea is a liquid you should incorporate in your diet. Again, if you’re like me, your follow up question would be why? Having an inquisitive mind not only often reaps a better understanding of why an action should be taken, but can help increase the likelihood of said action remains part of daily routine.
With that said, here’s a breakdown of why green tea trumps other teas.
- Unlike black tea, green tea goes under minimal processing–meaning green tea is not fermented
- With a high fluoride content, supports healthy bones
- Source of 4 catechins, which a type of antioxidant that may protect against cell damage. This include EGCG, which have cancer protecting effects. EGCG has been found to inactivate genes that are needed for colon cancer metastasis
- Promotes autophagy: a physiological process that protects one’s cells from stress
- Helps control cholesterol levels–boosting HDL
- If you have coronary artery disease, green tea can improve blood vessel function
- Contains 9-50 mg of caffeine!
- May boost metabolism and/or extract fat
- Can help prevent hypertension and/or heart failure
- May help block the formation of plaques that can lead to Alzheimer’s disease
- Can help stabilize blood sugars
- Most importantly, can help you slow down and relax! Green tea contain theanine, which has a natural calming effect.
**Beware, drinking tea can impede the absorption of iron. By adding lemon to your tea, this can hinder such action!**
As you walk away from this post, I hope you get the sense all teas have some beneficial impact to a degree. If you have the option, tea is always a better alternative to pop! Yes, green tea has been found to have the most health benefits, but we won’t penalize you if you opt to try the orange zinger once in a while!
Photo Credit: Halls
Sources: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/health-benefits-of-green-tea
http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/benefit_of_drinking_green_tea
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/green-tea
13 Reasons Tea Is Good for You
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/960.html
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