Source: msn.com Story by: Morning Honey
Delicious green tea has been used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine for thousands of years!
And for good reason. It’s jam-packed with healthy ingredients that can boost your mental alertness, soothe digestive symptoms and headaches and even help with weight loss!
Introduced to Europe in the 1600s, it had become so popular that green tea was often smuggled into England to avoid paying tea taxes … like the ones that triggered the Boston Tea Party! Here is what sipping the tasty beverage — hot or cold — can do for YOU!
Nutrition
Green tea is loaded with a variety of compounds, antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients. It contains calcium, iron and potassium, and only has three calories in an eight-ounce serving. It does come with caffeine — about half as much as a cup of coffee — so watch your consumption.
Cognitive Decline
Some studies show that green tea helps protect against certain neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Green tea has a very high concentration of antioxidants, which may protect against cell damage that raises the risk of chronic illnesses.
Osteoporosis
The delicious beverage lowers your risk of osteoporosis, a bone disease that increases the risk of hip, spine and wrist fractures. Postmenopausal women and older people in general have the highest risk of brittle bones that break easily.
Diabetes
Green tea can help regulate blood sugar levels, lowering your fasting blood sugar and your HbA1c for those with type 2 diabetes. Some evidence suggests green tea may reduce insulin resistance.
Anxiety and Stress
Green tea contains an amino acid called L-theanine, which alleviates these two problems and maintains normal sleep, helping you relax.
Blood Pressure
The tea protects heart health by helping to lower blood pressure. People with high blood pressure develop a higher risk for heart disease and stroke because it damages the lining of the arteries, which increases the risk of plaque buildup. As a result, the arteries narrow, restricting blood flow to the heart and brain.
Weight Loss
Green tea is a source of catechins, an antioxidant that helps break down fat. Catechins may increase your metabolic rate, which helps you burn more calories, such as while exercising.
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