Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia from Japan to the Middle- east. Recently it has become more widespread in the West where black tea is traditionally consumed. Over the last few decades green tea has begun to be subjected to many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of its long supportive health benefits. Evidences suggest that regular green tea drinkers may have lower chance of heart disease and developing certain types of cancer. Lot of evidences suggests green tea has been consumed for almost 5000 years, with china and India being the two of the first countries to cultivate it. Green tea has been used as a traditional medicine in countries such as India, China, Japan and Thailand to help everything from controlling bleeding and helping heal wounds to regulating body temperature, blood sugar and promoting digestion. Now, by reading this article you yourself will be able to "Discover the Green Tea Diet" and it's amazing effects on your health.
Producing a perfect cup of green tea is a tricky process. If not handled properly those same poly phenols that provide health benefits can ruin the flavor, making the tea taste gassy. It is particularly important not to over brew. It's best to follow the manufacturer's instructions for each variety of green tea available in market. Scientific studies have shown you could probably attain the desired level of poly phenols by drinking merely 2 cups per day without adding milk. But if you really like the taste, by all means drink more as there are no harmful effects. To date the only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea in insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine; however green tea contains less caffeine than coffee.
BENEFITS:
The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin poly phenols particularly EGCG. EGCG is a powerful antioxidant, besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells; it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue.
Green tea positively helps in diseases such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, low immune system, cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol. Due to high levels of antioxidants it not only enables the relief of these medical conditions but also helps in limiting damage caused to the tissue by free radicals.
Suggestions are coming up by diet experts for including green tea in their diet plan. Green tea extracts and green tea pills benefits eternal dieters by increasing their body's metabolic rate.
Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning; it can also kill the bacteria that cause dental plaque. More people nowadays are using green tea just for the purpose of mouthwash.
Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea from deodorants to creams are starting to appear in the market. Applying green tea directly to your skin is probably very helpful and can be used to tackle the problem of ageing signs by protecting the skin and helping to fight off the effects of time.
Research is still in progress about how antioxidant EGCG will help in tumors of breast cancer. So in the near future these findings will help to benefit patients of breast cancer.
FINAL SUGGESTION:
Finally to conclude I would suggest that if you are worried about your health and wellbeing then you really should consider drinking green tea as a part of your daily routine. It's easy to make and you can easily substitute it for coffee or regular tea. More users are being fond of green tea everyday and gradually science is discovering the "Benefits of Green Tea Diet." If you dislike the flavor of this herbal drink then be assured as there are many flavors other than just plain green tea.
Why Choose the Green Tea Diet?
For four thousand years, green tea has been used all throughout Asia as a beneficial health and medicinal drink. It is different from all other tea diets because its liquid is extracted by steaming the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant as opposed to full oxidation. In this way, the green tea diet manages to preserve a lot more antioxidants and keep them intact for the body to use.
The green tea diet is an excellent source of polycatechin polyphenols, a group of antioxidants that act on free radicals. These free radicals have harmful effects on the body since they are the major causes of diseases and aging. With polycatechin polyphenols, a person has a better chance of avoiding ailments and keeping himself healthy for a much longer period of time.
Another antioxidant in the green tea diet is also being studied as a potential cure for cancer. Epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG found in the diet has been discovered to destroy cancer cells while keeping surrounding healthy cells unharmed.
The EGCG also acts with another compound, caffeine (a small amount of this is found in green tea). The interaction of these two compounds causes the diet to promote thermogenesis in the body.
It has been noted by a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that with the consumption of the green tea diet, the body's total 24-hour energy expenditure is increased by up to four percent. This is roughly equivalent to losing more than 10 pounds of weight a month.
The diet helps increase the body's metabolic rates. With its thermogenic properties, it is only natural that it can also promote faster metabolism of fats and sugars. Excess glucose found in the body is turned into fats by the hormone insulin. Because green tea has an inhibiting effect on insulin, it therefore helps keep sugar from being stored as fats and instead, send them directly into the muscles for immediate use.
The Downside
Although the diet has a reputation for boosting health, scientific proofs of its health benefits are still somewhat mixed. However, in an article published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, American researchers collaborated with their Chinese counterparts to discuss the beneficial effects of green tea diet on cholesterol levels.
Using 240 men and women (average age 55) who possess mild to moderately high LDL cholesterol levels, the researchers instructed them to retain their usual low-fat diet, green tea diet intake, and activity levels. After twelve weeks, it was found that those who consumed the green tea diet extract with their regular meals lost more than fifteen percent of their total LDL cholesterol levels.
Although the researchers never explained how the green tea diet may influence cholesterol levels, previous studies have shown that certain compounds play a role in reducing the amount of cholesterol absorbed by the body, increasing amount of cholesterol excreted, and thus keeping cholesterol from being stored in the liver.
Subsequent studies were made to test the findings of the first group of researchers. Their results were contradictory. They found there was no significant effect on the cholesterol profiles of their subjects.
There is no such thing as a miracle diet. The green tea diet like all other diets needs a lot of work and input from those who enroll in it. It requires both discipline and determination for it to make any significant impact on your weight loss goals.
Both Tony Leong & Julie Health are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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