Our dinner table is not complete without a cup of green tea besides each plate. My mother always tells my sister and I that green tea is good for our body. It’s part of the reason why Japanese people are known to live long and healthy lives.
Here are some of green tea’s many benefits:
Boosts immune system—Lessens our risk of sickness.
Helps with weight loss—Green tea is full of antioxidants that speed up our metabolism and burn fat. This is not to say drinking green tea will directly lead to weight loss; it will simply aid the process.
Helps treat and prevent certain types of cancers—Although some scientists are still skeptical about this, people who drink 2-3 cups of green tea per day are less likely to develop certain types of cancer (such as breast, prostate, lung and skin) than non-drinkers.
Lowers cholesterol—Enough said.
Energy!—Green tea contains about 2-4% caffeine, which is just enough to get you alert and thinking critically. Having a cup of green tea in the morning is a decision well made.
Protects our skin—Have you noticed that many Japanese people have beautiful, clear skin? Green tea may be to thank. It prevents acne by killing the bacteria that causes it, and reduces swelling and redness. Green tea also prevents wrinkles, leaving our skin looking and feeling younger.
Drinking the tea isn’t the only way to benefit from it; try rubbing the tea bag on sunburn to protect you from getting skin cancer, or rub it under your eyes to reduce the swelling from all those late-night study sessions.
For an authentic taste, visit an Asian grocery store and purchase green tea extract and use your teapot to make the tea. If you want to take the easy route, simply buy the tea bags—there’s no shame in that! Be sure to drink the tea as it is; it is unheard of to the Japanese to add sugar or milk in green tea. Keep it natural!
Here’s a link to the Japanese Diet in case you missed it: http://lilfitbirdie.com/japanesediet/
Sources: Medline Plus- http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/960.html
Natural Supplements Guide- http://www.nutritionalsupplementshq.com/green-tea-benefits/
