Tuesday 20 October 2009

Green Tea Weight Loss - The Healthy Drink

Green tea weight loss drinks are becoming more popular by the week, as more people realize the health benefits of drinking it. Tea is the most widely consumed beverage on earth and has an over 4000-year history as a health promoting drink - and now the green tea weight loss benefits are boosting its consumption even more.

The tea plant, technically known as Camellia Sinensis, produces green, black and oolong tea. The difference in the type is a result of the different ways in which the tea leaves are processed after harvesting.

The majority of the tea currently available in Jamaica and the world is black tea. Although all these three varieties have health benefits, green tea is far more superior to the others in this regard. Medical research has confirmed what the Chinese have been saying for centuries: that green tea contains special health preserving and revitalizing power.

Antioxidants - Green tea contains a group of compounds called polyphenols. They are powerful antioxidants which are responsible for the therapeutic properties of green-tea. One of these substances, called EGCG for short, is 200 times more powerful as an antioxidants than vitamin E. Green tea contains much more antioxidant than black tea.

Caffeine - a stimulant which is present in the green variety in much smaller amounts than in black tea or coffee. In small amounts, it can be an excellent energy enhancer, but it is best to limit one's intake as excess caffeine consumption may be unhealthy.

Others - this tea contains over 500 aromatic oils as well as small amounts of several vitamins and minerals.

Health benefits

Cardiovascular disease - the tea lowers the 'bad' cholesterol while increasing the good cholesterol. It reduces blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and acts as a blood thinner.

Cancer - in laboratory experiments, green tea extract prevents cancer of the lung, the liver, prostate and the skin, esophagus and colon Human studies suggest that drinking two or more cups of this tea a day reduces the overall risk of cancer by 10 per cent

Longevity - Studies conducted on Japanese women showed that greater than average drinkers had a lower mortality rate than other women. Researchers believe this to be due a stimulating effect of tea on the immune system.

Oral health - Researchers show that drinking green tea protects the teeth and gums from disease. The polyphenols in tea inhibits the growth of cavity forming bacteria. So, you might like to consider making it your favorite drink. I personally recommend a convenient instant herbal concentrate which can be used hot or cold and also contains additional health promoting herbs. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Green tea has many health benefits, but with the newly claimed weight loss benefits it's easy to see why it's gaining in popularity. To discover more about the green tea weight loss benefits check out my weight loss tips blog today and claim your free report.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Spencer

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