Is Green Tea Good for You?

From your head to your stomach, green tea health benefits are vast. But, how is green tea good for you? While all teas are high in antioxidants, green teas (including matcha, jasmine, and hojicha) tend to contain the highest levels. It’s precisely these compounds that may fight oxidative stress in our bodies and help reduce the risk of chronic disease.  Tea is considered to be number two in the world for drinks, with water being number one, and coffee number three.  Some results reverse those figures with coffee at number two and tea number three.  Every country has their favorites, but water is always number one.

Evidence also suggests that green tea can rev your metabolism and aid in weight loss. It also has been shown to boost brain health and keep the mind alert and active with caffeine—but without worsening anxiety. That’s a great foundation to suggest whole-body benefits of the tea. So get those tea bags and leaves ready and start steeping.  Maybe try green tea instead of coffee in the mornings. If you find that you don’t enjoy the taste of green tea but you like black tea, mix the two to lessen the taste of green tea. 

Green tea benefits

1. Burn fat and boost metabolism

Simply swapping in unsweetened green tea for sugary sodas, lattes, and fruit juices helps slash hundreds of calories per day from your diet. But it’s not just the calories that matter. The tea contains catechins, potent antioxidants that research shows can significantly decrease body weight and significantly maintain body weight after a period of weight loss. Another study found that participants who drank tea high in catechins twice daily saw a decrease in belly fat, dropping an average of 1.9 cm in waist circumference and 2.6 pounds of body weight. In particular, the power combo of catechins with caffeine is thought to boost metabolism. A study suggests that catechins plus caffeine in green tea can help accelerate the rate at which your body burns fat.

2. Improve memory, focus, and mental clarity

Green tea not only has the capacity to help the body, but it may also benefit the mind. Research shows that this superfood could rev your memory, help with focus, and reduce anxiety. That’s thanks to the duo of caffeine and L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea (green tea has the most). L-theanine slows down the absorption of caffeine and can mitigate some of the common side effects of the stimulant, such as nervousness and jitters. When caffeine and L-theanine join forces, they can help produce sharper focus and mental clarity. A study found that participants who took L-theanine performed better and faster on attention tasks.

3. Reduce blood pressure

Green tea is good news for the ticker. A study showed that compounds in both green and black teas relax blood vessels, which help reduce blood pressure. The effect is modest, however, so those with serious hypertension likely won’t see drastic changes. Still, drinking green tea may be a positive step toward improving heart health. Another study of more than 40,000 Japanese adults found that those who drank more than five cups of green tea daily were 26% less likely to die from a heart attack or stroke compared to those who rarely consumed the brew. But, five cups may translate to a lot of caffeine, so keep this in mind.