Green Tea Anyone?

I don't know about you but I am enjoying the cool weather. I've had enough of summer, gimme some fall! Maybe it is my Russian blood speaking but I do enjoy cold weather. It makes me feel ALIVE even when cold air is burning my face, and my fingers feel like icicles. But you know what? In the end, it is all worth it... especially after getting home and snuggling under a fluffy throw with a cup of tea.

I LOVE tea. I grew up drinking it and can't imagine my morning without a hot cup of strong, black tea with - no milk, thanks. Maybe a slice of lemon. But I have recently discovered green tea, and I have to say this: I may have found a lifelong companion. It is not as strong as black tea, although if you steep it for too long, it may taste bitter. Also, stores in Chinatown sell an ABUNDANCE of loose tea which is, supposedly, the best tea to brew. It comes in a variety of flavors so you can try a new one every day and never get bored!

But it is the health properties of green tea that I find the most attractive. And so I wanted to share with you some of my findings when I decided to research just what exactly is so good about green tea.

What's in green tea?

According to a Chinese proverb, "Drinking a daily cup of tea will surely starve the apothecary". This statement may seem a bit bold but not so bold after all! It turns out that green tea has been linked to multiple health benefits, including heart health and weight loss. The key features of green tea are antioxidants called flavonoids. They attack and detoxify free radicals that can damage DNA. This, in turn, can lead to atherosclerosis, cancer, blood clots formation, and heart disease.

This is a pretty neat chart here. It shows that as compared to other beverages, green tea contains the highest amount of flavonoids! A serving of green tea contains 190 milligrams of flavonoids, as opposed to 36 milligrams in a serving of orange juice, and a zero milligrams in a serving of coffee. 

So what makes green tea good for your heart?

 

The antioxidants found in green tea act as dilators. They improve the flexibility of blood vessels, making them less vulnerable to clogging. They also can help lower the LDL (bad) cholesterol and block its oxidation, raise HDL (good) cholesterol, and improve artery function. I found a couple of articles listing the results of several studies that were performed fairly recently. All of them confirm the positive impact green tea has on the heart health. One of them, titled "Green tea may lower heart disease risk", is here. Another article, "Health benefits of green tea", is here.

And what makes green tea good for your waist? 

There are three components found in green tea that can help promote weight loss. 

An antioxidant called EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate) is one of them. Because green tea leaves are very minimally processed (they are steamed, and not fermented, like black tea), they contain more EGCG, and it is more concentrated.

Caffeine is the second component that can aid with weight loss. While green tea does not contain as much caffeine as coffee (24-40 mg as opposed to 100-200 mg), it is still enough for a mild effect. Together, these two substances can enhance the body's metabolism thus making it burn more calories.

Green tea can also help with fighting stress, which can also be blamed for weight gain, particularly around the waistline. In a stressful situation, the body releases cortisol, a "stress hormone", which makes the body switch into a so-called survival mode and store the fat instead of burning it.  So what does green tea have to do with it? It contains L-theanine, an amino-acid that interacts with dopamine, a brain neurotransmitter that is released by the brain as a "reward" after  certain types of activities. It also has a calming and relaxing effect which stops the body's survival mode.

So what does this boil down to (pun intended)? 

The antioxidants that are present in green tea can help with both heart health and weight loss. On one hand, they improve the flexibility of blood vessels, making them less vulnerable to clogging. On the other hand, they speed the body's metabolism thus making it burn more calories.

Just writing all this made me crave a cuppa! 

How about you?