Benefits of Green Tea...

As many of you know, we will begin our first FAST tomorrow morning and will continue to FAST once a week for a month. While we FAST, we will be consuming water and Green Tea.  I would like to take a moment to describe some profound health benefits of drinking Green Tea.  Keep in mind, some of these benefits are conducted over long periods of consumption.  You will not benefit from these with just one day a week...this is something you should incorporate into your daily regiment.

Green Tea Benefits #1:
Act as antioxidants
 

Many experts believe antioxidants can slow down aging and prevent heart disease, strokes and cancers.
Green tea is an excellent source of antioxidants. Catechins are powerful antioxidants found in large quantities in green tea.
Fruits such as pomegranate may contain as many or more antioxidants than green tea.
But gram for gram and dollar for dollar, none of them packs as much punch as green tea.

Green Tea Benefits #2:
Burn fat. Exercise longer

With green tea, you get two in one. Its fat burning property helps you to burn fat and also to exercise longer - at the same time.
With more than 1,000 individuals being questioned for more than 10 years, a Taiwanese study provides the best evidence yet that green tea and oolong tea burn fat.
The longer you drink, the more evident the weight loss effect.
Green tea increases exercise endurance. Green tea catechins burn fat and reduce carbohydrate utilization, enabling athletes to exercise longer.

Green Tea Benefits #3:
Prolong life

One of the largest population studies ever conducted: 40,530 Japanese adults were interviewed over the course of 11 years.
Researchers found those who drink 5 or more cups of green tea a day are 16% less likely to die than those who drink less than one cup a day.
Heavy green tea drinkers are also 26% less likely to die from heart disease.

Green Tea Benefits #4:
Prevent and treat cancers
 

Green tea anti-cancer prowess extends beyond its antioxidant activities.
It starves off cancer cells by restricting blood vessel growth.
It wreaks havoc in abnormal cells, causing them to self-destruct.
It blocks over-production of harmful enzymes that act as catalysts to cancer growth.
From brain tumors to leukemia, from lung cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, esophageal cancer to bladder cancer, not to mention breast cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer, green tea cancer studies are showing positive results.

Green Tea Benefits #5:
Soothe stress. Boost brain power.
 

Tea contains a special compound called theanine, which has been known to stimulate alpha brain waves, calm the body, and promote relaxed awareness.

A recent 2007 study found that drinking 4 cups of tea enhances the brain's ability to concentrate on the tasks at hand.

An extensive 2009 examined 42,093 Japanese individuals and found that those who drank green tea are 20% less likely to suffer from stress. Another smaller study found that green tea drinkers were 44% less likely to suffer from depression symptoms.

The list of theanine health benefits gets longer daily and manifests itself both in mind and body.

Two 2007 breakthrough studies found that green tea regenerates damaged brain cells and is a viable treatment option for multiple sclerosis patients.

Green Tea Benefits #6:
Rejuvenate body, protect it from heart attacks and strokes
 

Drinking green tea helps patients recover from heart attacks and strokes. Preliminary studies suggests active green tea compound EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) speeds up the recovery process.

As many as 5 different population studies suggest that tea drinking reduces heart disease risk, although scientists still do not understand the mechanisms for these observations.

Green Tea Benefits #7:
Improve Heart Health
 

As we grow older, our arteries naturally harden.
Fats, cholesterols and blood platelets accumulate in the artery wall. When they thicken and clog up the entire artery, a heart attack or stroke occurs.

A hamsters study suggests green tea inhibits atherosclerosis, the hardening and thickening of arteries. A human equivalent dose of 3 to 4 cups a day is associated with 26% to 46% lower risk.

Green tea also helps to keep the artery passageway clear by reducing cholesterols, triglycerides and blood clots.

Green Tea Benefits #8:
Reduce high blood pressure
 

I found 3 studies that show green tea reduces high blood pressure.
A 2004 study found that regular tea drinkers are 65% less likely to develop high blood pressure if they drink more than two half  cups a day.

Green Tea Benefits #9:
Prevent and treat diabetes
 

Green tea is anti-diabetic. Tea compounds EGCG and theaflavins have been found to regulate blood sugar levels in the following ways:

• Increases insulin activities
• Promotes glucose metabolism
• Blocks glucose absorption.

A study discovered that drinking 6 cups of tea per day for 8 weeks reduces blood sugar levels by 15% to 20%.

Green Tea Benefits #10:
Treat Inflammation
 

You will be surprised to learn that green tea's anti-inflammatory property makes it a perfect remedy for a variety of conditions.
If you are a woman, take note. Rheumatoid arthritis is a common disease affecting about 1 in 100 people. Women are 3 times more likely to be affected. There is no known cure.
Two studies found that drinking tea may prevent rheumatoid inflammation.

Plagued by acne or pimples? Preliminary data suggests that green tea cream causes fewer side effects than benzoyl peroxide. Patients treated by green tea reported fewer cases of dry skin, itching and allergic responses.

Colitis is a general term for inflammation in the lining of the bowel. Out of the three studies I looked into, two found green tea to be helpful.

Green Tea Benefits #11:
Protects lungs from smoke

Irritated by second hand smoke? Why should we be forced to breathe in carcinogens just because other people are smoking?
Green tea protects you from lung cancer by reducing cellular damage caused by cigarette smoke.
A study conducted by the University of Arizona found that it reduces cellular damage by 25%.

Green Tea Benefits #12:
Protect liver from alcohol
 

I feel sorry writing this, but in a laboratory study, rats were intoxicated with alcohol for 4 weeks. It was found that green tea prevented damage to their livers.
If that wasn't nasty enough, in another laboratory study, mice were exposed to carbon tetrachloride, a toxic chemical solvent.
Green tea so greatly reduced their liver injuries that researchers suggested it should be used to treat liver disease.

Green Tea Benefits #13:
Prevent tooth decay. Cure bad breath.
 

Have a sweet tooth and need to ward off tooth decay?
Tea can help. Unlike soft drinks, tea is non-erosive. It also fights mouth viruses and reduces bad breath.

Green Tea Benefits #14:
Build bone
 

Studies found that drinking at least 2 cups of green tea a day helps preserve bone density and reduce osteoporosis risk. The longer you drink, the greater the benefits.
 

Green Tea Benefits #15:
Boost immunity. Fight off flu and cold.
 

Tea contains antigens, which are found also in some bacteria. They build up immune defense and prepare us for bacterial invasion.
A study on drinkers of black tea found that 5 small cups a day boost the immunity level.

Green Tea Benefits #16:
Rehydrate
 

UK Scientists found that tea is healthier than pure water.
They dispelled the common belief that tea dehydrates.
Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, it also has many other health benefits.