Did you know that you can improve your health just by adding green tea to your diet? This tasty little eastern beverage is packed full of great health promoting benefits, and here we'll be talking about just those!
Natural health has recently grown in popularity in the western hemispheres, and with it has come many foods that have been commonly used in eastern cultures for a very long time. Green tea is a natural drink, made from the leaves of Camellia Sinensis bushes, which has been fermented for an unusually short amount of time. This short fermentation process causes the tea to retain most all of its polyphenols which would have otherwise been removed, and which are believed to be the cause of many of green tea’s health benefits. Its use has been dated back in some areas as long as 5000 years ago, and eastern cultures still regularly use it because of its application to health. It has many different health benefiting properties, but here are the three most prominent.

Western society has recently become extremely focused on youth and retarding the aging process. People want to look, think, and feel younger, and movie stars pay millions for products that promise smoother, younger skin. Antioxidants have been revealed to be a powerful agent in keeping people youthful, as they can reduce the aging effects of free radicals on our bodies. Green tea is an excellent source of these antioxidants, and the antioxidants in green tea have proven to be very potent.

One reason for green tea’s recent popularity in the west is its benefits for the cardiovascular system. Heart disease and cardiovascular related illnesses are at all-time highs in the United States, and are currently on the rise. It can be very difficult to avoid the factors that cause cardiovascular stress, but green tea is one substance that can actually help. Although it is high in caffeine, which is not generally good for the cardiovascular system, its rich antioxidants have the power to lower a person’s cholesterol and help prevent future heart problems. It has also been shown to help prevent diseases that affect the arteries.

Green tea’s recent increase in popularity, although attributed to many of its properties, is most likely the primary result of its effect on weight loss. It’s no secret that out of control weight has become a serious problem in western culture, and as a result there are thousands of different dieting plans, exercise routines, and even pills that are designed to take off the weight. Although green tea will not cause you to shed pounds directly, one special property of it will greatly help any attempt you make to do so – its ability to speed up your metabolism. This drink actually has the ability to increase your body’s metabolic rate by helping your body process calories at a more efficient rate.

While green tea is a completely natural drink and does have many positive health benefits, it is not recommended for everyone. Because it is so unique, and happens to contain somewhat high levels of caffeine as a result of its short fermentation, people who have heart problems are not advised to take it. Despite its positive impact on cardiovascular health, its amounts of caffeine are simply too much for a weak or damaged heart and can cause problems. Also, if you are a pregnant woman or are breast-feeding, stay away from green tea until your child has been weaned.