There are so many green tea benefits, after reading this article, you’ll want to drink it everyday! We’re going to cover the benefits of green tea when it comes to health, saving money and just enjoying a delicious drink.
We’ll also dive into the health benefits of green tea and see why this one little leaf packs such a nutritional punch!
Let’s get brewing! 🍃💪
Green tea benefits - an overview
With so many green tea benefits, it’s difficult to decide where to start! We thought it would be best to start with a brief summary of the health benefits of green tea, and then later on in the article, we can discover the benefits of drinking green tea besides health.
#1 Benefits of Green tea for Weight Management
While the benefits of green tea aren’t a magic solution for weight loss, green tea can contribute to a modest reduction in body weight when combined with a healthy diet and exercise.
#2 How Green Tea Benefits Stress
If you’re a coffee drinker, you’ll know that the feeling of a strong cup of tea is so much different than a strong cup of coffee. With green tea, you’ll still feel energized, but with less of this anxious or jittery feeling.
Tea drinkers report having a longer lasting, “calm-alert” energy throughout the day, without the crash. This smooth, sustained energy is another one of the many green tea health benefits.
#3 Cardiovascular Health Benefits of Green Tea
Cardiovascular disease is one of the most serious afflictions in our modern society. Does green tea lower blood pressure? Yes. The antioxidants in green tea can lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. EGCG also helps protect blood vessel linings, promoting overall cardiovascular health.
#4 Green Tea Benefits for the Skin
The polyphenols in green tea, particularly EGCG, exhibit strong antioxidant properties. These antioxidants combat free radicals, which can lead to premature aging and skin damage. Incorporating green tea into your skincare routine or diet may help maintain youthful, healthy skin.
In addition to helping the skin, green tea can also benefit your hair. If you want to learn more about this, we recommend you read our article 👉 Can Matcha Boost Hair? Untangling the Benefits
#5 Benefits of Green Tea for Cognitive Enhancement
Green tea's combination of catechins and L-theanine has been linked to improved cognitive function. Regular consumption may enhance memory, focus, and cognitive abilities.
Additionally, there's evidence to suggest that green tea could play a role in reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
#6 Health Benefits of Green Tea for Diabetics
Green tea has demonstrated potential in improving insulin sensitivity and regulating blood sugar levels. For individuals with diabetes or those at risk of developing the condition, incorporating green tea into their dietary habits may offer a supportive measure.
By the way, green tea can also provide some benefits for oral health, and if you want to learn more about that, you can read these articles:
👉 Does Matcha Stain Teeth? Here’s What to do About it (for matcha lovers)
👉 Does Green Tea Stain Your Teeth? Find The Answer Here! (for green tea lovers)
#7 Bloating
So does green tea help with bloating? Absolutely! You just need to make sure you find the right one and prepare it properly. The next time you encounter symptoms of bloating, brew up a nice pot of green tea to soothe your tummy!
#8 Anti-inflammatory properties
Green tea has strong anti-inflammatory properties. What makes green tea anti inflammatory is the unique combination of compounds you find in the leaf with chemical such as: catechins, polyphenols, flavonoids, theanine and caffeine.
Where do the benefits of green tea come from?
If you notice, our list of the health benefits of green tea mention the same compounds repeatedly. There are a few different components in the tea leaf that are responsible for the plethora of green tea benefits and they are as follows:
Caffeine
Caffeine, a natural stimulant found in various beverages, including coffee and tea, is known for its ability to increase alertness and reduce fatigue.
When consumed in moderation, caffeine can enhance cognitive function, boost energy levels, and even improve physical performance. It stimulates the central nervous system, helping individuals stay awake and focused, making it a valuable tool for combating drowsiness and enhancing productivity.
L-theanine
A lot of the green tea benefits associated with the brain come from L-theanine. L-theanine is an amino acid that’s really only found in tea. It is celebrated for its calming and stress-reducing effects.
L-theanine promotes relaxation without sedation by increasing the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. This compound can also enhance cognitive function by improving attention and memory.
When combined with caffeine, as in tea, it creates a unique synergy that provides alertness without the jittery side effects often associated with pure caffeine.
If you're interested about the different side effect of green tea, make sure to read 👉 Avoiding Green Tea Side Effects: What You Need To Know
Catechins
Catechins are perhaps the most mentioned compound when it comes to studies on green tea health benefits. Catechins are a group of natural antioxidants found in tea, especially green tea.
These compounds are renowned for their potential to support health in various ways. They have been linked to improved cardiovascular health by reducing LDL cholesterol levels and protecting blood vessel linings.
Additionally, catechins are known to promote weight management by increasing metabolism and aiding in fat oxidation. Their antioxidant properties help combat free radicals, potentially reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
Antioxidants
One of the biggest benefits of drinking green tea has to do with repairing damage on the body. Antioxidants are molecules that protect cells from oxidative stress and damage caused by free radicals.
They play a crucial role in reducing the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders.
Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, preventing them from harming cells and DNA. Common dietary sources of antioxidants include fruits, vegetables, and beverages like tea and coffee, making them integral components of a healthy diet.
Polyphenols
Polyphenols are a diverse group of natural compounds found in plant-based foods and beverages, particularly in tea, red wine, and various fruits and vegetables. They exhibit strong antioxidant properties and have been associated with numerous health benefits.
Polyphenols can help reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, improve blood sugar control, and protect against chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer. Their wide-ranging health-promoting effects make them essential components of a balanced and nutritious diet.
Whats the benefits of green tea that are most important?
Now that we’ve covered a broad range of green tea benefits, let’s answer what are the benefits of green tea that most people care about. This usually boils down to on of two things: weight loss and sickness and flu prevention.
While the green tea benefits cover a whole host of different issues, the ones most people seem to care about are weight management and flu prevention. Let’s go into detail on each one here:
What are the benefits of green tea for losing weight?
Green tea contains caffeine, albeit in smaller amounts than coffee. This caffeine content can stimulate the central nervous system and increase metabolic rate.
The catechins in green tea, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), have also been shown to enhance the oxidation of fat. This means that green tea may help the body break down stored fat and use it as an energy source, which can aid in weight loss efforts.
Whats the benefits of green tea for preventing the flu?
Green tea polyphenols have been shown to stimulate the production of immune cells and cytokines, which are essential for a robust immune response. A well-functioning immune system is better equipped to defend against viruses like the flu.
There is also growing evidence that a healthy gut microbiome is crucial for a strong immune system. Green tea may positively influence gut bacteria composition, potentially contributing to better immune function.
Benefits of drinking green tea other than health
Of course there are other green tea benefits that don’t have to do with health. Green tea can be easy on your taste buds and your wallet. Let’s discuss some of the non health benefits of green tea here.
Affordable Indulgence
Compared to other indulgences, green tea is incredibly affordable. Some of the best green teas can be bought for just a dollar or two per cup. If you are used to getting lattes at a starbucks or even bottled drinks at a grocery store, switching to freshly brewed green tea can save you money.
Great Flavor
Green tea is surprisingly flavorful for a drink that contains nothing but leaves and water. The tea can have a natural sweetness to it, even without flavor and each green tea tastes a little different.
If you want to become an expert on the flavor of green tea, we suggest you read this article 👉 What Does Green Tea Taste Like? Find Out in this Guide
There are chocolate or caramel flavors coming from hojicha, fresher vegetal flavors coming from sencha and sweet and savory flavors coming from gyokuro. Choose one you like and start taking advantage of the many green tea benefits!
Preparation of the Tea
The preparation of the tea itself can be a fun hobby. When you brew your own green tea at home, you control the temperature of the water, the amount of leaf you use and how long you brew it.
Each of these factors can lead to entirely different tasting experiences so it is fun to play around and see what you like most. By the way, yerba mate is a tea with some similar benefits that is often compared to green tea. If you want to see what makes it different, you should read this article here 👉 Yerba Mate vs Matcha: a Battle is Brewing
Top 7 green teas with the most tea benefits
Green tea benefits can come from all different sources, but some are better than others. We've made a list of our favorites down below.
Remember, you can save 15% off on these teas when you use the code “MIMONI5” at checkout with our official coupon partner Mimoni!
#1 Matcha green tea
When you prepare matcha, you are mixing the entire leaf into the water and drinking it.
This means you are getting a higher concentration of the amino acids, antioxidants and more.
For this reason, matcha is king when it comes to green tea benefits and if you want to learn more about them you can read this article here 👉 What do Scientists say about Matcha Benefits? Find Out Here
#2 Gyokuro green tea
The health benefits come from the long and labor intensive production process, and if you want to learn more about that, you can read our article here 👉 Everything You Need to Know About Gyokuro Tea
#3 Sencha green tea
If you want to become a master at preparing delicious, nutritious cups of sencha green tea, you can read this article here 👉 How to Brew Sencha step by step
#4 Hojicha green tea
Hojicha may look more like a black tea, but it's actually a type of roasted green tea.
After being harvested, the tea leaves are roasted in a large hot pan, and they take on a warmer flavor profile of coffee, chocolate or caramel.
This tea comes with some impressive green tea benefits, and if you want to learn about them, you can read this article here 👉 Tea Expert Reveals 9 Hojicha Benefits
#5 Genmaicha green tea
It also has been used historically to help during fasting, which can have it's own health benefits.
To learn about that, you may want to read this article 👉 Does genmaicha break a fast? You might be surprised
#6 Oolong
This type of tea is very rare in Japan, and if you want to learn how it compares to a more common Japanese tea like sencha, we recommend you read this article here 👉 Oolong vs Sencha: Tea Expert's Comparison & Analysis
#7 Bancha green tea
Bancha is made from the older leaves of the tea plant.
These leaves are lower in caffeine and higher in minerals.
Bancha green tea benefits people that are sensitive to caffeine and also people that are prone to stomach issues.
If you want to learn more about bancha, we made the perfect article just for you 👉 All you need to know About Bancha
What are the benefits of drinking green tea everyday?
So what are the benefits of green tea if you drink it everyday? When it comes to the health benefits of green tea, consistency is key. We recommend you find one of two teas you really like and stick to those.
We particularly like to enjoy green teas in the morning. The sweeter ones like gyokuro have a nice gentle flavor to them and they are loaded with caffeine and theanine, making them a great way to start the drink.
If you switch out your daily coffee or sugary soft drink with a cup of green tea, it would be shocking if you didn’t notice a tangible difference in a week or two. Cherry on the cake, green tea is less acidic compared to these drinks!
Final thoughts on green tea benefits
With so many green tea benefits on offer, it is easy to see why people everywhere are making this their beverage of choice. Green tea not only is good for your health, but it also has a delicious flavor and it can be an affordable indulgence that's accessible to just about everyone.
Thank you for reading our article about green tea benefits. I hope you are able to incorporate the many benefits of green tea into your daily routine and live a happier, healthier more flavorful life!
