Green tea is not only well known for slowing the progress of certain types of malignant tumours such as prostate cancer but also improves heart health and cardiovascular function, in a recent study published online. What’s more, the new research has also revealed that consumption of green tea extends to more than good health and is in fact an important tool in promoting weight loss.
According to the latest proceedings from the International Tea and Human Health Symposium conducted by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, there is a huge positive relationship between the consumption of green tea and human health.
Research studies conducted over the decades have now confirmed that consuming tea is helpful in preventing chronic illnesses including heart disorders, specific kinds of cancer and type II diabetes. In addition, it is now being revealed that green tea also improves bone health, activates certain areas of the brain by bolstering mood enhancement, problem-solving techniques and improving attention.
In the recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, there are more than 12 new articles that emphasise the compelling benefits of consuming green tea on a daily basis. Some important highlights include:
Boost in weight loss from tea leaf polyphenols.
The caffeine content and the polyphenols present in green tea helps in increasing the expenditure of energy and the oxidation of fat, thus providing substantial advantages for dieters wanting to achieve and maintain the ideal body weight.
Researchers revealed that participants who consumed green tea with caffeine lost an average of over three pounds in a short span of 12 weeks, while observing their standard diet. On a similar note, population-based research findings also reveal that actual green tea drinkers have less body fat, waist to hip ratios and BMIs as compared to non-tea drinkers.
Flavonoids found in green tea improve the quality of bones and bone strength.
Considered to be a major public health concern, osteoporosis is rampantly being seen across the major population at large. However, there is good news for those afflicted with poor bone quality and bone strength, as new research indicates that the polyphenols found in green tea are also helpful in boosting bone strength and bone quality, especially in men and women over the age of 50.
In a particular study conducted among postmenopausal women, scientists reported that consuming over 500 mg of green tea extract in combination with performing yoga or tai chi helped in reducing inflammation and increasing muscle strength among the participants. Other similar studies also found that the polyphenols in green tea provided a revitalizing effect to bone reconstruction thus helping to maintain the density of bones and reduce bone loss.
Drinking as little as 1 cup of green tea per day was shown to greatly reduce the incidence of cardiovascular attacks and other diseases while significantly cutting down the risk of strokes. In addition, thousands of human intervention studies as well as epidemiological and laboratory experiments have also shown that green tea possesses potent anti-cancer properties found in the flavonoids and polyphenols present in them.
Some important anti-oxidant effects against certain types of cancers include tumours of the gastrointestinal tract, breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer. Green tea not only helps in protecting against these types of cancers but also inhibits the growth of such tumours and enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy in patients undergoing treatment for cancer.