Green tea is one of the most prized types of tea in the whole world. With its low caffeine content, the drink is an excellent morning beverage for those that want to get an initial boost of energy without the adrenaline rush that can occur from high-caffeine drinks like coffee or energy drinks.
Green tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Interestingly, the same flower is used to make oolong and black tea after a process of oxidation and withering. This type of tea, however, is made from the low-processed and dried Camellia sinensis leaves.
This tea originally came from China where it spread through all of eastern Asia as one of the most prized beverages and part of the traditions of the east. Now, people all over the world enjoy this wonderful tea and experience the renowned health benefits from drinking it. (1)
Green Tea Benefits for Women
Has a Stimulating Effect
Whether you are a mother of three or just a busy woman that needs to make it through her day, this tea is your natural answer to waking you up instantly. Because it contains caffeine inside, it will give you the boost that is usually derived from coffee early in the morning.
The good news is that this type of tea has significantly less caffeine than other caffeinated beverages. This means no tossing through the night and no jittery side effects after a drink of it.
Anti-cancer Properties
This type of tea is very rich in antioxidants and particularly in Epigallocatechin gallate — one of the most powerful antioxidants known to man. Antioxidants fight off oxidative damage done by free radicals which is one of the leading causes of diseases and cell mutations. Constant drinking of this tea has shown a decline in the growth of various tumors.(2)
Rich in Nutrients
Because this tea is completely natural and not processed with chemicals like sodas and other beverages, it has most of its nutrients intact when it reaches you. The leaves of the Camellia sinensis tea are very rich in phytonutrients that can boost your nutritional intake on a daily basis.
Lower Risk for Heart Disease
This particular tea is very healthy for your heart. It can prevent various cardiovascular diseases and reduce the risk of strokes. During studies, individuals who constantly drank cups of this tea were found to have a 31% lower risk of dying from diseases related to the heart.
This tea lowers the bad cholesterol in the blood. Lowered cholesterol protects the heart and vessels from the lipids getting stuck to their walls. The intake of this tea balances the levels of good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol levels.
Better Figure
Women are particularly sensitive to the way they look. If you are one of them, you will be happy to learn that green tea can help you in losing weight and keeping it off. In studies, daily intake of this tea showed to significantly reduce body fat. Those that drink Camellia sinensis tea regularly have a healthier weight than before making it part of their daily routine. This is due to the metabolism-boosting properties of the tea.
Protects the Brain
One of the most important benefits of this tea is the protection that it provides for the brain from cognitive damage that results in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases. Alzheimer’s is associated with changes in memory and thought. To this day, there is no certain cure for it. However, the antioxidants found in tea can reduce the chances of coming up with Alzheimer’s as oxidative damage seems to take part in the disease.
As for Parkinson’s disease, the effect of the tea seems to be similar. The rich polyphenol levels in this tea can protect cells and especially neurons from neurotoxins in the environment. This lesses the chance of coming up with Parkinson’s disease at some point in life.
Teeth and Oral Health
The tea of Camellia sinensis has potent antibacterial compounds inside that destroy bad bacteria and fungus. Bacteria is one of the major causes of cavities, bad breath, and other oral problems. Drinking this tea on a regular basis reduces the instances of cavities, bad breath, and other unwanted oral problems.
Stabilizes Blood Sugar
Those that have high blood sugar levels or a genetic predisposition to Type 2 diabetes can turn to this tea for help. Because of the powerful flavonoids inside this tea, the liver produces less glucose. This naturally regulates blood sugar levels which is great for those that get blood sugar spikes.
People who have a predisposition to Type 2 diabetes can really benefit from regular tea drinking. The tea of the Camellia sinensis leaves significantly lowers the risk of this type of diabetes as proven in research.
Boosts Bone Health
Bones are important to the functioning of the entire body and even more important for post-menopausal women. This tea increases bone mass and protects bone tissue from being stripped.
Immune System Boost
Our immune system is our protection from bacteria and viruses. During the wintertime when bacteria are lurking around, regular drinking of green tea benefits a sound health without cold or flu symptoms. The high contents of vitamin C in this tea helps improve immune function along with the many flavonoids that boost the effects of this vitamin.
Look Younger
The anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects of this tea protect various organs, including the skin, from aging. Those that use the extract of this tea externally and take green tea regularly increase the elasticity of their skin and look younger in older age.
Less Sugar Intake
If you want to have a great morning or mid-afternoon beverage without all the added calories, with this tea you are off to a good start. This tea naturally contains zero calories and tastes great without added sugar. This practical swap to your daily soda drink will quench your thirst without adding extra pounds to you.
If you are used to drinking sweet beverages, it might take you some time to get used to the extremely pleasant but slightly astringent taste of this drink. When you do, however, you will learn to appreciate the unique flavor and aroma of this tea. Just make sure you are preparing it on your own or buying without added sugar as some store versions of green tea have extra sugar added.
Longer Life
Green tea is one of the foods and drinks that is traditionally associated with a longer life in East Asia where it originated. Long-term studies of participants for many years found that drinking three to four cups of this tea daily lowered mortality for men, and especially for women. (3)
Greater Productivity
Because of the caffeine inside and antioxidants, the drink of this tea early in the morning or when you are feeling low during the day will make you even more productive than consuming other beverages. Unlike other high-caffeine drinks, this tea can boost your productivity without the extra jitteriness or insomnia.
Induced Relaxation
One of the green tea benefits is its calming effect. Although the caffeine inside this tea is a stimulant, the leaves also contain L-theanine acid. This acid works as a neurotransmitter in the brain to signal to the neurons to produce more alpha waves. This induced alpha-wave generation in the brain usually happens during the first stages of meditation with closed eyes or when relaxing.
Preparation of the Tea
There is a simple way of brewing the tea. If you want to get the most health benefits of the tea and derive its best taste, follow some simple guidelines when brewing it. You can steep the green leaves or tea ‘pearls’ with water that is slightly below boiling point.
Use a single teaspoon for a cup of tea. If you steep the leaves with boiling water or boil it, it might taste bitter afterward. If the water you are using has already boiled, allow it to cool for a minute so it can reach its ideal temperature. Steep the tea for three minutes, and check if the flavor is right for you. If you need it stronger, keep it for two more minutes. When the flavor is good for you, you can separate the leaves from the tea and enjoy your drink.
Final Thoughts on Green Tea Benefits for Women
Green tea benefits numerous organs and systems in the body. The ancient Chinese knew this secret and carefully cultivated this tea to bring it forth towards our age. The drink is as popular as ever and helps millions of people to feel better and more energized during their days.
If you are accustomed to drinking sugar-flavored beverages, you might find the taste of this tea a bit strange, but with time, you can learn to appreciate and even crave its flavor. You can purchase this amazing tea in packages as dried leaves or pears, or brew it with a tea bag. Whatever the way of using it, this tea will make you look and feel younger than before.
