What Green Tea Is Good For You

Does Green Tea Reduce Belly Fat

Yes and no. Unfortunately, theres no way, short of liposuction, to lose fat in a targeted spot on the body, such as the belly. However, green tea can help you lose fat from all over the body.

n order to get rid of fat, the body has to break down the fat cells and move them to the bloodstream. Some studies have suggested that certain compounds in tea can help this process by boosting the effects of norepinephrine, a fat-burning hormone.

EGCG, the main antioxidant in tea can also prevent the enzyme thats responsible for breaking down norepinephrine. When this enzyme is unable to break down the hormone, the levels of norepinephrine increase. This, in turn, promotes the breakdown of fat.

Best Matcha: Encha Ceremonial Grade Organic Matcha Green Tea

• Reasonably priced for ceremonial matcha

• Vibrant color and aroma

• Packaged in bags not tins

A list of the best green teas wouldnt be complete without at least one matcha option. Matcha, which literally means powdered tea, is a type of green tea thats made by drying young tea leaves and then grinding them into a powder. The powder can be mixed with hot water for a traditional matcha or paired with your favorite milk or non-dairy milk substitute for a green tea latte.

There are lots of matcha options out there, but the Encha Ceremonial Grade Organic Matcha Green Tea earned the best matcha tea spot for several reasons. It has the light signature grassy flavor of matcha without being overpowering. Even if youre new to matcha, youll enjoy the mellow subtly sweet flavor of Encha.

Its organic and comes directly from Kyoto, Japanmatchas birthplace. At first, the price may make you raise an eyebrow, but keep in mind that a little goes a really long way. You only need about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per cup, so youll get 30 to 60 servings from one pouch.

Form: Matcha powder | Caffeine: 60 milligrams | Steep Time: N/A | Ingredients: Pure matcha green tea powder

• Easy to find in-store and online

• Multiple flavors available

• Prices vary widely by retailer

• May not be sweet enough for some

Form: Bottled iced tea | Caffeine: 44 milligrams | Steep Time: N/A | Ingredients: Brewed tea, ascorbic acid, and natural flavor

• Not too sweet, not too tart

• Slightly more sugar than other brands

What Is Matcha Tea

Matcha is a type of green tea made by taking young tea leaves and grinding them into a bright green powder. The powder is then whisked with hot water. This is different from regular green tea, where the leaves are infused in water, then removed. Drinking brewed green tea is a bit like boiling spinach, throwing away the spinach and just drinking the water, says Louise Cheadle, co-author of The Book of Matcha and co-owner of the tea company teapigs. You will get some of the nutrients, but youre throwing away the best bit. With matcha, youre drinking the whole tea leaves.

Matcha leaves are grown on green tea bushes kept under shade. The shade increases the amount of chlorophyll content in the leaves, which is what makes them bright green and full of nutrients. The leaves are picked by hand and the stems and veins are removed. According to Cheadle, the leaves are traditionally ground by granite stones into a super fine powder. It takes an hour to grind the leaves, and its done in the dark to protect the nutrients, she says.

The finest matcha comes from Japan, where it has been grown for centuries and forms part of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, she adds.

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Green Tea Benefits For Your Body And Mind

While a great deal is known about the benefits of green tea, more research is still needed in order to expand our knowledge on just how green tea benefits us. Here are some green tea benefits currently supported by research.

1. Weight Loss

Green tea is known to in the body, aiding in the weight loss process. More research is needed, but one study found that the combination of GTE and exercise also produced greater changes in antiinflammatory and metabolic markers than exercise alone

If youre looking to lose weight, exercise is the first step, but adding in green tea can help speed up the process, even if only slightly. Check out this article if you want to find out more about this: Is Drinking Green Tea An Effective Way For Weight Loss?

2. Increased Satiety

One study on how green tea affects insulin levels found that, while green tea had no effect on insulin levels after a meal, it did increase feelings of satiety, which means that study participants were less likely to continue eating. This can have positive effects on health by helping you consume less calories.

3. Lower Risk of Heart Disease

Scientists believe that green tea works on the lining of blood vessels, helping keep them stay relaxed and better able to withstand changes in blood pressure. It may also protect against the formation of clots, which are the primary cause of heart attacks.

One study found that, in general, coffee and certain types of teas reduced the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Health Benefits Of Drinking Green Tea Before Bed

1. Helps boosts the Immune system

Green tea can help you strengthen your immune system.

One of the antioxidants present in green tea, polyphenols, can help protect from auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis

2. Helps you sleep better

L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, provides relaxing and anti-anxiety qualities. L-theanine is a natural anxiety reliever that helps you sleep better. If you have sleep issues such as insomnia, drinking green tea before bed may be beneficial. It will also increase the quality of your sleep, without making you feel drowsy or tired like other natural and synthetic sleep aids.

3. Lowers cancer risk

Green tea has been shown in studies to reduce the risk of several cancers: prostate cancer, pancreas cancer, bladder cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, and liver cancer. Oxidative damage has been linked to chronic inflammation, which can lead to chronic diseases such as cancer, according to research. Antioxidants can assist in the prevention of oxidative stress. Green tea is high in antioxidants and is a good source of them.

4. Reduces cholesterol levels

Drinking green tea is known to reduce the levels of cholesterol in the blood to an extent.

5. Improves cardiovascular health

6. Improves oral hygiene

Drinking green tea regularly promotes healthy teeth and gums, according to a Japanese study. Green tea reduces the chances of periodontal disease.

8. Aids weight loss and fat burning

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May Help Prevent Cancer

Matcha is jam-packed with health-promoting compounds, including some that have been linked to cancer prevention in test tube and animal studies.

In one study, green tea extract decreased tumor size and slowed the growth of breast cancer cells in rats .

Matcha is especially high in epigallocatechin-3-gallate , a type of catechin that has been shown to have powerful anti-cancer properties.

One test tube study found that the EGCG in matcha helped kill off prostate cancer cells (

24 ).

When combined with a well-rounded diet and healthy lifestyle, drinking matcha may help keep your heart healthy and protect against disease.

SUMMARY

How To Make Green Tea

Heres a step-by-step guide on how to make loose leaf green tea:

Heres a step-by-step guide on how to prepare a teabag green tea

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Is Matcha Good For You

Matcha, a type of green tea, has grown in popularity in recent years. Matcha is derived from the same Camellia sinensis plant; however, it is grown without direct sunlight and is then ground into a fine powder.

Matcha powder contains the whole tea leaf, which means it offers more nutritional benefits than regular green tea leaves. Studies have shown the consumption of matcha has been linked to a higher intake of green tea phytochemicals and that the concentration of EGCG in matcha is 137 times greater than the amount of EGCG available in a common variety of green tea bags with leaves. So if youre looking for the healthiest form of green tea, matcha is your best bet.

But theres one pitfall to look out for. Matcha is naturally very bitter in flavor, and so many cafes and beverage chains will often try to counteract this with plenty of sweeteners and creamy additives. Stick to a matcha latte made with unsweetened oat milk to get the most benefits.

What Other Time Of The Day Is Best To Drink Green Tea

• Do not drink green tea very early in the morning

Due to its high catechin concentration, drinking green tea on an empty stomach in the morning can have negative effects on the liver.

Green tea contains catechins, so you need to restrict the amount ingested. Catechins at excessive concentrations can harm the liver. Green tea should be consumed between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m.

• Drink green tea in between meals

To increase nutritional intake and iron absorption, drink a cup of green tea between meals, for example, two hours before or after. If you have anemia, you should avoid drinking green tea with food.

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Cold Green Tea Benefits

Cold brew tea is not the same as brewing it hot and letting it cool.

Brewing hot and brewing cold are actually surprisingly different, both in their flavor and their health benefits.

Which is better?

That depends on what you are looking for. All I can tell you is that both are great.

In this article, we will take a closer look at cold brew green tea, including how to make it and its many benefits.

Perhaps you will love it even more than hot tea. Many do. Either way, you get to enjoy some amazing, but different, benefits and an amazing, but different, flavor.

Is Green Tea Good For You

Is green better for you than black? Does it contain caffeine? Can it help ward off disease? Our expert nutritionist Jo Lewin examines the dietary benefits of green tea.

All types of tea, even your regular cup of builders, come from the Camellia sinensis plant. Green tea gets its name from the emerald green colour created when brewing unprocessed, unfermented tea leaves. With origins going back as far as 5,000 years, green tea is commonly drunk and widely grown in the Far East where the health properties are well regarded.

Discover our full range of;health benefit guides and read more about the profile of other teas in our series: including ginger tea, peppermint tea, chamomile tea and rooibos tea.

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How To Drink Green Tea

The best temperature to brew green tea at is about 185 degrees Fahrenheit. If you dont have a thermometer, simply let boiling water cool for about two minutes to achieve this temperature. Add the sachet of tea and let it steep for three minutes. You can then remove the sachet and enjoy your tea!

You can also try mixing green tea with other healthy ingredients, such as ginger, a healthy and tasty beverage option.

You can also try matcha, a specific type of green tea that has a thicker texture.

The Antioxidants In Green Tea Contain A Bounty Of Possible Perks

Green tea is arguably one of the most famous superfoods out there, but how much do you know about whats in your cup?

Green tea is made from the leaves of the;Camellia sinesis plant, just like all other nonherbal teas. Unlike black and oolong teas, though, green tea is less processed, as its made using steam-dry methods. The delicate processing techniques are thought to be among the reasons why green tea is so rich in nutrients and antioxidants all of which may lead to a range of health benefits. In fact, according to the;National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health , green tea has been used in Chinese and Japanese medicine practices for centuries.

While youve probably heard a lot of chatter about the benefits of green tea, the NCCIH points out that much of the evidence isnt conclusive, and more studies are needed. New York Citybased Megan Casper, RDN, owner of;Megan Casper Nutrition,;notes another key caveat: Many studies of green tea use green tea extract, which can be much stronger than your average at-home brew.

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Newer to the scene and also being talked up for its potential benefits is matcha green tea. Matcha is made from ground whole green tea leaves mixed with freshly boiled water. Casper says this preparation boosts this green teas antioxidant content, as well as its caffeine content.

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Healthy Tea Consumption Andcaffeine

To stay within the Mayo Clinic’s recommended caffeine intake, most people should limit their green tea consumption to no more than 14 or 15 cups per day. However, this quantity assumes that your tea has a fairly average caffeine content. If you prefer stronger teas , you may want to limit your green tea consumption to a maximum of 9 cups per day.

If you’re keen to obtain the benefits of drinking green tea but don’t want to ingest that much caffeine, try drinking decaffeinated green tea instead. According to the study, decaffeinated green tea has no more than 4 milligrams of caffeine per gram of tea leaves. There’s also a maximum of 10 milligrams of caffeine per gram of ground tea powder.

Read more:What Types of Tea Are Caffeine Free?

If you’re not a fan of decaf but still want to reduce the caffeine content in your green tea, you can also try drinking cold-brewed tea. A July 2015 study in the Journal of Food Science and Technology reported that steeping your tea in cold water reduces its caffeine content while increasing the amounts of beneficial bioactive compounds.

To maximize the benefits of green tea, cold brewing may actually be the best way to go. The same study reported that antioxidants in tea can be destroyed by hot temperatures of over 194 degrees Fahrenheit . Although many people like to steep their tea in hot water, this means that boiling water’s temperature is actually damaging the beneficial compounds in your green tea.

How Do You Make A Bowl Of Matcha

Follow these steps to make the perfect bowl of matcha:

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What Are Matcha Tea Side Effects

These days everyone is wary of negative side-effects, and for good reason. Amidst the many bad connotations of medicines and drugs at the pharmacy, when consumed properly, matcha does not have any side effects. Many people in Japan where matcha has traditionally been consumed the most have upwards of three, four, even five cups of matcha per day. However, as with any substance, too much can cause some complications. This primarily relates to the fact that matcha has caffeine.

All green teas have caffeine. In a half teaspoon of matcha, there is about 35mg of caffeine. Nutritional guidelines recommend that adults consume no more than 400mg of caffeine per day. By these guidelines, it is safe to drink about 10 brewed cups of matcha per day without worry

These guidelines are different in some circumstances. Children and pregnant women should reduce their caffeine intake, and some adults who are sensitive to caffeine should monitor their intake of matcha as well.

Possible side effects from too much caffeine do include headaches, irritability, diarrhea, insomnia, or heart palpitations. This goes for any caffeine containing beverage, but generally no side-effects are reported with regular consumption of matcha. Consulting with your physician is always recommended when adding new things to your diet or lifestyle.

Helps You Lose Weight

Take a look at any weight loss supplement and theres a good chance youll see green tea extract listed in the ingredients.

Green tea is well known for its ability to enhance weight loss. In fact, studies show that it may help speed up metabolism to increase energy expenditure and boost fat burning.

One small study showed that taking green tea extract during moderate exercise increased fat burning by 17% .

Another study in 14 people found that taking a supplement containing green tea extract significantly boosted 24-hour energy expenditure, compared to a placebo .

A review of 11 studies also showed that green tea reduced body weight and helped maintain weight loss .

Although most of these studies focused on green tea extract, matcha comes from the same plant and should have the same effect.

SUMMARY

Some studies show that green tea extract helps increase metabolism and fat burning, both of which may aid weight loss.

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