Everything you eat or drink has some impact on your health. If you’re trying to lose weight, quitting the soft drink addiction is one way to help. However, don’t replace it with no calories soft drinks, studies show they can cause the accumulation of visceral fat—belly fat. Try water. It hydrates you and is extremely healthy. If you don’t like regular water, try infused water or even unsweetened tea. There are benefits of green tea that do more than just keep you hydrated.
Green tea has antioxidants.
Green tea is loaded with beneficial compounds, such as polyphenols. Polyphenols reduce inflammation in the body and aid in preventing cancer. It also has catechins. One, called EGCG—epigallocatechin-3-gallate—is a potent antioxidant that helps reduce free radicals that cause cell damage and cell death. Cell damage and death account for many serious conditions, including aging. It has many health benefits, including protection from heart disease.
You’ll boost your alertness without getting the shakes.
Green tea not only gives you that burst of energy from the caffeine it contains, it doesn’t create that shaky feeling you get with too much coffee. Caffeine blocks adenosine, which allows neurotransmitters like dopamine that improve concentration and alertness to fire. It can improve mood, reaction time and memory. It also contains L-theanine that increases GABA, another neurotransmitter. GABA has an anti-anxiety effect. It also boosts the production of dopamine. It boosts your alertness like coffee, but keeps you calm at the same time.
Not only does green tea have no calories, it can help burn fat.
Drinking green tea can boost your metabolism and also aid in increasing fat burning. Several studies show that people taking supplements of green tea extract increased the amount of calories burned by as little as 4% more calories and as much as 17%, compared to the control group that took a placebo. The caffeine in green tea can also boost your body’s fat burning abilities and increase overall performance in the gym.
- The antioxidants in green tea have been shown to slow the growth of certain cancer cells. Consuming it has shown to lower the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer.
- Studies show that green tea may be a benefit to help control blood sugar and aid in preventing type 2 diabetes. There are studies that show it can help reduce insulin resistance that leads to diabetes.
- Green tea may protect your brain from serious conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. It is thought to reduce dementia.
- There are a number of other benefits for drinking green tea. It can help dental issues by reducing bacteria in the mouth, keeping breath fresher.
For more information, contact us today at LivFitness 247