Antioxidant, tonic, slimming, draining, anti-tumor … green tea is the health drink. Let’s find out all the properties of green tea.
The green tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water. But what are the properties of green tea? Green tea (camellia sinensis) is a shrub native to south-eastern Asia where it has been used for over 5000 years.
It is a plant with bright green leaves and white flowers. It is collected when it reaches about one and a half meters in height, to facilitate its collection. Subsequently the leaves will undergo different treatments depending on whether it is green tea, black tea, white tea or oolong tea (sometimes also called blue tea).
The healing properties of green tea
Green tea has always been known as a health drink and over the past few decades science has also highlighted its antioxidant, diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Green tea contains flavonoids, catechins, tannins, teina, theophylline, B vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
The properties of green tea are mainly tonic, diuretic, depurative and antioxidant. Tea polyphenols also play an important anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor action, highlighted also by various scientific studies. In particular, a substance present in green tea (epigallocatechin – gallate) has a preventive action against skin, colon, pancreas, breast, prostate and liver cancer.
The same polyphenols are potentially involved in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Tea has also been shown to have beneficial effects on type 2 diabetes by rebalancing blood glucose levels. The theanine (an amino acid content in tea) reduces the physical and psychological stress, while the teina carries out a tonic and stimulating, increasing the ability to concentrate.
Curiosity
The use of tea is also recommended as draining in slimming treatments. In fact, the tea has a good diuretic and purifying action that promotes the renal elimination of water and the purification of the body.
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It also seems that a regular consumption of tea helps to combat cellular aging and prevents hair loss by inhibiting an enzyme responsible for hair loss.
Finally, a beneficial action for oral hygiene was found. The wealth of fluoro and catechicne in fact contribute to the prevention of caries.
The uses of green tea
Tea is mainly used in infusion. For a cup the ideal amount is about 2 teaspoons. To avoid deterioration of the active ingredients it is advisable not to put tea in boiling water, but at a temperature of 85/90° C. Regarding how much green tea you drink every day, it is usually recommended not to exceed 3 or 4 cups a day.
However, there are those who say that they can drink even more, in order to take full advantage of all the benefits of green tea. If you do not come back in cases where it is best to avoid it (see contraindications), you can drink it without too many restrictions, taking into account not to drink it from late afternoon and evening to avoid insomnia and that green tea is less rich in caffeine than black tea . In addition it is always good to choose green tea of excellent quality, possibly in leaves and organic.
Capsules or dry extract tablets are also available on the market. Green tea powder is also used in the kitchen to make desserts. In fact, the cakes or the green tea ice cream are famous.
Contraindications of green tea
In case of taking drugs it would be advisable to stop tea or wait several hours before drinking. In hypersensitive subjects, excessive use of green tea can create agitation and nervousness: in this case it is advisable to suspend or reduce the intake of tea. If you suffer from insomnia, do not drink tea before going to sleep, or drink white tea, “lighter” than other varieties.
