7 Health Benefits of Green Tea

Want to enhance your health in surprising ways? Drink green

tea.



We're not talking about a new health discovery here. This

beverage has been used for thousands of years by the

Chinese. It has proved itself for centuries as worthy of being

included in our diet for its health properties.



Not only has this drink been endorsed for ages, but modern

science also has discovered astonishing facts about what

it may be able to do for your health.



There are a lot more benefits to drinking green tea than are listed

below, but here are seven:



1. Drink it to help shed extra pounds.



A study published by the American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition in November, 1999, is encouraging. It shows that

this drink may enable people to burn more calories.



2. This ancient brew may help combat signs of aging.



That's because it contains large amounts of vitamins E and

C which are antioxidants. Antioxidants have the reputation

of being able to combat free radicals that damage cells.

Cancer, heart attacks and diabetes can result from damaged

cell membranes.



In April, 1999, researchers at Case Western Reserve

University in Cleveland revealed that green tea may ease the

symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.



3. This drink may help asthma sufferers.



Because it contains theophylline (a muscle relaxant), it can

help the muscles surrounding bronchial tubes to relax. This

helps asthma sufferers to breathe with less restriction.



4. Green tea may help lower blood pressure.



High blood pressure makes you susceptible to heart attack

and stroke. This ancient brew may also keep blood clots from

forming.



5. Green tea has been reported to help in the fight against

cancer.



Doctors from the prestigious Mayo Clinic found that green

tea extract given to four leukemia patients seemed to help

three of them experience regression of the disease. And even

the fourth patient showed some improvement. The reason the

doctors tried green tea extract is that a 2004 test tube

study showed that leukemia cells were killed by the

extract.



By the way, in Japan there are fewer reported cancer deaths.

Could it be because the Japanese drink a lot of green tea?



6. Drinking this beverage my help lower cholesterol.



Lowering cholesterol with no side effects has been reported

in studies using green tea. Your ability to fight heart

disease and ward off stroke is tied in with your cholesterol

count.



7. This brew may help your body fight infections.



The New York Times reported in April of 2003 that the immune

system's ability to fight disease may be strengthened by

drinking green tea. Microbiologist Milton Schiffenbauer,

professor at Pace University (New York) stated, "Our

research shows tea extracts can destroy the organism that

causes disease. If we can stimulate the immune system and at

the same time we are destroying the organisms then it makes

sense to drink more tea."





Now that you've learned 7 ways green tea has been shown to

help your health, why not give it a place in your daily

diet? It's not a magic cure, but this proven ancient

beverage may just help you to be healthier.



About The Author:



Patricia Wagner offers informative tips and a newsletter to

help you live a more energetic lifestyle. Check out A to Z

Wellness at http://www.a-to-z-wellness.com/healthy-foods.htm