The benefits and harms of green tea for the human body

Green tea gained popularity in our area not so long ago, in contrast to the same China, where its use has been going on for several centuries, and many ceremonies are held in honor of this drink. We know everything about the benefits and dangers of green tea precisely from the Chinese, who use it not only to enjoy a delicious drink, but also to prevent and treat about four hundred diseases.

Many people mistakenly think that the difference between green and black tea lies in the plant that is used to make them. However, for both one and the other type of tea drink, the same leaves are collected – a tea bush or Chinese camellia. The only difference is in the preliminary processing of the leaves.

So, green tea is subjected to oxidation, its fresh leaves, before they get to our table, go through the steaming process.

Let’s figure out what we can get from the regular use of green tea?

The benefits of green tea

You have no idea how many health benefits the leaves of green tea have, thanks to which the drink will help to cope with an abundance of health problems. This is due to the rich chemical composition of the drink, the components of which have universal properties.

• Strengthens the nervous and endocrine systems of the body… Green tea is one of the best remedies for depression, polyneuritis and headaches. Its components have a good effect on the nervous system exhausted by stress. Its use also stimulates the activity of the brain, improves concentration. The benefits of the drink are also noted for problems associated with hormonal disruptions. Also, green tea helps to cope with nausea while traveling in a car;
• Prevents cardiovascular disease… This drink lowers blood cholesterol levels, helping to prevent the development of atherosclerosis, cerebrovascular disease and many other heart problems. Daily moderate consumption of green tea is beneficial for lowering blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Also, tea drink increases the elasticity of blood vessels and strengthens their walls, which is very useful to prevent the possibility of internal hemorrhages. The polyphenols in tea prevent blood clots from building up. After all, green tea is worth drinking because it halves the risk of heart attack and stroke;
• Improves the digestive system… This tea drink well removes toxic substances from the body in case of food poisoning and dysbiosis. If you have an upset stomach, strong brewed green tea can help neutralize harmful microbes in your stomach and intestines, as well as tone your intestines and improve motor function in your digestive organs. Its regular intake improves the digestion process due to the tannin content, which ensures the normal digestion of food. Thanks to the catechins contained in the drink, green tea is used as an antimicrobial agent for dysentery, the presence of coccal and typhoid paratyphoid bacteria in the body. It is also useful in colitis accompanied by severe pain;
• Promotes weight loss… Many women who want to lose weight resort to taking green tea, as it speeds up metabolic processes, removes excess fat from the body and controls the level of nodrenaline, which is responsible for the formation of body fat;
• Possesses Powerful Antioxidant Properties… Scientists have not yet figured out the exact mechanism of action of green tea against cancer, but many are leaning towards its ability to purify the blood of carcinogens using polyphenols. Moreover, this product strengthens the immune system, which also plays an important role in the prevention of cancer;
• Cleans the body… With the help of this healthy drink, you can cleanse your body of toxins and salts of heavy metals such as mercury, zinc, lead, cadmium and the most dangerous radioactive isotope – strontium-90. The tea drink is also recommended for people who sit in front of a TV or computer for a long time, as it facilitates the impact of harmful radiation;
• Is a natural biostimulant… Green tea is rich in vitamins and components that saturate the body with energy. If you want to recharge with vivacity, well-being and mood for the whole day – a cup of green tea in the morning will help you;
• Destroys fungi, viruses and bacteria… Regular intake of the drink strengthens the immune system and increases the body’s resistance to diseases such as influenza virus, candidiasis, salmonella, herpes, as well as many other viral and chronic diseases;
• Has a rejuvenating effect… It is not for nothing that green tea is called the drink of longevity. Its reception helps to preserve the health and youthfulness of the skin, improve its color, strengthen hair and reduce its oily content. Thanks to the content of antioxidants, the drink slows down the aging process of the body. This is also confirmed by statistics, according to which the majority of pensioners who have reached the age of 90 drink green tea throughout their lives;
• Prevents the development of diabetes… This is due to the presence of flavonoids that act like insulin;
• Protects muscles from injury… This product is recommended for athletes, as tea polyphenols significantly reduce oxidation processes in the body;
• Improves the condition of ENT organs… For rhinitis, green tea can be used to flush the sinuses. A warm infusion of green tea can relieve pain and inflammation with angina, pharyngitis, laryngitis and stomatitis;
• Protects the eyes… Green tea lotions relieve inflammation in eye diseases such as the conjunctiva, and also relax the eye muscles after prolonged visual stress;
• Improves the condition of teeth and gums… The fluoride content allows you to use the tea drink for the prevention of caries and many other dental diseases;
• Accelerates the healing of burns… The drink contains tannins, characteristic of wound healing and hemostatic action, so chilled tea can be used to lubricate burns;
• Stimulates the work of the excretory system… Drinking green tea improves the functioning of the spleen and liver, it is effective in preventing the accumulation of stones in the bladder, liver and kidneys;
• Ensures favorable development of the fetus… Thanks to zinc, green tea is good for pregnant women;
• Has a positive effect on the organs of the reproductive system… Men should pay attention to this tea drink, as it contains minerals that stimulate the production of the male hormone testosterone.

The harm of green tea

Green tea is a rather specific drink, since, on the one hand, it is very useful and safe to drink, and on the other hand, it can be harmful to health if it is improperly prepared and for some groups of people.

The harm of green tea from improper intake

• Overuse… Unreasonable drinking in large quantities can provoke drunkenness, nausea, headache, dizziness and nervous system agitation due to excess caffeine. If you drink tea in excessive quantities regularly, this will lead to the formation of kidney and gallbladder stones, as well as to disruption of the liver and poisoning due to polyphenols, which in large quantities are not only useless, but also harmful;
• Drinking old tea… If you store tea for a long time, purines accumulate in it, complicating the processes of excretion of uric acid, which increases the load on the kidneys and provokes the ingress of uric acid into the intra-articular fluid, and this is dangerous for the development of gout;
• Joint intake with alcohol… This leads to the active synthesis of aldehydes that damage the kidneys;
• Reception on an empty stomach… Tea irritates the stomach lining, which can lead to ulcers;
• Brewing in boiling water… In such water, all the beneficial elements of tea leaves are destroyed, while the amount of harmful substances increases.

Harm of green tea for some diseases

• With exacerbations of gastritis, ulcers and erosion of the stomach… This is due to the fact that regular intake of green tea increases gastric acidity;
• At elevated temperatures… The composition of the drink includes theophylline, which increases body temperature, which can aggravate the patient’s condition;
• If hypotension… The ability of the tea drink to lower blood pressure is dangerous for people suffering from low blood pressure;
• Gout… As we mentioned earlier, green tea contains purine bases that cause this joint disease;
• With arrhythmias of the heart, hypertension, insomnia and excessive excitation of the nervous system… Green tea is high in caffeine and alkaloids, which are aphrodisiac ingredients. Therefore, people with these diseases should use this drink with extreme caution.

Summing up, we can say that there is a very thin line between the benefits and harms of green tea, so if you decide to improve your health using this product, carefully study its properties, in which cases the drink is recommended, and in which cases you should abandon it use. We hope this article will help you figure it out.

Nutritional value and chemical composition of green tea

Video about the benefits and harms of green tea