Health Benefits of Tea: Green Tea

by Dr Marli Botha

Coffee is the most popular beverage to enjoy first thing in the morning, but it’s hard to ignore that more and more people have been making the switch to green tea to get their daily fix of caffeine. There are a few health benefits that makes green tea superior to many other beverages (including other types of tea).

5 HEALTH BENEFITS OF GREEN TEA:

1. Tea from the Camellia Sinesis bush and can be divided into four different categories based on how oxidized they are. White tea is made from unoxidized buds, whereas oolong tea stems from particularly oxidized leaves, and black tea is made when completely oxidized leaves are steeped in hot water. Green tea, on the other hand, is made with unoxidized tea leaves. 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, hence you are drinking whole tea leaves.
2. Tea is rich in polyphenols, which are natural compounds that have health benefits, such as reducing inflammation and helping to fight cancer. Green tea contains a catechin called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Catechins are natural antioxidants that help prevent cell damage and provide other benefits. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/egcg-epigallocatechin-gallate
3. The optimum temperature for making a cup of green tea is 160 – 170 °C, boiling water can break down the catechins in the tea. By adding lemon to green tea one can increase the health benefits because Vitamin C makes the catechins easier to absorb. Dairy (milk), on the other hand, makes it harder to absorb the catechins.
4. It may take some time to get used to the harsh flavour of green tea. To reap the benefits of green tea, one can mix a tablespoon or two of green tea powder into your fruit or juice smoothies, until your pallet has become used to the taste of green tea.
5. Oily skin is one of the leading causes for skin breakouts. The good news is that green tea can be used to treat oily skin. The tannins in green tea can assist in the reduction of oil production associated with acne. Make your own green tea facial mist: Take the green tea bag and steep it in the mug of water for at least 15-20 minutes. Remove the tea bag and let it cool down to room temperature. Add the contents of the vitamin E capsule or some vitamin E oil. Carefully pour the mixture into the spray bottle. Keep it in the fridge until you need to use it.

It is important to mention that no food is meant to be a cure-all for any condition, though there are certainly health and skin benefits contained within them. The one thing you should always do before using a new skin care product is to do a patch test to look for allergies and sensitivities.