3 Reasons To Add Green Tea To Your Daily Diet
I love coffee. If I were only allowed to drink one beverage for the rest of my life, coffee would probably be it. Fortunately, though, I’m not limited to one. Over the past couple of years, I’ve added green tea to my morning routine. There’s so much evidence that it’s one of the healthiest beverages you can drink.
According to food site Umami Insider, green tea is widely consumed in Japan, where residents tend to enjoy longer lives than almost anywhere else. Green tea is full of antioxidants known as catechins, which help prevent cell damage. Mashed reports that drinking green tea every day can provide the following benefits:
- Fewer stomach problems – There’s a reason green tea is traditionally served with sushi. Raw fish can contain microbial bugs, such as E. coli. The catechins in green tea can help fight some of the symptoms of stomach distress. Green tea may be effective against other bacteria as well.
- Improved brain function – Green tea has less caffeine than coffee and black tea, it will still give you a little boost. It also contains the amino acid L-theanine. The combination of caffeine and L-theanine has been shown to enhance brain function.
- You’ll be helping your heart – A study found that you have a 19% smaller chance of having a heart attack by drinking between one to three cups of green tea a day, versus people who abstained from green tea. Another study found that green tea drinkers have a 31% smaller chance of dying from heart disease by helping to reduce low-density lipoprotein, or LDL. That’s the BAD cholesterol.
Lately, my green tea of choice has been Bigelow Matcha Green with Turmeric. It’s really two versions of green tea because matcha is a finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves. The turmeric adds a nice earthy, peppery flavor.
Phil Harris/WKQC
