7 Health Benefits of Green Tea

Want to enhance your health in surprising ways? Drink green ntea. nnnnWe're not talking about a new health discovery here. This nbeverage has been used for thousands of years by the nChinese. It has proved itself for centuries as worthy of being included in our diet for its health properties. nnnnNot only has this drink been endorsed for ages, but modern nscience also has discovered astonishing facts about whatnit may be able to do for your health. nnnnThere are a lot more benefits to drinking green tea than are listed below, but here are seven: nnnn1. Drink it to help shed extra pounds.nnnnA study published by the American Journal of Clinical nNutrition in November, 1999, is encouraging. It shows that nthis drink may enable people to burn more calories. nnnn2. This ancient brew may help combat signs of aging.nnnnThat's because it contains large amounts of vitamins E and nC which are antioxidants. Antioxidants have the reputation nof being able to combat free radicals that damage cells. nCancer, heart attacks and diabetes can result from damaged ncell membranes. nnnnIn April, 1999, researchers at Case Western Reserve nUniversity in Cleveland revealed that green tea may ease the nsymptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. nnnn3. This drink may help asthma sufferers.nnnnBecause it contains theophylline (a muscle relaxant), it can nhelp the muscles surrounding bronchial tubes to relax. This nhelps asthma sufferers to breathe with less restriction. nnnn4. Green tea may help lower blood pressure.nnnnHigh blood pressure makes you susceptible to heart attack nand stroke. This ancient brew may also keep blood clots from nforming. nnnn5. Green tea has been reported to help in the fight against ncancer. nnnnDoctors from the prestigious Mayo Clinic found that green ntea extract given to four leukemia patients seemed to help nthree of them experience regression of the disease. And even nthe fourth patient showed some improvement. The reason the ndoctors tried green tea extract is that a 2004 test tube nstudy showed that leukemia cells were killed by the nextract. nnnnBy the way, in Japan there are fewer reported cancer deaths. nCould it be because the Japanese drink a lot of green tea? nnnn6. Drinking this beverage my help lower cholesterol.nnnnLowering cholesterol with no side effects has been reported nin studies using green tea. Your ability to fight heart ndisease and ward off stroke is tied in with your cholesterol ncount. nnnn7. This brew may help your body fight infections.nnnnThe New York Times reported in April of 2003 that the immune nsystem's ability to fight disease may be strengthened by ndrinking green tea. Microbiologist Milton Schiffenbauer, nprofessor at Pace University (New York) stated, "Our nresearch shows tea extracts can destroy the organism that ncauses disease. If we can stimulate the immune system and at nthe same time we are destroying the organisms then it makes nsense to drink more tea." nnnnnNow that you've learned 7 ways green tea has been shown to nhelp your health, why not give it a place in your daily ndiet? It's not a magic cure, but this proven ancient nbeverage may just help you to be healthier.