With so many natural alternatives to good health, green tea health benefits on weight loss are widely-known. Many people associate green tea with slimming and losing weight. However, there are many other green tea health benefits that you can enjoy from drinking a cup.

For the Asians, green tea is a miracle drink. Drinking this beverage is part of their culture and a popular adage from ancient Chinese says, “Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one.”

Drinking green tea has benefits to vital organs in the body such as the heart, pancreas, lungs, and liver as well as body systems like skeletal, digestive and the immune systems. Here are some research-based green tea health benefits.

Improves Heart Health

A research study was conducted in 2001 by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. They interviewed 1,900 patients, on average, and grouped them into heavy green tea drinkers, medium drinkers and non drinkers. The study revealed that heavy tea drinkers, who consumed more than 15 cups a week, were 44% less likely to die from heart diseases compared to non tea drinkers. Medium drinkers, who consumed less than 15 cups a week, were 28% less likely to die.

Lowers Blood Sugar Levels

Dr. Richard Anderson of Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC) discovered that using brewed tea, when added to the fat cells of laboratory rats, increased insulin activity by more than 15 times. A higher insulin activity was found with green, oolong and black tea, either caffeinated or decaffeinated. Higher insulin activity results in lower blood sugar.

Tea used was either green or black. Catechin EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) is primarily responsible for this increased insulin activity present in green and oolong tea. In black tea, active ingredients include tannins and theaflavins. This means it may benefit type 2 diabetes patients by raising insulin level.

Prevents and Fights Lung Cancer

A 2010 study in Chung Shan Medical University (Taiwan) showed that cancer due to smoking can be prevented by drinking green tea. Researcher Lin Yi-hsin, in this study found that non-tea drinkers have 5 times more chances of developing cancer of the lungs among smokers. Those who do not drink tea and smoke are at risk 13 times more of developing lung cancer. It was observed that Japanese drink green tea thus lung cancer is uncommon.

Protects the Liver

The antioxidant power of green tea helps the liver against further damage due to alcoholism. EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which is an antioxidant present in green tea, was found to protect the liver from the free radicals generated when exposed to carbon tetrachloride, a toxic chemical solvent. The presence of EGCG, liver injury was minimized to a great extent. That is why researchers suggested that green tea can be used to treat liver damage or disorders.

Strengthens Bones

A recent study in 2008 and published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that drinking tea prevents bone loss and osteoporosis among women. Drinking tea can increase bone mineral densities by 5%. Follow up researches also added that women who were regular tea drinkers had higher bone density in the hip area as compared to non-tea drinkers.

Fights Bad Breath

Bad breath or halitosis can be very embarrassing . A 2001 study revealed that drinking tea inhibits the growth of bacteria that causes bad breath. Christine Wu of the University of Illinois at Chicago said that drinking tea which contains polyphenols suppresses the bad smelling compounds produced by pathogens in the mouth.

Boosts the Immune System

A study jointly conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston, and the University of New Hampshire, Durham showed how drinking tea can strengthen the immune system. Drinking 5 small cups of tea can increase immunity. Tea contains as alkylamine antigens. The same antigens are also present in some bacteria, tumor cells, parasites and fungi. When you drink tea, you build up the defense against them.

There are plenty more science-backed proofs that green tea prevents and wards off a number of diseases and improves our health. These are but some of the documented green tea health benefits. We hope that these are enough reasons for you to start drinking green tea for better health.