Green tea is renowned for its health benefits.
For hundreds if not thousands of years, priests, professionals and laypeople alike have been observing the profoundly positive effects of regular green tea consumption.
In the past 20 or so years, scientific studies at major Western universities have looked into the chemical composition of green tea.
Their findings have confirmed what many people all along–natural green tea supports and bolsters health in those who drink it regularly.
Catechins, Chlorophyll, Antioxidants
As far as green tea’s benefits go, it all comes down to the chemical compounds that naturally occur in the tea leaf.
Catechins are a group of chemical compounds that are known to have assorted positive benefits when ingested by animals and humans.
Among the possible health benefits associated with catechins is increased immune system response, reduction of possible arterial blockages as well as an overall reduction of free radicals in the bloodstream.
Chlorophyll is a chemical compound found in plants responsible for the green tint found in plants’ leaves.
Chlorophyll’s chemical structure very closely resembles the hemoglobin molecule present in human blood.
As a result, Chlorophyll is able to enter the blood and perform similar functions to hemoglobin. Chlorophyll’s power as a blood cleaner, immune system enhancer and infection fighter has been well documented.
Finally, green tea is a major antioxidant-rich food. Green tea’s antioxidant content outnumbers that of a comparable amount of Goji Berries
,
Pomegranate, and blueberries.
Antioxidants help combat free radical cycling through the bloodstream thereby promoting health, well-being and perhaps even anti-aging effects. It’s great to get your antioxidants through green tea, and even add a good daily antioxidant supplement in order to make sure you’re getting the right amount.
Green Tea and the Brain
Green tea health benefits extend into the extremely important zone of human brain health.
The same compounds that swirl through the bloodstream removing free radicals, increasing blood oxygenation and enhancing immune response also have immense positive benefit for the brain.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter responsible for a wide variety of brain functions many of which are as yet only partly understood.
The polyphenols contained in green tea have been shown to increase the availability of dopamine in areas of the body where more dopamine is needed.
Green tea’s chemical components have also been shown to assist in preventing neuron death during and soon after a stroke.
All told, green tea benefits and the positive impact it has on the brain is already recognized, with plenty more research still continuing to be done.
In Japan, there is a long history of Zen practitioners recognizing the beneficial effect of green tea consumption on concentration and energy levels.
Green Tea has been a steady companion of meditating monks, and the very first treatise on green tea written in Japan by the Zen monk who brought green tea back from Japan heralds the positive effects of green tea on brain health.
Green Tea Reduces Stress?
Other studies that have been done on compounds in green tea have noticed that green tea’s chemical makeup can lower levels of stress hormones in the blood and reduce the impacts of stress throughout the human body.
Think about the cultural context in which green tea is traditionally consumed.
In addition to the chemical impact of green tea, there is also a positive anti-stress effect built into the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
The still, quiet character of the tea ceremony stands in stark contrast to the stress-filled flurry of activity with which most people fill their days.
Drinking green tea already has many benefits for your body on a chemical body.
What if you were to incorporate some of the tradition of stillness, presence and reflection that is also a part of the history of green tea consumption in China and Japan?
You just might find green tea benefits to accrue well beyond your wildest expectations.
