The Benefits of Green Tea Extract

Americans even prefer green tea to black tea, with a reported 86% of Americans now choosing to drink green tea. What if you don't like green tea's earthy flavor but want the health benefits?

Enter green tea extract. This supplement has numerous reported health benefits and is a simple addition to your diet. Want to know why the extract of green tea is part of a healthy lifestyle? Keep on reading.

What Is Green Tea Extract?

Green tea comes from Camellia Sinensis leaves. It is the same plant black tea and oolong tea comes from. The leaves for green tea are either dried in the sun (traditional method) or an oven (modern method). Tea leaves contain polyphenols which are the compounds that give tea health benefits.

The amount of polyphenols in the tea depends on the process the tea leaves have been subjected to. As a general rule, green tea has higher levels of polyphenols because it is less processed.

Green tea extract is made from concentrated dried tea leaves, usually taken as a capsule. Many people supplement green tea extract to complement their healthy lifestyle. 

Green Tea Extract Is High In Antioxidants

We all know the importance of including antioxidants in our diets. They are beneficial to long-term health, reduce inflammation, and may even help prevent cancer. Antioxidants are essential because they help protect your cells from the damage caused by free radicals.

Studies show that green tea has much higher levels of antioxidants than black tea. This study suggests the antioxidant levels in green tea are 436 mg in 200ml of tea brewed for 2 minutes, versus 239 mg in the same amount of black tea. Green tea has much higher levels of vitamin C than black tea.

Green Tea Extract Can Improve Brain Function

Researchers have found that green tea can help improve brain function, specifically memory.

The researchers conducted an experiment that involved giving participants a drink containing green tea extract. Then they asked them to participate in memory tasks. During the experiment, the brain was monitored using an MRI scan. The scientists found improved connectivity in the brain and improvement in the brain's short-term plasticity.

This experiment is one of many that suggests green tea extract can improve focus and cognitive function. Such experiments have led scientists to believe green tea may be beneficial for the prevention of cognitive degeneration.

Diseases such as dementia could be prevented by taking a green tea extract.

It Is Good For Heart Health

Many scientific studies also show a positive correlation between green tea and heart health. The antioxidants found in green tea are excellent for their anti-inflammatory properties.

As well as lowering blood pressure, the antioxidants in green tea can help reduce the LDL cholesterol (the bad type) in the body. Green tea consumption has also been linked to a reduced risk of stroke.

Of course, if you have high cholesterol, you can't just take a green tea extract and expect it to lower your cholesterol. You would need to incorporate this supplement with a healthy eating plan and program of exercise.

Can Promote Weight Loss

Many health tips tout green tea for its metabolism-boosting properties. Are these claims grounded in any scientific evidence? As mentioned above, the properties of green tea can help with the oxidation of fats.

This, in turn, can play a role in body composition. As this study shows, green tea has thermogenic properties. Thermogenic means heat-producing and is what your body does when it burns calories. Supplements that promote fat burning are thermogenic.

Taking green tea extract alone is not going to make you lose weight. If you supplement your healthy diet with it, you are likely to see results.

Can Help Maintain Blood Sugar

Catechins are the plant-based chemical that helps protect plants from any toxins in their environment. This chemical is one of the antioxidants found in green tea, helping to maintain blood sugar levels.

Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is essential for reducing your risk of developing diabetes or heart disease. Too much sugar in the bloodstream can cause long-term issues.

Consuming foods such as white carbohydrates cause a spike in insulin. When your body's insulin levels return to normal, it causes you to slump and become tired and sluggish.

Green tea extract can help your body maintain a more balanced insulin level and avoid the spikes and dips caused by eating certain foods. For this reason, green tea can give you an energy boost. Eating a more balanced diet will also help improve your energy levels.

Healthy Tips: Are There Risks?

While there are numerous reasons, green tea extract can promote your health and wellness, as with any supplement, there are possible side effects.

An 8oz cup of green tea has about 30mg of caffeine, and a capsule of green tea extract has approximately the same. If you are sensitive to caffeine, you shouldn't be supplementing with green tea extract.

Ensure you know what your supplement is made from, are there any other substances in the capsule you are allergic to? Maybe there's an ingredient you aren't sure about. Check it out.

If you have any underlying health conditions, you should be aware of a green tea supplement's effects. Never start a new supplement without consulting your doctor first. 

Green tea extract is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women or people with high blood pressure.

Take Supplements as Part of a Healthy Lifestyle

As you have discovered, there are multiple potential health benefits to supplementing with green tea extract. Humans have been drinking tea for centuries as part of a healthy lifestyle. Did you know tea is the most consumed beverage in the world after water?

If you want more energy and a boost of antioxidants, then green tea extract is for you. Just remember to seek medical advice before starting to take new supplements.

For more healthy tips on maintaining a balanced lifestyle, and to find high-quality, all-natural supplements, check out the FirstFitness supplements in our web store.