What is Green Tea?
Green tea has become the healthiest and popular drink on our planet. Thanks to its innumerable health and beauty benefits. Although the green tea originated in China, it has now gained popularity all over the world due to its goodness for our body. Green tea is produced from the leaves of Camellia Sinensis that have been used medically since 5,000 years. Camellia Sinensis leaves are harvested and then picked and quickly preserved. After that, these are immediately heated with either steam heat or dry heat to prevent oxidation.
Most people complain that they don’t like green tea because it tastes bitter and grassy. But experts say that only low quality green tea tastes weird, whereas good quality tea feels normal and aromatic. The actual taste of green tea depends on the place where it is harvested and processing. Its taste can be nutty, buttery, floral, fruity, sweet, bittersweet or oceanic. Here are 20 benefits and uses of green tea for health, skin and hair.
How is Green Tea different from Normal Tea that we drink?
Here, normal tea means the regular tea that is used extensively in Indian household. It is so popular in India that it is also known as India’s national drink and is considered as stress, flu and cold reliever. Where green tea is loaded with benefits, regular tea made from the milk and sugar, is rarely beneficial and has many poor effects on health. Green tea is laced with innumerable antioxidants and regular tea has almost zero antioxidant level. Unlike regular milk tea, green tea is simply made using clean water and green tea content that you buy from the market.
Health Benefits of Green tea
When it comes to the benefits, green tea is an unbeatable drink. It not only keeps your body healthy from inside, but also pampers your hair and skin with its amazing compounds. From minor diseases like flu and cough to major disease like cancer and heart disease, green tea is irresistible. Here we are going to share some amazing uses and benefits of green tea for health, hair and skin.
Green tea is the healthiest drink; thanks to its antioxidant and nutrients that has incredibly positive effects on our body. Here are the health benefits of green tea that are confirmed by international researches and medical studies.
Improves Brain Functionality: It has been medically proved that caffeine leads to improvement in brain function, improves mood, memory and reaction time. And, caffeine is the major ingredient (in moderate quantity) of green tea. Apart from caffeine, green tea contains L- theanine amino acid that crosses the blood-brain barrier and offers anti-anxiety effects.
Helps with Weight Loss: The Catechins found in green tea boost metabolism in the body and helps in fat burning. At the same time, caffeine component of green tea helps in fat oxidizing. Thus, daily consumption of green tea, but not more than 4 cups a day, helps burning fat.
Reduces the risk of Cancer: Lack of oxidative leads to uncontrolled growth of cells in the body. So the body needs antioxidants to combat the cancer cells and green tea is the richest course of antioxidants. You may be surprised to know that green tea helps fight against the risk of many types of cancers, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer and more.
Controls Cholesterol Level: Eating greasy food and drink increases the risk of imbalance cholesterol in the body. When we replace these unhealthy and greasy foods with green tea, it monitors and keeps your cholesterol level at bay. Thanks to green tea’s powerful antioxidant, EGCG that significantly inhibits the absorption of cholesterol from the large intestine and maintain a proper cholesterol level in the body.
Prevents from Heart Disease: Heart diseases and stroke are the most common reasons behind death due to poor health conditions. Regular consumption of green tea regulates the major causes of heart diseases that include increased cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Apart from these, it increases the level of antioxidants in blood and lowers the risk is of heart diseases as well as stroke.
Promotes Oral Health: The hot regular tea contains tannic acid that stains your teeth when we drink the tea. However, green tea is beneficial for oral health – teeth and gums. A Catechin element of green tea controls the periodontal bacteria and lowers the risk acidity of saliva and plaque, thus preventing cavities and other factors causing poor oral health.
Relieves Allergies: If you struggle any type of allergy, green tea could be the best treatment for you. This is due to flavonoids, plant chemical that calms down the inflammation and gives relief from allergies and also sinus inflammation. Just drink two cups of hot green tea daily.
Benefits of Green Tea for Health and Shining Hair
Green tea serves as a one solution for all hair problems. It is abundant with vitamin C, vitamin E and polyphenols – the essential compounds for stimulating the hair growth as well as hair health naturally. Here are the benefits of green tea for hair listed below with the ways of using it in combination with other ingredients in the form of hair mask and pack.
Green Tea for Stimulating Hair Growth: An important component named epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) present in green tea is a powerful antioxidant that is a proven hair growth element. This antioxidant inhibits the development of Tumor Necrosis Factors (TNF) molecules that cause hair loss. Thus, using green tea not only prevents from hair loss, but also promotes faster hair growth. Simply, make the green tea without added sweetener and pour it in a glass through a strainer. Then shampoo your hair and rinse with the prepared solution. Leave it applied for five minutes and then wash it out with cold water. Do this 2-3 times a week to improve hair growth and stop hair loss.
Green Tea for Hair Conditioning: When green tea is combined with glycerin and lemon juice, it makes out a miracle after-shampoo conditioner to beautify your hair. Where green tea cleans out impurities from your hair, glycerin softens and moisturizes your hair and lemon juice cleanses the scalp along the way. Here’s the recipe: Steep two green tea bags in two cups of boiling water. Once it gets cool, add glycerin and lemon juice into the tea. After shampooing your hair, rinse your hair with the prepared conditioner and allow it to sit for 5-6 minutes. Then rinse it off with water. Use it every time you shampoo your hair.
Green Tea for Dandruff Treatment: Green tea holds the key to naturally treat dandruff and scalp flaking due to its antiseptic properties. It gently exfoliates the skin of scalp, making it free from bacteria causing dryness and dandruff in hair. When green tea is combined with anti-dandruff potential of coconut oil and lemon peel, the combination of three ingredients offers an inexpensive and easy treatment for dandruff with additional benefits. Heat the water in a saucepan and allow the green tea steep into the hot water for 20 minutes. Then strain the cool tea into a bowl and add the powder of lemon peel and one tablespoon coconut oil into the water and mix it well. Apply it on your scalp and hair strands. Let it soak for 30 minutes and rinse off with mild shampoo. Use it twice a week to treat dandruff.
Green Tea for Shiny and Thick Hair: Green tea leaves are not oxidized that means that the tea consists of electrons that help to maintain shinier hair. Green tea is a natural source of antioxidants that wash out impurities and dirt from the hair making them effortlessly shinier and bouncing. All you need it green tea bags and apple cider vinegar a natural ingredient that maintains the pH balance of your hair. Take a saucepan and boil one cup of water into the saucepan. Let the tea bags steep in the boiled water for 10-15 minutes and then pour it in a bowl. Now add apple cider vinegar in this water and rinse your hair with this solution after shampooing your hair every time.
Benefits of Green Tea for Healthy and Glowing Skin
Green tea offers plenty of benefits for skin due to rich antioxidant components that naturally treat the skin. We all know that drinking green tea regularly helps maintain healthy, glowing and ageless skin for long-term. But people rarely know that we can reap more benefits of green tea for skin when used in form of packs and masks.
Green Tea for Acne and Pimples: The catechins are the prominent antioxidant agents found in green tea that regulates the hormonal imbalance in the body. On the other hand, its anti-inflammatory agents treat the itching and redness caused by pimples. Mix ¼ cup of green tea and water and then apply the solution on the acne. Wash it off after 15 minutes. Repeat it every day to treat acne prone skin.
Green Tea against Sun Damage: The tannic acid, theobromine and polyphenols found in green tea protect and treat the skin from harmful UV rays of the Sun. Brew 2 cup of green tea and refrigerate it for some time. Apply cool green tea on the skin areas affected by sun damage.
Green Tea for Shrinking Enlarged Pores: Being a natural astringent and antioxidant, green tea helps shrinking the enlarged and clogged pores due to bacteria. It also tightens your skin, making it softer and smoother. Mix 2 tablespoon of Bentonite clay in ½ cup of green tea and mix it to make a paste. Apply the paste onto your skin and neck and rinse it off with tepid water once the pack gets dry. Use it thrice a day to treat loose skin.
Green Tea for Skin Exfoliation: Exfoliation is needed every day to maintain the health and wellness of your skin. Green tea offers an instant and effective exfoliation to the skin when used regularly. Take dry green tea leaves and crush them to make a powder of it. Make sure that the powder contains granules. Add one tablespoon of honey into it and massage it onto your skin for 10 minutes every day to keep your skin free from dirt and pollutants.
Green tea to Fight Aging Sign: Green tea’s anti-aging and polyphenols benefits delay the signs of aging and neutralize harmful free radicals. Mix 3 tablespoon yogurt, ¼ cup of green tea and ¼ tablespoon of turmeric powder in a mixing bowl. Apply the pack onto your face and neck. Rinse the pack off after 30 minutes while massaging gently in circular motion. Do this twice a week to maintain ageless skin.
The post 20 Benefits and Uses of Green Tea for Health appeared first on Style Samba.