Clients at BioFit Performance in Oviedo, FL, can get nutrition nutritional guidance, which includes not only food but also beverage. While I emphasize the importance of water, some people want an alternative. I suggest green tea without added sweetener or just a touch of honey and lemon. There are a lot of health benefits derived from drinking green tea and it has no calories.
Aside from having no calories, green tea can help you burn fat, so it’s good for weight loss.
Studies show that drinking green tea can boost your metabolism and aids in increasing the amount of fat you burn. One study showed that people taking green tea extract supplements burned between 4% and 17% more calories compared to a control group that took a placebo. Part of it is the caffeine in green tea that boosts the metabolism, but the antioxidant catechin, epigallocatechin gallate—EGCG—is the real calorie torcher.
EGCG also is a potent antioxidant that aids in preventing neurodegeneration.
Besides torching calories, EGCG also can help protect you from serious degenerative conditions like dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. They help to not only prevent damage, but also to reverse damage that already exists. Several large studies showed that adults who drank at least three cups a day for several years suffered far less from cognitive impairment and had a 30 to 40% lower risk of Parkinson’s disease.
You’ll improve your workout and makes you more alert.
A cup of coffee before a workout can make it better and also boost your alertness if you’re not working out. Green tea can do the same, but there’s limited potential for getting that shaky feeling that you get if you have too much coffee. The reason is the L-theanine, which increases the GABA, a neurotransmitter. GABA has an anti-anxiety effect and boosts the production of dopamine. Green tea offers heart healthy benefits and also may be effective for preventing insulin resistance. By preventing insulin resistance, it lowers the risk of diabetes.
- Green tea has antibiotic and antifungal effect, which makes it beneficial for improving oral health. It can help prevent caries and bad breath. It also can improve bone health, particularly when consumed during perimenopause.
- The antioxidants in green tea have been tested and found to slow the growth of some cancer cells. For instance, consuming green tea lowers the risk of prostate, breast and colorectal cancer.
- The antioxidants in green tea help boost your immune system. While all green tea contains some vitamin C, matcha green tea contains the most. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant. 4
- Green tea helps hydrate the body and reduces free radicals, both of which help reduce the signs of aging. It also reduces the effects of photoaging.
For more information, contact us today at BioFit Performance