Green Tea

Are you a green tea lover like me? Well, if you are, then good. We have something in common. You see, I started loving green tea say about +/-8 years ago. It all started when my husband and I started dating. Oh well, no..we didn't fall in love over a cup of green tea if that is what you have in mind. You see, when there's a lunch gathering over at my husband (back then - boyfriend)'s home, and after a hearty satisfying meal, (thanks to my mother in law who cooks extremely well! Really, you must try her nasi goreng/mihun goreng/mutton curry & her very own asian style spaghetti recipe..and many other dishes, too many to mention lah! it will take one whole page to list down all her specialties!) Okay, so yeah, after a good meal, it's a routine that my mother in law prepares a bag of green tea each for everyone. Now, you must be wondering what the heck am I talking about green tea for. Well, you should know a little of me by now (if you've read my 101 tips for weight loss) I am health conscious person and if I came across anything that is good for us, hey..it's my pleasure to share! FOC, mind you :) So, back to the green tea story, I am pretty sure you do know by now that green tea is good for you. But what exactly does it do to your body? If you already know, then good for you! How about posting up some comments, if I missed out any good points. But for those who have a bit of question marks here and there, well I hope you'll find this information beneficial.

Firstly, green tea benefits the immune system because of its high concentrations of polyphenols. Now, what is Polyphenols? I did a bit of research here and there and found out that Polyphenols is actually a kind of chemical that (at least in theory) may protect us against some common health problems and possibly certain effects of aging. Read more http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=16619 Now, there are four primary polyphenols in green tea and they are often referred to as catechins and clinical tests have shown that catechins destroy free radicals. What is free radicals? Again, some research was done and this is what I found out. In animal tissues, free radicals can damage cells leaving the body vulnerable to cancer, heart disease and other degenerative diseases. For example: Heat, ultraviolet radiation, and ionizing radiation all generate free radicals. So you see, it is therefore, very important that we consume green tea because the antioxidant found in green tea, which I found out is called Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), is at least 100 more times more effective than Vitamin C and 25 times more effective than vitamin E at protecting cells and DNA from damage which is believed to be linked to cancer, heart disease and other serious illnesses. What other benefits does green tea brings? Well, the common knowledge that we know is it reduces high blood pressure. Drinking green tea represses angiotensin II, I have no idea though what is this but what the heck, it's enough for me to know that it leads to high blood pressure. Now you know why, after a heavy meal especially if you just had a good meal of banana leave rice for example, it is good that you should have a nice hot cup of green tea.
Secondly, green tea actually helps to lower blood sugar and finally as I have mention above, it is believed through studies conducted, that green tea catechins are effective at preventing cancer. In short, to layman's understanding, when drinking the recommended amounts of green tea, (usually about 3 - 4 cups per day) the human body is cleansed from toxins that usually causes health problems, which in return improves your health and your lifestyle as well. As a matter of fact, based from my experience, if you consume green tea regularly, you will feel relaxed, full of energy, and even develop a good outlook in life! Ooh.. by the way, did I mention, I specifically drink this brand called OSK ?