With the stress of finals and spring deadlines quickly approaching, we might find ourselves reaching for all sorts of caffeinated beverages to keep us going. I enjoy a cup of coffee as much as the next person, but lately, I’ve loved starting my day with a cup of green tea! Green tea is full of antioxidants and has been proven to improve brain function, promote fat loss, and may lower our risk for certain cancers. Here’s why you might consider making green tea your new go-to caffeinated drink!
Benefits of Green Tea
- Green tea can improve your brain function! Green tea is special because it contains caffeine and an amino acid called L-theanine. Studies find that when these two components are paired together they are particularly potent at improving brain function. Many people claim green tea gives them more stable energy and allows them to be more productive than when they drink coffee.
- Green tea can aid in weight loss. Green tea is a common ingredient in many weight loss products because of its ability to increase your metabolism. Although, studies have shown that one’s increase in metabolism varies from person to person.
- Green tea may lower your risk for cancer! Green tea is packed full of antioxidants which have been proven to help fight against cancer, most particularly in breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer.
- Green tea can help protect your brain as it ages. Along with its short term brain benefits, green tea can help our brains long term in the fight against diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are neurodegenerative diseases and certain studies have shown that the bioactive compounds in green tea have various protective benefits.
- Green tea can keep your heart healthy too! Studies have shown that green tea can improve some of our major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Green tea does this by helping lower our total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (that’s the bad kind), and triglycerides. Avid green tea drinkers have up to a 31% lower risk for cardiovascular disease.
It is also important to be aware of some of the potential risks of drinking too much green tea. Due to the caffeine content in green tea, it is important to drink no more than 8 cups of green tea a day and no more than 2 cups at one time. Before adding green tea into your daily routine be sure to consult your doctor to avoid any potential health risks or negative interactions with medications you may be taking.
Choosing Your Green Tea
It’s no secret there are tons of green tea products out there, so which one is the best one? When picking a green tea you might first decide brewed or bottled? Both brewed and bottled tea have beneficial antioxidants, but brewed tea has up to 20 times more. By brewing your own tea you can also control how much sugar is in your drink and potentially avoid a high sugar beverage. Another factor in choosing your green tea is whether or not you want it to be caffeinated. Caffeinated green tea has more than triple the number of antioxidants per gram as decaf tea, but both can be beneficial and have that great green tea taste!
Watch Out!
Many weight loss products and supplements come in tea form and promote that they contain green tea. Some of these products even look just like green tea! It is important to do your research into some of the other ingredients in these products because many of them also contain ingredients like laxatives that can be harmful with long-term use. It is better to just drink regular green tea for the most benefit. Studies have shown that drinking as little as 2.5 cups of green tea could help with weight loss. If green tea isn’t for you, but you are looking for healthy ways to lose weight you may benefit from drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and exercising.
Further Reading
- What Is The Best Green Tea
- How Much Caffeine Is in Green Tea
- 10 Proven Benefits of Green Tea
- The Potential Benefits of Tea
Provided by: Katelyn Munoz, Dietetic Nutrition Assistant
Hospitality Dietitian: Mindy Diller, MS, RDN, LD : mindy.diller@ttu.edu
Eat at Texas Tech 
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