I have found the following article in yahoo, which I am sure most of you would be pretty keen to see the beauty benefit part from drinking green tea... and you can do this daily! Just like what I am doing now.. Drinking at least 7 cups of green tea, 5 x a week :)
Have you been wondering “what’s all the fuss about green tea?” Now
you can stop wondering and start drinking ...
green tea, that is. This flavorful beverage offers
many health benefits to anyone who drinks it regularly. Green tea
contains a potent plant nutrient known as epigallocatechin gallate, or
EGCG, for short. But don’t fret, you don’t have to keep track of its
chemical name to reap the health benefits.
Here are nine reasons to
start drinking green tea or continue drinking it if
you’re already hooked.
1. Green tea is a
superb fat fighter. Its active
ingredient, EGCG, increases the rate at which fat is burned in your
body.
2. It
targets belly fat. Research at Tufts
University indicates that EGCG in green tea, like other catechins,
activate fat-burning genes in the abdomen to speed weight loss by 77
percent.
3. Green tea
keeps energy stable by balancing blood sugar
levels. EGCG improves insulin use in the body to prevent blood sugar
spikes and crashes that can result in fatigue, irritability, and
cravings for unhealthy foods.
4. Research shows it
may be helpful against lung cancer.
In an April 2010 study published in
Cancer Prevention Research,
EGCG was found to suppress lung cancer cell growth.
5. Green tea
may
halt colorectal cancer. In numerous other studies, EGCG
appears to inhibit colorectal cancers.
6. In research, it
appears to cause prostate cancer cells to
commit suicide. A March 2010 study in
Cancer Science
indicated that EGCG aids the body by causing prostate cancer cells to
commit suicide.
7. Green tea
may prevent skin damage and wrinkling. EGCG
appears to be 200 times more powerful than vitamin E at destroying
skin-damaging free radicals. Free radicals react with healthy cells in
the body, causing damage, so lessening their numbers may help reduce
wrinkling and other signs of aging.
8. It contains a potent antioxidant that
kills free radicals.
Because it is a potent antioxidant green tea can positively impact a lot more
than skin cells. Free radicals are increasingly linked to many serious
chronic illnesses like arthritis, diabetes, and cancer.
9. Green tea
tastes good. If you’re not wild about the
flavor, try a few different kinds. Try it iced or hot. Add some of the
natural herb stevia to sweeten it if you want a sweeter drink. I
wasn’t crazy about green tea the first few times I tried it, but now I
love it with a fresh squeeze of lemon and a few drops of stevia over
ice -- et voila! Green tea lemonade. Mmmmm.
Reap the rewards
Add one or two teaspoons of green tea leaves to a cup of boiling water,
preferably in a tea strainer. Let steep for five minutes. Pour over
ice if you prefer a cold beverage.
Most experts recommend three cups daily. And, don’t
worry, green tea contains a lot less caffeine than coffee or black tea.
Copyright Michelle Schoffro Cook. Adapted with permission from The
Life Force Diet. Michelle Schoffro Cook, RNCP,
ROHP, DAc, DNM, is a best-selling and six-time book author and
doctor of natural medicine.
