Green tea is the healthiest beverage on the planet.

It is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that have powerful effects on the body.

This includes improved brain function, fat loss, a lower risk of cancer and many
other incredible benefits.

Here are 10 health benefits of green tea that have been confirmed in human
research studies.

1. Green Tea Contains Bioactive Compounds That Improve Health

Green tea is more than just green liquid.

Many of the bioactive compounds in the tea leaves do make it into the final drink,
which contains large amounts of important nutrients.

It is loaded with polyphenols like flavonoids and catechins, which function as

powerful antioxidants (1).

These substances can reduce the formation of free radicals in the body, protecting
cells and molecules from damage. These free radicals are known to play a role in
aging and all sorts of diseases.

One of the more powerful compounds in green tea is the antioxidant

Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), which has been studied to treat various diseases
and may be one of the main reasons green tea has such powerful medicinal
properties.

Green tea also has small amounts of minerals that are important for health.

Try to choose a higher quality brand of green tea, because some of the lower quality
brands can contain excessive levels of fluoride (2).

That being said, even if you choose a lower quality brand, the benefits still far
outweigh any risk.

Bottom Line: Green tea is loaded with bioactive compounds that can have various
beneficial effects on health.
2. Compounds in Green Tea Can Improve Brain Function and Make You Smarter

A Cup of Green Tea

Green tea does more than just keep you awake, it can also make you smarter.

The key active ingredient is caffeine, which is a known stimulant.

It doesnt contain as much as coffee, but enough to produce a response without

causing the jittery effects associated with too much caffeine.

What caffeine does in the brain is to block an inhibitory neurotransmitter called

Adenosine. This way, it actually increases the firing of neurons and the
concentration of neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine (3, 4).

Caffeine has been intensively studied before and consistently leads to improvements
in various aspects of brain function, including improved mood, vigilance, reaction
time and memory (5).

However green tea contains more than just caffeine. It also has the amino acid Ltheanine, which is able to cross the blood-brain barrier (6).

L-theanine increases the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, which has
anti-anxiety effects. It also increases dopamine and the production of alpha waves in
the brain (7, 8, 9).

Studies show that caffeine and L-theanine can have synergistic effects. The
combination of the two is particularly potent at improving brain function (10).

Because of the L-theanine and the smaller dose of caffeine, green tea can give you a
much milder and different kind of buzz than coffee.

Many people report having more stable energy and being much more productive
when they drink green tea, compared to coffee.

Bottom Line: Green tea contains less caffeine than coffee, but enough to produce an
effect. It also contains the amino acid L-theanine, which can work synergistically
with caffeine to improve brain function.
3. Green Tea Increases Fat Burning and Improves Physical Performance

Tea Plant

If you look at the ingredients list for any fat burning supplement, chances are that
green tea will be on there.

This is because green tea has been shown to increase fat burning and boost the
metabolic rate, in human controlled trials (11, 12).

In one study in 10 healthy men, green tea increased energy expenditure by 4% (13).

Another study showed that fat oxidation was increased by 17%, indicating that
green tea may selectively increase the burning of fat (14).

However, Id like to point out that some studies on green tea dont show any
increase in metabolism, so the effects may depend on the individual (15).

Caffeine itself has also been shown to improve physical performance by mobilizing
fatty acids from the fat tissues and making them available for use as energy (16,
17).

In two separate review studies, caffeine has been shown to increase physical
performance by 11-12%, on average (18, 19).

Bottom Line: Green tea has been shown to boost the metabolic rate and increase fat
burning in the short term, although not all studies agree.
4. Antioxidants in Green Tea May Lower Your Risk of Various Types of Cancer

Green Tea With Pot And Cups

Cancer is caused by uncontrolled growth of cells. It is one of the worlds leading

causes of death.

It is well known that oxidative damage contributes to the development of cancer and
that antioxidants can have a protective effect (20).

Green tea is an excellent source of powerful antioxidants, so it makes perfect sense

that it could reduce your risk of cancer, which it appears to do:

Breast cancer: A meta-analysis of observational studies found that whomen who

drank the most green tea had a 22% lower risk of developing breast cancer, the
most common cancer in women (21).
Prostate cancer: One study found that men drinking green tea had a 48% lower risk
of developing prostate cancer, which is the most common cancer in men (22).
Colorectal cancer: A study of 69,710 Chinese women found that green tea drinkers
had a 57% lower risk of colorectal cancer (23).
Multiple other observational studies show that green tea drinkers are significantly
less likely to get various types of cancer (24, 25, 26).

It is important to keep in mind that it may be a bad idea to put milk in your tea,
because it can reduce the antioxidant value (27).

Bottom Line: Green tea has powerful antioxidants that may protect against cancer.
Multiple studies show that green tea drinkers have a lower risk of various types of
cancer.
5. Green Tea May Protect Your Brain in Old Age, Lowering Your Risk of Alzheimers
and Parkinsons

Elderly Man And Woman Holding Cups of Tea

Not only can green tea improve brain function in the short term, it may also protect
your brain in old age.

Alzheimers disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease in humans and

a leading cause of dementia.

Parkinsons disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease and

involves the death of dopamine producing neurons in the brain.

Multiple studies show that the catechin compounds in green tea can have various
protective effects on neurons in test tubes and animal models, potentally lowering
the risk of Alzheimers and Parkinsons (28, 29, 30).

Bottom Line: The bioactive compounds in green tea can have various protective
effects on neurons and may reduce the risk of both Alzheimers and Parkinsons, the
two most common neurodegenerative disorders.
6. Green Tea Can Kill Bacteria, Which Improves Dental Health and Lowers Your Risk
of Infection

Green Tea in a Wooden Spoon

The catechins in green tea have other biological effects as well.

Some studies show that they can kill bacteria and inhibit viruses like the influenza
virus, potentially lowering your risk of infections (31, 32, 33, 34).

Streptococcus mutans is the primary harmful bacteria in the mouth. It causes plaque
formation and is a leading contributor to cavities and tooth decay.

Studies show that the catechins in green tea can inhibit the growth of streptococcus
mutans. Green tea consumption is associated with improved dental health and a
lower risk of caries (35, 36, 37, 38, 39).

Another awesome benefit of green tea multiple studies show that it can reduce
bad breath (40, 41).

Bottom Line: The catechins in green tea may inhibit the growth of bacteria and some
viruses. This can lower the risk of infections and lead to improvements in dental
health, a lower risk of caries and reduced bad breath.
7. Green Tea May Lower Your Risk of Type II Diabetes

Iced Tea in a Glass

Type II diabetes is a disease that has reached epidemic proportions in the past few
decades and now afflicts about 300 million people worldwide.

This disease involves having elevated blood sugar levels in the context of insulin
resistance or an inability to produce insulin.

Studies show that green tea can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar
levels (42).

One study in Japanese individuals found that those who drank the most green tea
had a 42% lower risk of developing type II diabetes (43).

According to a review of 7 studies with a total of 286,701 individuals, green tea

drinkers had an 18% lower risk of becoming diabetic (44).

Bottom Line: Some controlled trials show that green tea can cause mild reductions in
blood sugar levels. It may also lower the risk of developing type II diabetes in the
long term.
8. Green Tea May Reduce Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Powdered Green Tea

Cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke, are the biggest causes
of death in the world (45).

Studies show that green tea can improve some of the main risk factors for these
diseases.

This includes total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides (46).

Green tea also dramatically increases the antioxidant capability of the blood, which
protects the LDL cholesterol particles from oxidation, which is one part of the
pathway towards heart disease (47, 48, 49).

Given the beneficial effects on risk factors, it is not surprising to see that green tea
drinkers have up to a 31% lower risk of cardiovascular disease (50, 51, 52).

Bottom Line: Green tea has been shown to lower total and LDL cholesterol, as well
as protect the LDL particles from oxidation. Observational studies show that green
tea drinkers have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
9. Green Tea Can Help You Lose Weight and Lower Your Risk of Becoming Obese

Cup of Green Tea With Leaves

Given that green tea can boost the metabolic rate in the short term, it makes sense
that it could help you lose weight.

Several studies show that green tea leads to decreases in body fat, especially in the
abdominal area (53, 54).

One of these studies was a randomized controlled trial in 240 men and women that
went on for 12 weeks. In this study, the green tea group had significant decreases in
body fat percentage, body weight, waist circumference and abdominal fat (55).

However, some studies dont show a statistically significant increases in weight loss
with green tea, so this needs to be taken with a grain of salt (56).

Bottom Line: Some studies show that green tea leads to increased weight loss. It is
particularly effective at reducing the dangerous abdominal fat.
10. Green Tea May Decrease Your Risk of Dying and Help You Live Longer

Glass And Bag of Tea

Of course, we all have to die eventually. That is inevitable.

However, given that green tea drinkers are at a lower risk of cardiovascular disease
and cancer, it makes sense that it could help you live longer.

In a study of 40,530 Japanese adults, those who drank the most green tea (5 or
more cups per day) were significantly less likely to die during an 11 year period (57):

Death of all causes: 23% lower in women, 12% lower in men.

Death from heart disease: 31% lower in women, 22% lower in men.
Death from stroke: 42% lower in women, 35% lower in men.
Another study in 14,001 elderly Japanese individuals aged 65-84 years found that
those who drank the most green tea were 76% less likely to die during the 6 year
study period (58).