Monday morning, 6 a.m. and you couldn’t sleep, most of America will reach for a hot cup of coffee either from their kitchen or from the local coffee shop on the way to work. In 2014, the National Coffee Association did a study that showed 34% of Americans consumed gourmet coffee drinks daily. If you do some rough calculations based on the population in 2014 that comes out to about 108 million people getting gourmet coffee beverages every day. But is coffee really the best we can do for ourselves every morning? What if there is a morning beverage that can do what coffee can and more?
Green tea has been proven scientifically to be one of the top health drinks for your body due to its high content of antioxidants and nutrients known to improve brain function, reduce health risks and improve metabolism function. Some of you might be saying “Well, I need the extra caffeine from the coffee”, it is true that green tea has less caffeine than a cup of black coffee however, green tea has more to offer in that department than coffee. Green tea, in addition to a good dose of caffeine, has amino acid L-theanine which can cross the blood-brain barrier and works in conjunction with caffeine to overall improve brain function. All in all many people reported having a less jittery feeling with tea as well as feeling like they had a more stable feeling of energy and productiveness.
For those who are looking to lose weight, green tea still has more to offer the human body over coffee. But do not misunderstand, green tea will not make you drop 10 pounds in a few weeks nor will anything else for that matter. Green tea has shown in several randomized and controlled trials that the beverage essentially encourages the body to burn fat slightly more effectively when subjects were eating a controlled diet and a controlled amount of physical activity. The subjects that were drinking green tea every day lost on average 6 to 11 pounds more than the placebo counterparts.
After your first or second cup of coffee how many of you worry about the dreaded coffee breath? Or if you are a regular coffee drinker how often do have to whiten your teeth to get rid of unsightly coffee stains? Once again, green tea to the rescue. Green tea contains these molecules called Catechins; this component of the tea is known to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria called Streptococcus mutans. This bacterium is the primary cause of plaque as well as the main contributor to cavities and tooth decay. Not to mention that Green tea can reduce bad breath according to some studies.
It is really incredible that such a simple, heathy beverage has gone relatively unnoticed compared to coffee and other teas such as black tea. Especially considering popular consumption has been documented in China as early as 600 AD. However, according to the Tea association consumption of green tea is on the rise, as much as 60% volume over the last ten years. If you are looking for a better alternative to your daily cup of java, give green tea a try and let the benefits speak for themselves.
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