Green Tea Health Benefits, Properties, and Uses

Scientific Name: Camellia sinensis

Common Names: Te Verde

Properties: Antibiotic, Antibacterial, Anti-cancer, Antioxidant, Anti-ageing, Anti-viral, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-microbial, Anti-tumor, Superfood, Radiation side effects protector

What is Green Tea?

Green tea is a common tea brewed from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant.¹ It is similar to black and oolong tea but differs in the way it’s produced. Unlike other teas, green tea is not fermented before the leaves are steamed to produce a beverage.² Green tea is packed with healthy substances, including a high concentration of antioxidants called polyphenols.³ These powerful antioxidants lead to many green tea benefits, including playing a role in cancer prevention.³ Green tea is generally considered safe and may be consumed as a beverage or as an extract, which sometimes comes in capsules.¹

Green Tea Uses and Health Benefits

A green tea diet can have many long-term health benefits. Consider drinking green tea for the following conditions:

Overweight - Overweight and obese individuals may benefit from a green tea weight loss regimen. Studies have shown that in combination with voluntary exercise, a green tea weight loss solution can help reduce symptoms of metabolic syndrome and diet-induced obesity.⁴ It’s suggested that green tea helps with weight loss because the polyphenols help increase energy expenditure and inhibit fat digestion.⁵ It’s also been suggested that the green tea caffeine content can help with weight loss maintenance.²
Cervical Cancer - The antioxidants in green tea help neutralize free radicals, which contribute to the formation of cancer.² Therefore, a green tea diet can help prevent or slow the progression of cancers like cervical cancer.
AIDS/HIV - Not only are antioxidants good for preventing cancer, but they can also help ease the symptoms of HIV.

Although green tea benefits focus on weight loss and cancer prevention, the substance comes with many other health benefits, including controlling blood sugar levels for diabetic patients, reducing inflammation for patients with inflammatory bowel disease, and lowering cholesterol levels.²

Green Tea Side Effects and Precautions

Green tea benefits greatly outweigh green tea side effects. However, it’s important to heed caution when adopting a green tea diet. Because of the green tea caffeine content, you may experience the caffeine jitters if you drink too much at once. Excessive green tea caffeine intake can lead to:

Shakiness
Nervousness
Anxiety
Abnormal heart rhythms⁶
Insomnia
Stomach upset
Frequent urination
Diarrhea¹

Too much caffeine can also hinder calcium absorption, so it’s best to limit your green tea intake to five cups per day.⁶ Other green tea side effects can include liver trouble when taking concentrated green tea extracts¹ and interactions with certain medications.⁶ It’s also important to know that eating high-iron meals with your green tea might lessen green tea’s positive effects and impact iron absorption.⁷

Whether you’re on a green tea weight loss regimen or simply drinking green tea for its many health benefits, it’s always important to discuss your diet with your doctor first. People with heart problems, kidney problems, liver problems, stomach ulcers, and psychological disorders, along with pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, should avoid green tea.³ Other individuals, such as those with amnesia, diabetes, glaucoma, or osteoporosis should proceed with caution and discuss a natural herb diet with their healthcare provider first.³

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