5 Excellent Reasons to Drink Green Tea

Okay… I'll admit it. I'm a coffee-holic (or java junkie, if you prefer). I love my daily cup o' joe! Actually, it's usually several cups, but you get the point. Now in my own defense, I don't add sugar or creamer, so it ends up being an extremely low calorie indulgence. However, I keep coming face-to-face with the fact that green tea provides a huge dose of disease-fighting antioxidants -- something with which my daily coffee just can't compete.

In an effort to determine if I should go back to drinking green tea regularly (yes, I was on the bandwagon a few years ago), I did a little more research, and I think it's important enough to share it with you. So, without further ado, here are five good reasons you should consider becoming a regular green tea drinker:

1. Green Tea Prevents Memory Loss

Studies have shown that older adults who consume two cups (or more) of green tea per day are 50% less likely to experience cognitive difficulties. Apparently the antioxidants that I mentioned above are excellent at preventing damage to brain nerves (commonly seen in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients).

2. Green Tea Protects Your Skin

Soaking a cotton ball in green tea and applying it to cuts, abrasions and bug bites will alleviate itching and help stop any swelling. As it turns out, green tea is a natural antiseptic and works great on skin from the outside and from the inside. Assuming that you're not in a position to be dabbing tea on your body regularly, let me assure you that drinking it can also help your skin by blocking skin cancer caused by over-exposure to the sun. In fact, if you're observant, you've noticed that "green tea extract" is showing up on the labels of all sorts of skin care products recently!

3. Green Tea Promotes Arterial Health

Consuming only 10 ounces of green tea a day will help keep your arteries healthy by helping prevent plaque from building up in blood vessels, thus reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke. And while it's keeping your arteries young and flexible, the green tea is also slowing the absorption of fat and cholesterol into the bloodstream.

4. Green Tea Provides Blood Pressure Stability

Your doctor will tell you that a healthy blood pressure is 120/80 (or lower). Achieving that level is half the battle, but maintaining it is the other half! Keep with the "half" theme, people who drink just half a cup of green tea each day are about half as likely to end up with hypertension, thanks to the internal benefits of certain antioxidants known as polyphenols. These little helpers keep your blood vessels from contracting, which keeps your blood pressure down.

5. Green Tea Pummels Cancer Cells

Studies continue to show that drinking green tea reduces the risk of multiple types of cancer, including breast, stomach, colon, and prostate cancers. Apparently a number of those wonderful little polyphenols also keep cancer cells at bay, first by discouraging growth of the cancerous cells, and then by stifling the creation of fresh blood vessels that tumors require.

And there you have it: five excellent reasons for all of us to start drinking green tea on a daily basis. I won't give up my coffee completely, but I'm sure I can find a way to fit a cup or two of green tea into my daily routine!

Train hard and pray harder,
Brandon