Today the topic of our conversation will be greentea: benefits and harms. There has been so much talk about green tea lately that it is easy to get confused in all this abundance of information. Let's try to organize it and understand it together. Green tea is considered one of the most powerful antioxidants. And as you know, antioxidants have the most positive effect on the body - they actively remove toxins and prevent the formation of new ones. That is why green tea is very useful for a variety of diseases.
Composition of green tea
First, you need to find out what green tea contains. Knowing this, it will be easier to understand the beneficial and harmful properties of this drink. So:
- Tannins
Green tea contains 20 to 30% tanninssubstances – such as polyphenols, catechins, tannin and others. By the way, there is about twice as much of the notorious tannin in green tea as in its black counterpart. Moreover, the higher the grade of green tea, the higher the level of this substance in it, and therefore its usefulness.
- Essential oils
Essential oils in green tea at first glancecontains very little - only 0.5%. Most of these oils are completely lost during the processing of tea leaves. However, it is these oils that give green tea its unique aroma.
- Alkaloids
Few people know, but green tea containsquite a large amount of caffeine. However, unlike coffee, the caffeine in green tea enters into a chemical reaction with tannin, as a result of which its effect on the body is softer and more gentle.
- Amino acids
Green tea contains a fairly large amount of glutamic acid. It is extremely important for normalizing the functioning of the central nervous system and stimulating metabolic processes.
- Vegetable proteins
Green tea contains a huge amount ofprotein substances - not less than 25%. This is about the same as in legumes. However, the proteins contained in green tea are absorbed by the human body much better than all the others.
- Minerals
Approximately 7% are trace elements such as gold, copper, calcium, fluorine, potassium, magnesium, manganese. All these elements are essential for the normal functioning of all internal organs.
- Vitamins
Green tea contains a large amount ofvarious vitamins. For example, vitamin A - it is responsible for the condition of almost all mucous membranes: oral and nasal cavity, internal organs. In addition, it is this vitamin that normalizes vision. Green tea contains a huge amount of vitamin C - five times more than in citrus fruits. And also thiamine, folic and nicotinic acid.
Application of green tea
On the beneficial properties of green tea for humanitywas known many centuries ago. It was used not only to maintain vitality, but also to treat a fairly large number of different diseases. Which ones exactly? Now you will find out:
- Low pressure
Due to its high nicotine content, greentea is a powerful biological stimulant. Do you have low blood pressure? Drink just one cup of green tea - and it will very quickly normalize your blood pressure. But you should not always solve the problem with green tea. If your blood pressure drops regularly, it makes sense to seek help from a doctor. After all, low blood pressure often indicates the presence of serious diseases. Therefore, you should not risk your health.
- Normalization of the nervous system
Green tea is the most wonderful way to normalizethe functioning of the central nervous system. It not only restores the exhausted nervous system, but also increases its resistance to various types of stressful situations. Pay special attention - if you use green tea to strengthen the nervous system, it should never be brewed too strong.
- Vascular elasticity
Even the healthiest person has a course ofover time, the fragility of blood vessels, especially capillaries, inevitably increases. Numerous studies have confirmed that regular consumption of green tea not only strengthens the walls of blood vessels, but also increases their elasticity several times. This minimizes the likelihood of any internal bleeding.
- Prevention of heart disease
Doctors suggest that regular usegreen tea - at least one cup a day - reduces the risk of developing various heart diseases by 50%. Including myocardial infarction. Moreover, the course of existing heart diseases will be alleviated, the rehabilitation period after heart attacks and strokes will be shortened several times.
- Poisoning and intestinal infections
Green tea contains substances such ascatechins. They have an excellent antimicrobial effect, especially against coccal and dysentery bacteria. Just two to three days of drinking green tea are detrimental to pathogenic microflora. However, the tea will have to be prepared a little differently. Place 50 grams of green tea in a glass container, pour one liter of cold water, leave for about 30 minutes. Then boil over low heat for an hour, leave to brew for another 30 minutes, then strain with gauze. A sick person should drink this volume in small sips over two to three hours. You can drink no more than three liters of green tea prepared in this way per day. Moreover, such a remedy can even be used to treat children. Of course, in this case, it is necessary to reduce the dosage - two teaspoons for every five kilograms of weight.
- Indigestion
In case you have anydigestive disorders - diarrhea or constipation, green tea will also come to your aid. In case of problems with constipation, drink weakly brewed green tea without sugar three times a day. Moreover, it is necessary to drink it no later than 15 minutes before meals. As a rule, the stool will return to normal on the third or fourth day. But the course of treatment should still last at least 14 days so that the problem does not recur. But if you have loose stools, green tea should be brewed as strong as possible. Drink one cup of green tea every two hours until the stool returns to normal. You remember that green tea has powerful bactericidal properties, right? Therefore, all pathogenic microflora dies very quickly. Moreover, such tea very effectively increases intestinal tone.
- Treatment of colds
As you know, it is precisely with coldsa person encounters most often throughout his life. And green tea in this situation is your first assistant. However, please note - it is unacceptable to drink green tea to treat colds if the body temperature is above 37.5 degrees, since there is a very strong load on the cardiovascular and excretory systems. To treat any type of cough, you need to prepare the following mixture. Place five tablespoons of green tea in a thermos, red pepper on the tip of a knife and pour one liter of boiling water. After about three hours, strain the tea with gauze and add five tablespoons of any natural honey. The solution must be taken warm, in small sips throughout the day. For a runny nose, it is extremely useful to rinse your nose with weak green tea. Place one tablespoon of tea leaves in a glass container and pour half a glass of boiling water. Infuse for only five minutes. Do not forget to strain, otherwise persistent sneezing is guaranteed. The nose can be rinsed with an ordinary disposable syringe. Of course, without a needle. To eliminate a runny nose, 6-7 rinses per day are necessary. If your throat hurts, or even purulent tonsillitis has not spared you, you can cope with the disease with the help of strong brewed green tea. To do this, pour two tablespoons of green tea with one liter of boiling water and leave for an hour. Add five drops of iodine and use the resulting solution to gargle. To eliminate pain, gargle as often as possible - at least once a day. After the pain subsides, the break between gargles can be increased to three hours.
The damage of green tea
And one more natural question.And what are the harmful properties of green tea? Indeed, in addition to its huge advantages, green tea also has a number of disadvantages. Although it would be more correct to say - a number of contraindications. If you suffer from the following diseases, you should give up green tea. Or, at least, reduce its consumption to a possible minimum. So:
- Hypertension
There is an opinion that green tea is absolutely notincreases blood pressure. However, this is not true at all - after all, it contains a considerable amount of caffeine. And therefore, people who have a tendency to increase blood pressure should not get carried away with green tea. Especially if hypertension is acute. The maximum that such people can afford is one or two cups of weak tea. In this case, the harm of green tea will be minimal.
- Hyperthermia
As mentioned above, you should never drink green tea when you have a high body temperature. Otherwise, there is a high risk of disrupting the urinary system.
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
Green tea causes an increase in levelsacidity of gastric juice. Therefore, it is not recommended for people suffering from gastritis with high acidity, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. Try to completely exclude green tea. But in the case of low stomach acidity, green tea will come in handy. But do not forget that you should first consult with your doctor. After all, only after certain studies can you find out the level of acidity of gastric juice. And only a doctor can do them.
- Problems from the central nervous system
Since green tea contains a large amount ofthe amount of stimulants such as theophylline, theobromine and caffeine, which act as a stimulant on the central nervous system, it is highly inadvisable for people suffering from increased excitability and insomnia. Otherwise, the situation will only get worse - the harm of green tea in this case is beyond doubt. In addition, remember that green tea should never be drunk on the same day when you drank alcohol - even very low-alcohol drinks. But very often people try to get rid of the feeling of intoxication in this way, not knowing anything about the harm of green tea in this situation. Certain substances contained in green tea interact with ethyl alcohol molecules, resulting in the formation of a large number of aldehydes. And these aldehydes have the most negative effect on the urinary system. As a result, the most harmless thing that such an attempt to improve well-being can result in is the development of severe edema. And in the worst case – kidney failure. And finally, I would like to draw attention to the tea itself – the benefits of green tea in bags are very questionable. Try to choose and buy elite varieties of green tea. It is not that expensive, and the benefits are incomparably higher. Drink green tea with pleasure and always be healthy! We recommend reading:
