Around a year ago, I made a life-changing decision. I decided to go green and to get myself completely off the coffee train. At first, I was so deep into my java addiction that I found green tea to be extremely weak, feeling that it had almost no effect on me. But I knew I needed to stop drinking coffee because I was having significant trouble sleeping, so I pushed through. After a couple months, I began to really love drinking my daily morning cup of green tea. No, it didn’t elicit the same excitement that the smell of a cup of coffee does, but it touched someplace deeper in me, reassuring my soul. Ok, I know that sounds super cheesy, but there is something very ritualistic about drinking green tea. Also, the caffeine doesn’t affect you in the same way. It doesn’t give you the same crazy jitters that an espresso shot would, but, rather, it slowing seeps into you, like daylight in the early morning.

Now, I really couldn’t be more enthusiastic about green tea, enjoying in between 3-6 cups daily. I honestly find that it gives me a good and steady source of energy without keeping me up at night. I recently wrote an article detailing the health benefits to drinking coffee, but seeing as I kicked that habit, I decided to elucidate the many benefits to green tea drinking as well.

Green tea has been used medicinally throughout Asia for thousands of years. Apparently, it’s healthier than black tea due to the way it’s processed: black tea is fermented during its processing, but green tea avoids that, allowing it to retain its antioxidants and poly-phenols—the two substances that play largely into its medicinal attributes.

I’ve composed a list of green teas many merits. Keep in mind that not all of these are proven with 100% scientific certainty, so take everything in with a grain of salt.

1. It provides a relaxing ritual

Like I mentioned above, I find drinking a cup of green tea every morning very centering. Afterward, I always feel more balanced and ready for the day, without the over-excitement of caffeine jitters that coffee gives me. It’s not just me who thinks so: in Japan, they have been performing tea ceremonies (called Chanoyu, a choreographed ritual of preparing matcha) since the 12th century. And that’s only one of many tea ceremonies that exist worldwide.

2. Promotes a healthy heart

Research has shown a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke through regular consumption of green tea. The Harvard Heart letter released an article reporting that “A study of 40,530 Japanese adults found that participants who drank more than five cups of green tea a day had a 26% lower risk of death from heart attack or stroke”. A lower risk was also found with coronary artery disease—the people who drank the most green tea were 28% less likely to develop the condition. It also has been shown to significantly lower cholesterol. Now those are some pretty good stats against some pretty undesirable situations!

3. Weight Managing Drink

Green tea will not magically make you lose weight. However, it can really help as a weight management drink. The tea contains EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate) which acts as an active ingredient to boost your metabolism. The moderate amount of caffeine in the tea will also instigate digestion and moderate your appetite, in the same way that coffee does. Also, think about it this way: if you substitute a couple cups of green tea for the boost you might normally get from an afternoon soda, over the course of a year, you will significantly reduce your caloric intake. It essentially results in the equivalent of losing 7 kg in the course of a year.

4. Memory and Lowered Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

The same compound I mentioned above, EGCG has been shown to increase the working memory in healthy people. The studies that were done were on a small scale, but since them, interest is growing in the potential cognitive benefits of green tea consumption. In terms of Alzheimer’s disease, green tea can’t prevent it, but it can potentially delay the onset of it. Yet again, this compound EGCG can bind to beta amyloid proteins, which prevents formations of plaques that are thought to cause the disease.

5. Dental Health

Research has also found that routine consumption of green tea is good for your teeth and gums. Green tea has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that sanitize the mouth are reduce the risk for inflammations in the gums. You can even make your own toothpaste out of green tea extract and baking soda! Plus, it’s antibacterial nature keeps your breath smelling fresh.

6. Skincare

Green tea contains extremely powerful antioxidant properties, and, as you might know, antioxidants are those agents that counteract the impact of free radicals (by-products of the body that can cause cellular damage over time). Also, green tea’s anti-inflammatory nature means it could reduce dermal irritations.

So really what’s not to love? Even if we can only speculate regarding some of these medicinal impacts, the nutritional benefits remain are definite. If not for any of the aforementioned reasons, try drinking green tea to see how it impacts your energy levels throughout the day. Perhaps it’s time to have a bit of a coffee or energy drink detox.

Drinking Tips:

-Add a lemon to help your body absorb the antioxidants contained within the tea
-Ideally, brew the tea in 82 degree Celsius
-Only soak the tea bag for 3 minutes, longer will lead to a bitter taste and an upset stomach

Do you enjoy green tea? Do you want to try it out now? Let me know in the comments below.