Herbal teas have long been recognized as an effective means to strengthen and treat disease. Unfortunately, however, herbs contain active substances which may cause side effects or interact with supplements or medications, so it’s best to consume herbal remedies under the supervision of a practitioner familiar with botanical medicine. Green tea offers several health advantages that make it worthwhile adding it to your daily routine; drinking several cups each day could reduce your risk for certain conditions or diseases.
Study results indicate that people who consume more green tea have a lower risk of pancreatic cancer, thanks to polyphenols found in its leaves which may inhibit the spread of cancer cells within the body. More research must be completed before drawing any definitive conclusions regarding green tea’s link with reduced pancreatic cancer risk.
Green tea may also help those living with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels more effectively, thanks to its flavonoids – specifically epigallocatechin gallate – helping the liver produce less glucose, thus maintaining normalized levels. Although green tea may offer great potential advantages in controlling your blood sugar, before making changes to your diet it’s always wise to consult your healthcare provider first.
Green tea may help improve one’s cholesterol levels, with one 12-week study showing women who drank it having lower BMI and waist circumference than those given a placebo drink. Green tea contains a compound which blocks absorption of cholesterol into the digestive system as well as potentially decreasing levels of fats called triglycerides in bloodstream.
One small clinical trial has indicated that green tea may protect against esophageal and colon cancer as well as help slow tumor growth; however, larger clinical trials must be completed to confirm these results.
Green tea polyphenols have been demonstrated to prevent lung cancer cell formation in test tubes; however, only limited studies have investigated how drinking green tea affects human lung cancer risk – those conducted have yielded mixed results.
Green tea contains several ingredients, such as caffeine, which may interfere with your body’s ability to absorb essential iron for good health and can even lead to anemia in some individuals. Therefore, avoid drinking green tea or taking large doses of its extract with iron-rich foods and leave at least four hours between eating and taking another sip of tea.
Green tea does not present any known safety issues when consumed in moderate amounts; however, those with liver disease should limit their consumption or its extracts. It may interact with certain medications (especially beta-blockers used to treat high blood pressure and heart problems). Also avoid herbal products containing green tea if pregnant or breastfeeding as this could pass into breast milk and affect their baby. It would also be wise to refrain from drinking green tea when taking an antidiabetic drug such as metformin or glipizide as this could negatively influence these drugs’ efficacy and may alter their efficacy in treating their high blood pressure and heart conditions.