The Truth About Green Tea

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world and well ahead of coffee, beer, wine and even fizzy drinks. There is also an ancient Chinese proverb "better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one" indicating the importance of tea in Chinese culture. We love tea at Express Mugs HQ but wouldn't go this far!

At Express Mugs one of our favourite teas is green tea, and it accounts for 20% of tea consumption in the world. Green tea has a long history in human culture and has been considered to have medicinal properties for many years. The Chinese have known about the medical benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. There has been a significant surge of interest in the health benefits of green tea in recent times, in part due to the increasing popularity of the drink in western countries.

However, many myths are surrounding green tea. At Express Mugs we have done our research to find the truth about green tea.

From early history until today, medicine has provided evidence that there is a link between diet and disease. Many natural products, herbs and spices have been used in the prevention of diseases. There have been almost 6,000 research publications discussing the health effects of green tea and providing evidence of such health benefits.

Unfortunately, some reported benefits of green tea are unfounded. For instance, green tea does not burn belly fat, increase your metabolism or aid in weight loss. There has been medical research showing that consuming green tea can indeed reduce the risk of chronic diseases, but such research has not been able to take into account the genetic makeup of a countries population which can also positively impact on the risk of chronic diseases. Unfortunately, no single food or beverage can cure chronic diseases. Neither has there been enough empirical evidence to prove the anti-ageing properties of green tea.

But, not all claims about green tea are unfounded. Numerous studies have shown that green tea and its main ingredients do have significant health benefits. It enhances cognition, neuropsychology and brain functions. The research indicates that consuming 100ml of green tea per day will have long-term benefits including improved mental facilities, a more relaxed state of mind and a lower risk of dementia.

So next time you're making yourself a cup of tea consider one of our favourites, green tea, it not only tastes great but it has a positive effect on your mental health!