At the time, I only focused on one beneficial aspect of enjoying green tea but now that I've learned of yet another positive attribute, I'm ready to become a regular green tea drinker for life.
As mentioned, I started really appreciating the value of green tea once I learned that it could become an ally in our weight management strategy. Just a few cups a day could help us burn more calories and metabolize fat more efficiently. That's a pretty neat payoff.
But, recently, I've been seeing how people are singing the praises of green tea as an integral part of their skincare journey.
I needed to know more....
When I did some digging about green tea's skin benefits, a lot of the articles talked about the value of apply green tea topically. This makes sense but some of the testimonials I read online were from women who drank the tea religiously.
Most of them boasted on how their skin cleared as a result of their tea drinking regimen.
Why is that?
To answer that question, we must discuss one of the many ways this ultra-elixir can benefit our skin. One of green tea's main claim to fame is its anti-inflammatory properties. Lemme tell y'all a secret. Once I started seeing my breakouts for what they are (inflammation), my whole strategy changed. Now, if a breakout dares to rear its ugly head, I immediately commence an action plan that addresses inflammation in the body. This works 100% of the time to keep breakouts at a minimum. I used to walk around with huge pimples on my face. Now, I don't even allow them the reach their full potential.
Because green tea is packed with antioxidants. If you didn't know, antioxidants are utilized by our immune cells to eradicate bacteria. Since some breakouts are the result of bacteria that aggravate the skin, upping the antioxidants in your diet is a major win for your skin. I should also mention that drinking green tea helps control sebum production. If you have hyper-overactive skin that produces a ton of oil, get yourself some green tea.
Antioxidants and controlling sebum production are two ways that green tea supports clearer skin. Now let's talk about how green tea will have you looking younger, longer.
I'll be honest, I only drink green tea when temperatures drop. But, after learning about the UV protection properties of this miracle drink, I'll be sipping on this all year long. In a study conducted involving fair-skinned women, it was determined that green tea supplementation provided protection against UV radiation (burned less easily when exposed to sunlight). Also, the fact that green tea helps controls oil production makes it a great summer drink.
It gets better.....
When their skin was assessed after drinking multiple cups of green tea a day, the researchers observed the skin texture of the green tea group start to change. Their skin became softer, more elastic, and less dry.
Why?
Because the nutritional composition of green tea somehow stimulated blood flow and oxygen supply to the skin. If that don't get you excited, nothing will. This high flavanol tea can actually promote microcirculation in the skin. Is that why some people claim to experience glowing skin when their tea drinking routine is on point?
To summarize, green tea will help your waistline and have you out here with clear, healthy-looking skin. It's official, I'm ready to fully commit to being a regular green tea drinker. If brewing multiple cups of tea a day is an inconvenience, you can try one of these mega-cups that hold lots of tea. I recently purchased one of these oversized tea cups and I love it. The plan is to mix green and bamboo tea to create the ultimate healthy skin & hair powerhouse. Or, you can be like Meagan Good and get some green tea powder that you add to water when you're on the go.
Cheers to green tea!
While this information is helpful, I feel a few myths must be debunked. Green tea does aid in weight-loss, increased metabolism and nice skin, but those results about the same as just drinking regular water. That being said, NO its is NOT miracle drink. Its just a more healthy & herbal alternative to coffee. Now don't get me wrong, Green tea will do the bare minimum and make your complexion look...ok. You'll look more bright/less flushed, awake, drop some water weight, and have increased metabolism by a very small percent. It WON'T, however, take you from potatoe to a Forever Young Clear/Smooth Skinned Glowing Chanel Model in a matter of cups. Green tea is only a very small PART of the Grand Scheme that is weight-loss, clear skin and anti-aging. IT IS CRUCIAL that you practice proper skin care, eat a healthy proper diet, and exercise to see the results you want. Otherwise you're just drinking Hot Herb Water and searching for miracles. :/
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback Cheyenne. It's important to remember that an entire regimen of eating healthy, drinking water (which I talk about ALL the time) and exercise all contributes to a healthy weight and great skin. Since writing this article, I've started consuming multiple large cups of green tea daily. I've noticed that it helps with my cravings/appetite. Also, my skin has been looking great lately and green tea/bamboo tea combo is the only new thing I've been consistently lately. So far I'm enjoying the benefits and will continue this habit.
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