Sundeip Bhatia, Business Head – India, Shilpa Medicare explains why green tea is good protection against heart disease.
Not many of us are aware of the fact that a humble cup of green tea can bring oodles of benefit to your heart. Yes, recently a research conducted on the effects of tea on heart attack patients shows that both black tea and green tea enable one to reduce blood platelet aggregation, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Another study in China concluded that habitual green tea consumers has a 39 per cent lower risk of incident heart disease and stroke, 56 per cent lower risk of fatal heart disease and stroke, and 29 per cent decreased risk of all-cause death as compared to never or non-habitual green tea drinkers. It shows habitual green tea consumption (twice or thrice a day) leads to more healthy and longer life expectancy. Green tea is a rich source of polyphenols, which protect against cardiovascular disease and its risk factors including high blood pressure and dyslipidaemia.
Around the world, we have almost 3,000 varieties of tea. Camellia Sinensis is one of the popular varieties. Actually all tea is the same when plucked. When the leaves of this plant are simply picked and dried without fermentation, it is called green tea. And the best part about this plant is it contains more catechins, polyphenols and bioflavonoids than the fermented variety of the same plant. It is these catechins that give green tea its heart-protecting and blood-thinning properties.
Green Tea removes clogged arteries
In today’s fast paced and fast food world, atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) is quite common. Our poor diet and sedentary lifestyles are the main reasons behind a rise to the problem. However, it has been found that there is also a natural genetic tendency in some people to develop atherosclerosis.
So, when we grow older, our arteries naturally get harden and start accumulating fats, cholesterols and blood platelets in the artery wall. Within sometime they form a layer of atherosclerotic plaque. When they thicken and block the entire artery, a heart attack or stroke occurs.
It has been found that green tea may keep your artery passageways clear by:
- Reducing LDL (the bad cholesterol) and leave HDL (the good cholesterol) alone. HDL removes the atherosclerotic plaque.
- Reducing blood level triglycerides, the chemical form fat that exists in our blood. Too many triglycerides in the blood can cause heart disease.
- Reducing lipid peroxides, free radicals that can cause cellular damage to LDL cholesterols and other lipids or fats. They have been linked to heart disease.
- Reducing fibrinogen, or a protein found in blood involved in the formation of blood clots.
How much Green Tea is optimal in a day?
It’s a pertinent question that how much one should drink green tea to keep their heart healthy because too much of green tea means too much caffeine, which causes disruption in sleep and overall mental and physical health. An analysis of nine studies found that people who consumed one to three cups of green tea daily has a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, compared to those who drank less than one cup. When green tea is consumed in moderation, green tea is safe for most people. You may have to limit or avoid it if you have iron deficiency or are pregnant, nursing or taking medications for anxiety disorders or heart conditions. Regularly drinking green tea speeds up your metabolism process and can help you lose weight and reduce your risk of several diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
