Green tea has long been praised for its health benefits, including the way it improves metabolism and blood pressure, and now there’s a new study that shows how it boosts your brain!

Green tea helps your brain

There’s a specific antioxidant in the tea, a catechin called EGCG, which helps to improve different cognitive functions, according to Northwest A&F University in China. They found that an average of 2-3 cups of green tea daily speeds up reaction times and improve memory.

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Green tea is full of antioxidants

The beverage is made up of around 30% polyphenols, by weight, which can help reduce inflammation and fight cancer. It also has plenty of catechins – natural antioxidants that help prevent cell damage and stop the formation of free radicals.

Looking to lose weight? Green tea can help

Amazingly, sipping on green tea can increase your metabolism and increase fat burning by 17% particularly in the abdominal area according to studies on humans. The caffeine in it can also help mobilise fatty acids from fat tissue too.

Green tea can protect your brain from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s

As well as boosting your brain power, green tea potentially lowers your risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s thanks to its levels of catechin compounds, which have shown protective effects on neurons in lab tests.

Better breath with green tea

Another benefit to those handy little catechins is that they can kill bacteria in your mouth, helping fight tooth decay as well as freshening your breath.

Live longer with green tea

This is truly miraculous, but the humble hot drink seems to make people live longer. In a Japanese study of 40,530 adults, those who drank five or more cups a day were significantly less likely to die from any cause over an 11 year period.