Health benefits of rich Chinese green tea: Myth or fact?

These Are Green Tea’s Most Exciting Health Benefits, According to a Nutritionist

We’re debunking some of the common myths weighing down green tea’s health

There’s no denying that coffee is the most popular beverage to enjoy first thing in the morning, but it’s hard to ignore that more and more people have been making the switch to green tea to get their daily fix of caffeine. Regardless of when or how it’s enjoyed, there are a few health benefits that give green tea a supercharged edge over many other hot beverages (including other types of tea).

To understand why, we first have to look at where certain teas come from. All varieties of tea are first brewed from the dried leaves of the Camellia Sinesis bush and can be divided into four different categories based on how oxidized they are. White tea is made from unoxidized buds, whereas oolong tea stems from particularly oxidized leaves, and black tea is made when completely oxidized leaves are steeped in hot water. Green tea, on the other hand, is made with unoxidized tea leaves — all of these varieties contain antioxidants, chiefly flavonoids, a group of plant-based chemicals that have been shown to reduce coronary inflammation. How you choose to brew your tea — and the kind of tea you’ve chosen to brew — can play a role in its final antioxidant counts. Green tea, however, has been shown to naturally contain the highest amount of flavonoids of the four varieties, according to a 2005 scholarly review published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis.

But some of the hype around this herbal superstar of a daily pick-me-up has led to confusion about its immediate health benefits. Here, we’re confirming all the reasons why you should be drinking green tea — and debunking the most common myths about green tea’s best attributes.

Fact: Green tea can help you lose weight.

If you’re a regular soda, juice, energy-drink, or sweetened-coffee-and-tea drinker and you switch to unsweetened green tea, you could see some results in the long run. That’s because the number one source of added sugar (and therefore, added calories) in the American diet is from sugar-sweetened beverages, so opting for a calorie-free alternative is always best. But if you’re already sipping on water flavored with fresh fruit, sparkling water, unsweetened coffee and tea, or the occasional diet beverage, then chances are you’ll have to do more than simply switch up your hydration habits to lose weight for the long-term. Bummer, we know!

Fact: Compounds in green tea may reduce risk of cancers.

The antioxidant-compounds found in green tea have certainly been touted with cancer-fighting properties — and current research supports this in full. A pair of studies conducted in 2002 discovered that polyphenols found in green tea may suppress certain tumor cells across the body; more recently, a 2018 review of published research over the last decade found that those who regularly consumed green tea marginally lowered their risk of developing breast cancer.

There’s a catch, though. Plant-based diets are often always linked to a reduced risk of cancer — plus other chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. Among the myriad of benefits associated with packing on the veggies (and drinking unsweetened tea), plants are chock-full of polyphenolic compounds, a type of antioxidant that reduces the risk of chronic disease by improving cellular function of tissues, leaving less “room” for cancer cells to develop. So if you’re not a green tea lover, never fear! Simply loading up on veggie- and fruit-based meals and snacks — even if you choose to enjoy coffee daily — can help to reduce chronic disease risk when consumed consistently