Green Tea for Health: Your Heart Will Thank You

I began drinking green tea about five years ago after I had my cholesterol checked. I am not overweight and do not eat a lot of saturated and trans fats, but my LDL cholesterol was a little on the high side, according to my doctor. I began reading up on ways to lower my cholesterol and found a lot of information pointing to green tea as a remedy.

After learning about the benificial properties of green tea, I started drinking two cups before and after work every day with a little bit of honey for sweetener. After a few weeks, I weaned myself off the honey and drank the tea unsweetened. I also began walking on my treadmill 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week. I didn't change my eating habits as they were pretty good to begin with.

Six months later, I returned to the doctor for a re-check and my cholesterol had decreased by almost 50 points! Just the combination of green tea and a little exercise was the cause of this change. My physician was impressed, and I felt much better about my health.

Why not supplement your own diet with some green tea daily? You can find both caffeinated and decaffeinated varieties at your local grocery or health food store. There are also green tea capsules you can take if you are not a fan of tea or do not have time to brew a few cups a day.

In addition to cholesterol-lowering properties, green tea has also been known to have a positive effect on dental hygiene (decreased tooth decay and increased fresh breath), lowering the risk of cancer and stroke, managing weight loss and also decreasing glucose levels.

Although nobody has perfect eating and exercising habits, it is important to do all you can to protect your body from disease and illness. This way you will not only require less healthcare as you age, but you will be able to enjoy the years that you have, even when you are 70 or 80 years young. I continue to drink green tea every day and hope that more people will add it to their daily routine to live longer and healthier lives (along with exercise and a healthy diet of course!).

Stacy Tabb is an author and publisher of many successful informational websites, including an antiaging website aimed at the prevention of disease and illness, and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.