Are Green Tea Health Benefits Just a Hype?
Some Healths Benefits of Green Tea Are:
It contains antioxidants that can help prevent cell damage and reduce inflammation.
It can improve brain function and mood due to the caffeine and L-theanine it contains.
It can increase fat burning and metabolic rate, which may help with weight loss.
It may lower the risk of some types of cancer, such as lung and ovarian cancer.
It may protect the brain from aging and cognitive impairment.
It's a diuretic: in my personal experience it helped me lose 20 lbs by drinking daily about half a gallon of green tea.
Since it contains caffeine, it also gives energy. I must say that besides drinking green tea. I also reduced my calories intake and avoided dinner after 3pm.
Some Stats
According to a report by O-CHA, 72.3% of Japanese people drink green tea daily, and 89.6% of people drink green tea more than once a week. Another source estimates that the average Japanese person drinks 4–10 cups of green tea per day. Green tea is the most popular type of tea in Japan, and it has various health benefits, such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties.
However popular green tea may be in Japan, or the rest of Asia. We are far from finding out how much of an impact its health benefits can be in the overall population. For instance, According to the Tea Association of the U.S.A., about 15% of all tea consumed in the U.S. in 2019 was green tea. This translates to about 24 billion servings of green tea, or more than 1 billion gallons. Based on a population of 328 million, this means that the average American drank about 3 gallons of green tea in 2019.
However, this does not mean that every American drinks green tea, as some may drink more than others, or none at all. A global tea survey conducted by Teahow.com found that 59.4% of the respondents from the U.S. preferred green tea, which is slightly higher than the national average. Therefore, it is hard to estimate the exact number of people in the U.S. who drink green tea, but it is likely to be in the tens of millions
According to the web research, heart attacks are a major cause of death in Japan, but the mortality rate varies by gender and region. The number of deaths caused by heart diseases in Japan was about 214,700 in 2021, the highest in the past decade. The main risk factors for heart disease in Japan include high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, and diabetes. However, some studies suggest that drinking green tea and eating fish may have protective effects against heart disease. To prevent heart attacks, it is important to adopt a healthy lifestyle and seek regular medical check-ups.
According to the web search results, about 805,000 people in the U.S. have a heart attack every year. Of these, 605,000 are a first heart attack and 200,000 are a repeat heart attack. Heart attacks are a leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. While the numbers seemed quadrupled that of the Japanese population. The Population in Japan is 123 million people, so that's slightly more than a third of the US population. So the difference may be significant but not overly dramatic when it comes to deaths, both from cancer or heart attacks.
When it comes to cancer both the US and Japan seem to be at a battle that neither country can win. According to the web search results, the estimated number of cancer cases diagnosed in men over 50 in Japan in 2022 was about 1.1 million, accounting for 87.6% of all male cancer cases in the country. The most common types of cancer among men over 50 were prostate, stomach, and colon and rectum. The number of deaths from cancer among men over 50 in Japan in 2021 was about 194,500 (thousands), accounting for 87.5% of all male cancer deaths in the country. The most common causes of death from cancer among men over 50 were lung, stomach, and liver.
Surprinsingly, in Japan according to the web search results, men over 50 in Japan drink more green tea than younger people. A report by O-CHA states that 94% of men over 50 drink green tea daily, compared to 48% of men in their twenties. Green tea is a very popular drink in Japan, and it is consumed without sugar or milk. Many Japanese people drink green tea for its health benefits, such as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
But the CDC, in the US,estimated number of new cancer cases diagnosed in men over 50 in 2020 was about 1.4 million, accounting for 85.7% of all male cancer cases in the country. The most common types of cancer among men over 50 were prostate, lung and bronchus, and colon and rectum. The number of deaths from cancer among men over 50 in the U.S. in 2019 was about 240,800 (thousand), accounting for 85.4% of all male cancer deaths in the country. The most common causes of death from cancer among men over 50 were lung and bronchus, prostate, and liver.
So our ultimatum about green tea health benefits maybe inconclusive. Given that other diet factors may not be taken into account. As we saw above almost 200,000 Japanese men over 50 died from cancer in 2022. And over 1 million were diagnosed with cancer. While in the USA, over 1.4 million men were diagnosed with cancer, and over 200,000 died from cancer. Yet Japanese men over 50 years of age are the more enthusiasts green tea drinkers. That cannot be said about American men over 50 years of age. Maybe American males over 50 years of age may have more disparingly diet habits. However, statistics don't seem to dictate Japanese men to have an overall huge health advantage given the cancer and heart disease numbers.
One of the cons I see with drinking green tea, is that your teeth may become stained and a visit to the dentist need to become more regular. Also green tea may accelarate your blood pressure if you suffer from blood pressure. Keeping your diet low in red meats, or meats in general may prove also beneficial. If you suffer from anxiety attacks you might want to restrain yourself from drinking green tea or high caffeine drinks. I will continue to drink Japanese green tea with one or two squeezed limes or lemons and no sugar. Usually chilled to fresh up in the summer heat, or even chilled in the winter.
There may be more to health than just drinking green tea and eating red meats. According to a study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, it’s possible that humans may be consuming anywhere from 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles a year. With added estimates of how much microplastic might be inhaled, that number is more than 740,000. However, these numbers are likely underestimates, as they only account for 15 percent of the calories consumed by the average person. The actual amount of microplastics ingested by humans may vary depending on the sources and types of food and water they consume, as well as the level of plastic contamination in their environment. What effect microplastics play in our bodies still remains unknown as a full studies are still in progress.
The health impact of microplastic ingestion are still unclear, as scientists are not sure how much plastic a body can tolerate or how much damage it can do. Some studies have suggested that microplastics can transfer from the gut to other tissues, including the parts we eat, and that they may carry toxins or harmful bacteria. However, more research is needed to understand the long-term effects of microplastic exposure on human health and well-being.
Microplastics is already a global issue since most advanced economies, and even developed industrial countries are exposed to its consumption, and Japan and the US are gigantic consumers of processed foods, and plastic package food items. Not even the crowd considered the "organic" or "vegan" frenzy stand outside of this consumption group. Maybe this why Japanse and Americans are not so far apart in heart disease and cancer cases. Add pollution,hundreds of millions of vehicles exhausts that we inhale. Dangerous food re-engineering, pesticides in "healthy American cereals", unknown effects of vaccines, dangerous cooking oils used in fast foods, and even tons of "fake healthy foods". Steroids in cattle, chickens, hogs that we consume. It was believed that Americans bought an astonishing $40 US billions of fake foods online or local stores. And just when you thought green tea could be our savior.
Some Healths Benefits of Green Tea Are:
It contains antioxidants that can help prevent cell damage and reduce inflammation.
It can improve brain function and mood due to the caffeine and L-theanine it contains.
It can increase fat burning and metabolic rate, which may help with weight loss.
It may lower the risk of some types of cancer, such as lung and ovarian cancer.
It may protect the brain from aging and cognitive impairment.
It's a diuretic: in my personal experience it helped me lose 20 lbs by drinking daily about half a gallon of green tea.
Since it contains caffeine, it also gives energy. I must say that besides drinking green tea. I also reduced my calories intake and avoided dinner after 3pm.
Some Stats
According to a report by O-CHA, 72.3% of Japanese people drink green tea daily, and 89.6% of people drink green tea more than once a week. Another source estimates that the average Japanese person drinks 4–10 cups of green tea per day. Green tea is the most popular type of tea in Japan, and it has various health benefits, such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties.
However popular green tea may be in Japan, or the rest of Asia. We are far from finding out how much of an impact its health benefits can be in the overall population. For instance, According to the Tea Association of the U.S.A., about 15% of all tea consumed in the U.S. in 2019 was green tea. This translates to about 24 billion servings of green tea, or more than 1 billion gallons. Based on a population of 328 million, this means that the average American drank about 3 gallons of green tea in 2019.
However, this does not mean that every American drinks green tea, as some may drink more than others, or none at all. A global tea survey conducted by Teahow.com found that 59.4% of the respondents from the U.S. preferred green tea, which is slightly higher than the national average. Therefore, it is hard to estimate the exact number of people in the U.S. who drink green tea, but it is likely to be in the tens of millions
According to the web research, heart attacks are a major cause of death in Japan, but the mortality rate varies by gender and region. The number of deaths caused by heart diseases in Japan was about 214,700 in 2021, the highest in the past decade. The main risk factors for heart disease in Japan include high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, and diabetes. However, some studies suggest that drinking green tea and eating fish may have protective effects against heart disease. To prevent heart attacks, it is important to adopt a healthy lifestyle and seek regular medical check-ups.
According to the web search results, about 805,000 people in the U.S. have a heart attack every year. Of these, 605,000 are a first heart attack and 200,000 are a repeat heart attack. Heart attacks are a leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. While the numbers seemed quadrupled that of the Japanese population. The Population in Japan is 123 million people, so that's slightly more than a third of the US population. So the difference may be significant but not overly dramatic when it comes to deaths, both from cancer or heart attacks.
When it comes to cancer both the US and Japan seem to be at a battle that neither country can win. According to the web search results, the estimated number of cancer cases diagnosed in men over 50 in Japan in 2022 was about 1.1 million, accounting for 87.6% of all male cancer cases in the country. The most common types of cancer among men over 50 were prostate, stomach, and colon and rectum. The number of deaths from cancer among men over 50 in Japan in 2021 was about 194,500 (thousands), accounting for 87.5% of all male cancer deaths in the country. The most common causes of death from cancer among men over 50 were lung, stomach, and liver.
Surprinsingly, in Japan according to the web search results, men over 50 in Japan drink more green tea than younger people. A report by O-CHA states that 94% of men over 50 drink green tea daily, compared to 48% of men in their twenties. Green tea is a very popular drink in Japan, and it is consumed without sugar or milk. Many Japanese people drink green tea for its health benefits, such as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
But the CDC, in the US,estimated number of new cancer cases diagnosed in men over 50 in 2020 was about 1.4 million, accounting for 85.7% of all male cancer cases in the country. The most common types of cancer among men over 50 were prostate, lung and bronchus, and colon and rectum. The number of deaths from cancer among men over 50 in the U.S. in 2019 was about 240,800 (thousand), accounting for 85.4% of all male cancer deaths in the country. The most common causes of death from cancer among men over 50 were lung and bronchus, prostate, and liver.
So our ultimatum about green tea health benefits maybe inconclusive. Given that other diet factors may not be taken into account. As we saw above almost 200,000 Japanese men over 50 died from cancer in 2022. And over 1 million were diagnosed with cancer. While in the USA, over 1.4 million men were diagnosed with cancer, and over 200,000 died from cancer. Yet Japanese men over 50 years of age are the more enthusiasts green tea drinkers. That cannot be said about American men over 50 years of age. Maybe American males over 50 years of age may have more disparingly diet habits. However, statistics don't seem to dictate Japanese men to have an overall huge health advantage given the cancer and heart disease numbers.
One of the cons I see with drinking green tea, is that your teeth may become stained and a visit to the dentist need to become more regular. Also green tea may accelarate your blood pressure if you suffer from blood pressure. Keeping your diet low in red meats, or meats in general may prove also beneficial. If you suffer from anxiety attacks you might want to restrain yourself from drinking green tea or high caffeine drinks. I will continue to drink Japanese green tea with one or two squeezed limes or lemons and no sugar. Usually chilled to fresh up in the summer heat, or even chilled in the winter.
There may be more to health than just drinking green tea and eating red meats. According to a study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, it’s possible that humans may be consuming anywhere from 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles a year. With added estimates of how much microplastic might be inhaled, that number is more than 740,000. However, these numbers are likely underestimates, as they only account for 15 percent of the calories consumed by the average person. The actual amount of microplastics ingested by humans may vary depending on the sources and types of food and water they consume, as well as the level of plastic contamination in their environment. What effect microplastics play in our bodies still remains unknown as a full studies are still in progress.
The health impact of microplastic ingestion are still unclear, as scientists are not sure how much plastic a body can tolerate or how much damage it can do. Some studies have suggested that microplastics can transfer from the gut to other tissues, including the parts we eat, and that they may carry toxins or harmful bacteria. However, more research is needed to understand the long-term effects of microplastic exposure on human health and well-being.
Microplastics is already a global issue since most advanced economies, and even developed industrial countries are exposed to its consumption, and Japan and the US are gigantic consumers of processed foods, and plastic package food items. Not even the crowd considered the "organic" or "vegan" frenzy stand outside of this consumption group. Maybe this why Japanse and Americans are not so far apart in heart disease and cancer cases. Add pollution,hundreds of millions of vehicles exhausts that we inhale. Dangerous food re-engineering, pesticides in "healthy American cereals", unknown effects of vaccines, dangerous cooking oils used in fast foods, and even tons of "fake healthy foods". Steroids in cattle, chickens, hogs that we consume. It was believed that Americans bought an astonishing $40 US billions of fake foods online or local stores. And just when you thought green tea could be our savior.
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