Green Tea Time

Posts Tagged ‘Chinese Tea’

There are millions of people around the world who suffer from high blood pressure. Green tea can help with high blood pressure in so many ways as scientists and researchers have found. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the most common form of heart disease and affects about 20% of the adult population in many countries. The condition is associated with stroke, heart failure, and kidney dysfunction and is a major risk factor for heart-related death.

Research shows that drinking as little as a half-cup of green tea daily can greatly reduce high blood pressure by more than fifty-percent. This study was done among Chinese tea drinkers - who have been consuming green tea for centuries. The link has also been explored in other areas of the world including the United States and the results between green tea and high blood pressure have shown much of the same results.

High blood pressure (hypertension) can be caused by a number of factors, including poor diet, lack of exercise, high stress levels, and genetic predisposition, among others. Drinking green tea, however, can help counteract the effects of high blood pressure risk factors, research suggests.

When a group of mice was exposed to stressful, overcrowded conditions, feeding them green tea kept their high blood pressure under control. The blood pressure lowering effects of green tea have been recorded in humans as well. In a study of 20,000 middle-aged adults, high blood pressure decreased as green tea consumption increased.
Researchers speculate that green tea lowers high blood pressure by causing blood vessels to relax. One study assessed 54 substances - vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs, spices, and teas - for their ability to relax blood vessels; of these substances, green tea placed fifth, and relaxed blood vessel walls by as much as 91%.

People who suffer from high blood pressure should take note, however, that adding too much green tea to your diet could also cause adverse reactions. There is a certain amount of caffeine in green tea. While it is considerably less than coffee, the caffeine in green tea could still aggravate high blood pressure if too much is consumed in too little time.

There's absolutely no doubt in the minds of those who have studied the effects of green tea on high blood pressure that drinking this beverage in moderation can significantly bring down the high blood pressure. It's a good idea to add a little green tea to your daily diet if you suffer from high blood pressure. Just don't overdo it!