By Monique Minahan
Although modern medicine continues to take leaps and strides in significant areas of disease and illness, there are many simple remedies we can implement into our lifestyle that may ward off future diseases.
One of the easiest (and delicious) natural remedies available to us is green tea.
Here's a few significant ways green tea can impact your health, inside and out:
The polyphenols present in green tea may help prevent and repair damage from sun exposure by fighting free radicals that damage cells.
This is significant because of the domino effect that starts with UV radiation. UV radiation can damage DNA, which can then cause immune system suppression, which may create a risk for developing skin cancer.
Many studies are producing convincing evidence that the major polyphenol in green tea, EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), can inhibit tumor invasion and angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is a key component in how cancer tumors grow.
Drinking green tea can also reduce the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer.
This is a result of the rich supply of ECGC in green tea leaves. In addition to green tea, Lycopene is another natural source that can help treat prostate cancer. Lycopene is a natural pigment made by plants and is naturally housed in fruits and vegetables.
One study suggests that drinking tea and upping intakes of vegetables and fruits rich in lycopene (like tomatoes, apricots, and watermelons) has a stronger preventive effect than either one taken separately.
Whether you're drinking green tea for warmth, health, or as a natural approach to cancer, it's important to do your research and stick with tea bottled as close to the source as possible.
Brewing a warm tea at home from organic whole tea leaves is another way to ensure you're getting the maximum health benefit from your tea.
Another lesser-known product from tea leaves is camellia oil (the oil of tea seed Camellia oleifera).
This is different from green tea, which comes from Camellia sinensis.
Camellia oil is used extensively as a cooking oil in China. A study on the effectiveness of camellia oil indicated that it may prevent free-radical-related diseases such as cancer.
It's used in a variety of ways, similar to how we use olive oil. You can find camellia oil at most health-food storesm or can order it online.
Mother nature has a wealth of knowledge and healing available to us on many levels. The healing properties in tea are just one of her many gifts to us.
Note: This piece article represents the opinions of the author alone, not that of Intent or its sponsors.
Monique Minahan is a writer, yogi, and lover of life. She's inspired by nature's simplicity and the healing power of love. She finds true liberation in living life fully from the inside out. Her intention is to offer her heart to the world through words that motivate, inspire, and encourage. You can connect with her at her blog, mindfulmo.com.
Photo credit: boo_licious & A Girl With Tea
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