By: Andrea Marshall

You might think of the green tea benefits as a form of preventative medicine. You do other things to help preserve your health and prevent chronic diseases. You probably watch your diet, exercise regularly and avoid things that are known to contribute to heart disease and cancer.

One of the green tea health benefits is to help prevent heart disease and cancer. There are several reasons for that. First, there's a little caffeine in teas of all kinds. Too much caffeine is bad for you, but consuming a moderate amount on a daily basis is good for the circulation and may help prevent Alzheimer's.

But most of the green tea benefits are not due to caffeine. They are due to the antioxidants that are unique to green teas. The processes used to make the leaves black negatively affect that antioxidant content. So, the green varieties are better for your health than the black.

Antioxidants are known to prevent the free radical damage that can lead to the formation of a cancer cell. Some of them even cause cancer cells to die and slow down the growth of tumors. One, of the green tea health benefits, that has been seen in animal models is to limit the growth of colorectal tumors.

When

it comes to your heart, there are several green tea health benefits. First, it has an anticoagulant effect; it prevents blood platelets from sticking together, forming clots and hardening the walls of the arteries. Second, it has a positive effect on cholesterol levels. Third, it contributes to weight loss. There are those that say you can lose 10 pounds in a month by switching from coffee to green tea.

When you read about all of the different green tea benefits, it almost seems too good to be true, but there are many plants that have similar properties. Black cumin, for example, helps prevent high blood pressure, has anti-cancer activity and supports healthy immune system function. Ginkgo biloba increases the oxygen content in the brain, improving mental clarity and focus. It is also an effective weight loss aid.

You can get the green tea health benefits and those of many other plant extracts with dietary supplements designed to counter the negative effects that time has on the cells of our body. Can you really get green tea benefits from a supplement? Many of the studies that have been conducted involved the use of supplements containing the extract, not drinking the tea.

So, yes, you can get green tea health benefits, even if you are not a tea drinker. You still want to live a healthy lifestyle. Supplements are simply a little extra insurance.

The best ones provide the essential vitamins and minerals, as well as amino acids, dietary enzymes and lots of antioxidants. You probably already take a multi-vitamin every day. Why not make it more worth your while, by getting some of the green tea benefits, too.

Andrea Marshall is a researcher of skin care and health supplement products. Visit her site now at http://www.natural-supplement-site.info to get the facts on how to choose the best products for your youthful and healthy life.