There is simply not enough time in the day to list and explain all of the health benefits that are provided by drinking green tea. For centuries, the tea has been lauded as a super drink, rich in antioxidants and practically magical powers that fight off anything from constipation to stress to high blood pressure, and so much more. Green tea bags, when seeped in water, can also be used to treat sunburns and other inflammation on the skin, as it provides an instant cooling and healing effect upon contact. And as an added bonus, it tastes great! Whether you drink it hot, cold, with honey and lemon, or plain, green tea has a delicious flavor that cannot be matched. What’s more is that it is also a known remedy for acne, and has been subject to a number of studies to prove its effectiveness in treating skin.
Main Ingredients
Some of the most powerful vitamins and minerals found in green tea include:
- Catechins, a compound that acts as an antioxidant and words to decrease blood cholesterol, body fat, and blood pressure.
- Vitamins C and E, both important antioxidants
- Theanine, an amino acid that plays a vital role in protection of the cells found in the central nervous system. Theanine also creates a calming effect in the body.
These components, in addition to the many other elements found in the drink, work collectively to create an acne-fighting effect in the body in a number of ways. Green tea can reduce the production of sebum on the skin, which is the waxy oil responsible for making your face shiny. When sebum gets into and clogs your pores, acne results. The less sebum on the face, the less likely you are to break out.
Green tea also works as an anti-inflammatory agent. When your skin becomes red and inflamed, it allows pores to clog easier and makes it effortless for acne to form. Green tea brings down the level of inflammation so that your skin remains healthy.
A third positive effect of drinking the super tea is it works to lower your blood sugar and insulin levels. It has been proven that heightened insulin and blood sugar levels in the body can wreak havoc on your skin. Raging levels of testosterone and other hormones are not the only ones to blame for a breakout; insulin, a hormone, is just as guilty. The higher levels of insulin in the body, the more sebum (that nasty oil) that will be produced. The blood sugar-targeting components of green tea work together to lower these levels, thereby helping your skin to clear of its acne.
While you probably can’t clear your acne just by drinking green tea (or ordering that fried green tea ice cream at your favorite sushi restaurant), the tea does deliver a boost to your immune system and can be an important factor in decreasing the appearance of it on your skin.
