Green tea: a powerful antioxidant?

Unless you live in a cave, you've probably heard of the antioxidants in green tea. Essential for preserving the youthfulness of our cells, fighting against oxidative stress and for our long-term well-being, antioxidants are becoming more and more talked about. Their benefits to our health are well known. But who are they? How can we recognise them? Do we really find antioxidants in our cup of green tea? Kusmi tells you more.

 

 

What exactly is an antioxidant?

 

Before we know whether green tea is good for your health, let's start at the beginning: what are antioxidants? Why is it good and what are the benefits?

Antioxidants are molecules that are naturally present in many foods and whose function is to protect our body from premature ageing by opposing the action of free radicals.

Antioxidants therefore fight against these free radicals that damage our cells and can even promote the development of certain diseases.

If we talk about antioxidants, it is because their role is to fight against the oxidation caused by free radicals. As you will have understood, antioxidants are therefore useful to our body for our health and well-being in the long term.

And for good reason, antioxidants act at almost every level of our body:

• On the skin, by preserving the youthfulness of the skin. Antioxidants can fight against skin slackening and the formation of wrinkles. This is one of the reasons why you will often find the word antioxidant in your cosmetics.
• On the heart. Antioxidants can protect the arteries and lower bad cholesterol levels. In short, they prevent the development of cardiovascular disease.
• On the eyes, they prevent cell degeneration.
• On the body: by preserving the youthfulness of cells, they play a role in preventing cancer, inflammatory diseases, etc.

 

 

Which foods are rich in antioxidants?

 

 

In the family of antioxidants, we have :

• vitamin C
• vitamin A
• vitamin E
• polyphenols
• carotenoids
• zinc, etc.

Antioxidants are therefore easily found in our food. The sources are simply varied. Spices such as turmeric or paprika are rich in vitamin E. Vitamin C is strongly present in citrus fruits or even in Acerola or goji berries. A varied and healthy diet, rich in vegetables, is therefore supposed to meet all your needs. And what do you drink with it?

 

 

Green tea, the most powerful antioxidant tea

 

Green tea is the most antioxidant-rich tea, ahead of black and white tea. The explanation? Its content of polyphenols (catechins), antioxidant molecules that are beneficial to health.

According to the French National Agency for Food Safety (ANSES), a cup of green tea contains up to 400 mg of polyphenols. It has been shown that polyphenols (catechins) can be used to regulate immune responses to allergies, the intestinal mucosa and anti-tumour immunity. Consumption of green tea would therefore contribute to strengthening the body's antioxidant and natural defences.

In short, the polyphenol content of green tea makes it a potentially very interesting food for the immune system.

 

 

Does drinking green tea prevent wrinkles?

 

There is a link between wrinkles and green tea, as evidenced by its presence in some skin cosmetics. However, let's be sensible: even if green tea is popular for its astringent and anti-wrinkle properties, drinking several cups of it will not give you back the skin of your 20s. In any case, at Kusmi, we believe that all women are beautiful in their natural state!

 

 

Are the antioxidants in green tea good for cavities?

 

Another benefit of green tea is its effect on the development of dental plaque and the fight against cavities. The famous polyphenols, a source of antioxidants present in green tea, are said to play an antibacterial role. These would limit the adhesion of glucose to the teeth. Good news for all organic green tea lovers!

 

 

Which green tea should you choose to benefit from antioxidants?