You've probably been hearing for a while now about green tea and how good it can be for your health. And, if you are like many people, maybe you have started adding some to your daily routine just for good measure. But, did you know that there some additional green tea benefits that most people still don't know about?

First, let's start with some of the stuff you might already know about green tea.

Green tea has been used in China for thousands of years as an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine. It has been used to treat aches and pains, headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, and even depression. It has been used more recently to help protect against certain types of cancer. Green tea not only helps protect against some cancers, but it can also help inhibit the spread of cancer while sparing the healthy tissue nearby.

Most of the green tea benefits come from chemicals called polyphenols (catechins), especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is a powerful antioxidant. This antioxidant, and the fact that green tea contains vitamin E, another strong antioxidant, makes it invaluable as an anti-aging product, and an immune booster, too.

Now, here is the stuff you've been waiting for...some new green tea benefits:

Heart Help
Green tea can help your heart in a few different ways. It can help decrease the LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and the risk of strokes ~ along with helping to treat atherosclerosis, or "hardening of the arteries".

Weight Loss
Green tea benefits weight loss plans in a couple of different ways. First, studies at the University of Geneva showed that those who consumed green tea were more likely to use up fats as energy, than those who didn't. Other studies showed that the catechins delayed the actions of stomach and pancreatic enzymes, which are responsible for the digestion of fats. Lastly, green tea is also thought to promote weight loss by "thermogenesis". This basically means that it helps increase the body's core temperature to help burn more calories, by speeding up the metabolism.

Other Uses
There are currently other green tea health benefits being studied worldwide. Some of them include assistance with diabetes, liver disease, skin cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease, just to name a few.

But, how many cups of tea do you have to drink to get these great green tea benefits? For those that like to drink tea, you would need to drink about FIVE cups of tea per day. The downfall to this is the caffeine content. While the amount of caffeine in green tea is not as high as coffee or soda, it can still cause some difficulty falling asleep. There is another solution.

The same green tea benefits can be found in green tea extract. If you can find a supplement that not only has green tea in it, but also contains vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients, you can get the most health support for your money.

R.J. is a passionate researcher of supplements, natural health and healthy living. She shares her research on her website http://www.ultimate-health-site.info.

Surprisingly, all true teas come from the plant called Camellia sinensis. The difference between teas has to do with how the plant leaves (and sometime the stems) are process, filtered, and fermented.

As described, in brief, by Sean Paajanen:

• Black Tea - fully fermented
• Oolong Tea - partially fermented
• Green Tea - no fermentation
• White Tea - also not fermented, but these tea leaves are picked from newer buds, making it different from green tea
• Rooibos Tea - Though not a true tea, the Rooibos plant is a small shrubby bush that only grows in South Africa but is enjoyed worldwide like tea. Rooibos tea is a distinctive red colour and its taste is also unique with a very sweet and slightly nutty flavour. Its delicious taste and numerous healthful qualities has helped Rooibos become a popular tea all over the world.

False Teas - Herbal teas and rooibos tea are NOT true teas, as they come from different plant sources. Often varieties of flora, roots, spices, or even tubars are mixed with true tea leaves to produce hybrid tea recipes. Buy, hey, if it taste good and is good for you...