Mega Bored
5. Green Tea
Green tea contains high levels of catechins which can reduce inflammation and prevent damage to blood vessels. Studies conducted in Japan have found that people who drink 2 or more cups of green tea each day reduce their risk of heart attacks by roughly half. One of the reasons green tea is so effective is that it fights gum disease, which is strongly linked to increased rates of cardiovascular disease.
It is no wonder that green tea is considered one of the world’s healthiest drinks as it is also one of the only beverages that is found to have a short-term benefit to the heart. Studies have shown that drinking one cup of green tea a day could improve blood flow by widening the brachial artery by four percent in just 30 minutes. This artery is a main artery that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. A report in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation states this widening of the brachial artery can help to improve endothelial function which is the inner lining of the blood vessels. When these blood vessels are healthy, it decreases the chance of blood clots from forming. Green tea has proven to be so powerful that it can even reverse endothelial damage for those who smoke cigarettes. Overall, green tea has proven to help reduce morbidity associated with cardiovascular disease.
