In a captivating TikTok video, popular health guru, expert and influencer Dr. Eudene Harry, MD, shared five compelling reasons why incorporating green tea into your daily routine can promote graceful aging and keep your skin looking youthful and well-hydrated.
In addition, she explained why adding this beverage to your daily menu can help you live a “longer and healthier life.”
We also did some research of our own and checked in with dermatologist Dr. Erum N. Ilyas, MD, MBE, FAAD to learn more about this beloved herbal tea and how it can help boost collagen and promote a radiant complexion this summer.
@dreudenemd #healthyaging #lifestylemedicine #greentea #dreudenemd #dreudene #simplehealthtips #tophealthtips #holistichealthtips #inflammation #agingwell #cholesterol #simplehabits ♬ original sound – Eudene Harry MD
5 Benefits of Green Tea For Your Skin And Graceful Aging, According To The Pros
1. Helps To Relieve Stress And Promote Better Sleep
Firstly, Harry notes that drinking green tea may “help us to manage our stress levels better.” Green tea has a “special amino acid called L-theanine,” she continues, and this can “help to induce the relaxation response, and may even help us to sleep better.”
Ilyas agrees, and says that green tea differs from black tea in how it is made, and is the ultimate best tea choice for your skin when it comes to antioxidant levels.
2. May Help Improve Memory
Secondly, Harry says that this herbal tea may "help to improve the memory that we use in order to problem solve." Studies looking at the brain "with special imaging" show that after drinking green tea, "the brain was able to make better connections," she went on.
Ilyas also adds that green tea is not fully oxidized in the manner black tea is, so it retains the green color of the leaves. It tends to have higher "concentrations of a polyphenol including one called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)," Ilyas says, noting that green tea polyphenols have demonstrated a number of skincare benefits including antioxidant effects.
3. Could Help Lower Cholesterol Levels
Green tea may also "lower cholesterol levels, reduce our risk of dementia and may even reduce our risk of type 2 diabetes," Harry also points out.
4. Can Reduce Inflammation In The Skin
In addition, Harry stressed that drinking green tea daily helps to reduce inflammation. "Lower inflammation has been linked to reduced blood pressure levels and helping us to maintain stronger bones."
Ilyas concurs, and notes that "the addition of green tea to your routine is a great way to [aid] your skin with the antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation and help the skin’s natural repair process."
5. Might Reduce Skin Pigmentation
Ilyas also shares that "the benefit of EGCG found in green tea is that some studies have demonstrated its ability to potentially inhibit tyrosinase, an enzyme that contributes to skin pigmentation." By inhibiting the enzyme, she notes, there is potential to reduce pigmentation in your skin.
She also says that there are even studies that have demonstrated that consumption of green tea may be linked to reducing the signs of sun damage in our skin as it related to pigmentation.
The Bottom Line
If you're sensitive to caffeine, Harry concludes in her video, "consider using naturally decaffeinated green tea." Other ways to get the "best out of your green tea" include "limiting the sugar and remembering that in order to maintain all of those antioxidants, don't make the water too hot," she shared."
Will do!
