Rich in antioxidants, experts have known for eons that green tea is a healthy choice for aiding digestion and battling the bloat, but new evidence is emerging to support the theory that green tea can help you make gains in the gym too, by raising testosterone levels and aiding with sleep. Here’s what you need to know.
A recent study published in the National Library of Medicine has determined that regular long-term consumption of green tea raises testosterone while protecting us against insomnia and depression as we mature, even reducing levels of inflammation.
How Was the Study Carried Out?
For this study, 280 men were divided into two groups. The control group never or rarely drank green tea, while the second group consumed at least one cup of the green stuff six days per week. From the second group, a “long-term drinking group” was also identified, defined as those who drank at least one cup per day for the past 20 years. The subjects provided blood samples and also received MRI scans so that scientists could track any differing results.
How Does Green Tea Promote More Testosterone?
“The results indicate that the testosterone concentration in individuals who consume tea over the long term is significantly higher than that in the control group,” concluded the report. In fact, the long-term drinking group appeared to show 30% higher testosterone levels than the control group. This was also met with 27% less inflammation, and 32% fewer cases of insomnia.
Apparently, green tea inhibits an enzyme that allows more active testosterone to circulate. In the case of inflammation, the antioxidant EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) blocks the cytokines and enzymes while also neutralizing damaging free radicals. And for sleep, long term green tea drinking was associated with not only longer sleeping duration, but better-quality sleep too, perhaps due its theanine content. It’s no wonder then, that perceived levels of depression were also significantly lower among the long-term green tea drinkers.
One important note is that this study focused on men who were aged 45 and above, so more work will surely follow on the benefits of green tea in younger people. For women, many studies have already affirmed the influence of green tea on estradiol, suggesting that drinking green tea is a great choice for premenopausal women too. The new evidence does suggest, however, that green tea is a healthy way to increase testosterone while improving sleep, and that’s the perfect formula for building muscle.
