Can Green Tea be Used as a Remedy for Snoring?
Even though it is common to poke fun at people who snore, it must be noted that snoring affects about 90 million Americans. There are cases where snoring of a spouse causes a couple to sleep in different bedrooms. Basically, snoring is the noisy breathing that takes place from your mouth while you are asleep. It is caused due to a congested nose or a blocked nose. When this blockage is removed, the airways are cleared and thus aid in easy breathing.
Snoring is also said to be related to another condition called sleep apnea, wherein a person stops breathing for a little amount of time. This condition affects a serious snorer, who has been snoring for quite sometime. Frequent snorers have the risk of suffering from high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and exhaustion. It is very important to visit your doctor and get examined as soon as possible. He might prescribe certain nasal drops and over-the-counter drugs to overcome snoring.
Besides this, there are a lot of natural remedies that can help you reduce snoring. People suggest sleeping on your side at night to help stop this habit. Also, it is advisable not to consume milk or yogurt before bedtime, as that can also help stop this habit. A teaspoonful of honey can be consumed just before you jump into the bed. If you are obese, try and achieve the normal weight. This will help in overall too.
Green tea is evolving as the best snoring remedy these days. Green tea is a kind of tea that is made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis. It does not get oxidized during processing. Research has shown that particular compounds found in green tea can help ward off the neurological damage that has occurred due to the sleep apnea disorder. Another finding proved that green tea contains compounds known as catechin polyphenols, mainly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). These act as antioxidants and help destroy oxygen free radicals.
Green tea helps because of the way it is processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevent the EGCG compound from getting oxidized. The other types of tea are made using fermented leaves, which reduce the efficiency of the EGCG compound. Other benefits of green tea are that it helps in weight reduction. So if you have a snoring problem, and are overweight, green tea will serve as a dual remedy.
With all these research proving how good green tea is, the question asked by many is how much green tea should be consumed daily for reaping its benefits? There are very confusing answers to this query. I have come to the conclusion that drinking about four to five cups of green tea everyday can really help you and your snoring problem. The nice thing to note here is that green tea can be consumed in any amount. Remember though that this does not guarantee you of extra health benefits, as it is not proven yet.
