Green tea patch: Going skin deep

I don’t know about you, but the first time I heard about patches was when my brother wore a nicotine patch to help him quit smoking. But a green tea patch? Even I, ardent green tea supporter that I am, hadn’t really known about the existence of green tea patches until I read a magazine article about their advantages. Of course, when I say advantages, I mean advantages for those who can’t drink green tea directly, either because they don’t like the way it tastes or because a medical condition prevents them from doing so. However, to be on the safe side, see your doctor first before you wear a patch if you are on medications and/or medicine patches such as ones used for blood pressure or birth control or menopause etc.

Of course, there are pills that you can take, but I think the patch is better than the pill because a patch allows the skin to directly absorb the ingredients within the patch. Also, look at it this way: with pills, you have to take them several times a day, whereas with a patch, all you do is put it on once a day. Actually, that works for green tea drinkers as well. For those who find it tough to manage the recommended quantity of six-eight cups daily, a green tea patch is the next best thing.

I had a vague idea that a patch might irritate the skin, but during an online search, I found that a green tea patch is designed not to cause any side effects. Besides, if you are really that worried, you can simply wear the patch on a different part of your body each day which is normally recommended anyway. The good thing is that the patch stays secure while swimming or bathing.

Why should you wear a green tea patch? Well, for the same reason that you should drink green tea - it is one of the healthiest beverages around. First and foremost, it contains a group of really powerful antioxidants that combat a range of diseases, including cancer. Green tea also helps fight neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, lowers blood sugar and blood pressure levels, acts as an anti-aging agent and limits the formation of dental cavities.

As if all this were not enough, green tea is also an excellent weapon in your battle against the bulge. Green tea promotes faster metabolism so you burn calories quicker, and it possesses strong fat-burning properties. In fact, a study conducted at the University of Geneva proved that over a 24-hour period, green tea extract increased the metabolic rate of the participants by 4%. And unlike all those weight loss drugs, green tea has no effect on your heart rate.

Yes, some people have confessed to me that they are worried about the caffeine content of green tea, or any tea. As answer, I always point out that green tea has less caffeine than black or oolong tea, not to mention coffee. In fact, a standard green tea patch has about 50-55 mg of caffeine, as opposed to 80-100 mg in a cup of coffee or a glass of soft drink.

Remember to wear the patch on a hairless part of your body. DO NOT wear a green tea patch for more than 24 hours. Do not use without expert advice if you are under 18 and consult your physician if you have any conditions that may be exacerbated by wearing a patch. Haven’t I said enough?