Green Tea and It’s Health Benefits

I know I’ve heard it before – tea is good for you. Well why and what’s the big deal about green tea?

Both green and black tea are include a number of active ingredients, especially potent antioxidants like catechin, flavonoids, polyphenols and a type of phytochemical called EGCG. Antioxidants help prevent or slow oxidative damage to our body which happens when our bodies use oxygen which can often produce pb-products or free radicals that can cause damage. Those antioxidants act as scavengers and reduce the free radicals and repair the damaged caused.

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, a substance in green tea has been found to halt a specific stage in the cancer process more effectively than current cancer drugs do[^1] in lab tests. Though it is also reported that in large population studies the results are less consistent. Though green tea has been cited to decrease the cardiovascular disease mortality in a population study over the course of 11 years but not the cancer mortality rate. This Japanese study: [Green Tea Consumption and Mortality Due to Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and All Causes in Japan](http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/296/10/1255) published by the American Journal of Medicine discusses that study in depth.

##Green Tea and Weight Loss##

Green tea is always rumored to be linked to weight loss, Japanese researchers have claim replacing your morning coffee with green tea can help you burn more calories through thermogenesis, the process of heat production in organisms, due to the caffeine content and possibly even the EGCG content.

##Organic Green Tea##

It makes perfect sense to **seek out Organic teas**. You’re drinking water that has had leaves steeped in it. Even if tea leaves are cleaned after being harvested wouldn’t you rather drink tea that comes from leaves that have never been touched by chemical fertilizers or pesticides? I would!

Be sure to check your local market or a local tea/coffee shop for Organic tea varieties!

##Should I Drink Green Tea?##

Why not? It’s tasty, and seems to have plenty of health benefits. Green tea also has anti-inflammatory properties which can be good for you inside and out!

##How to Prepare Green Tea##

Boil water and **allow your green tea bag to steep 3 to 5 minutes** to bring out the antioxidants and be sure to drink it freshly brewed to ensure you enjoy the full benefits of those antioxidants.

Add sugar, lemon, milk or honey as you see fit. I enjoy **Organic honey in my teas** and have a bottle of it in the cabinet at home and work.

So go on, replace you coffee that probably isn’t doing your body any good with some green tea every morning.

[^1]: [It’s Green Tea Time](http://www.aicr.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8346&news_iv_ctrl=0&abbr=pr_hf_) – October 10 2005, American Institute for Cancer Research

——————————-

Tea Leaves photo by indi.ca via flickr used under the creative commons