Green Tea: Health Benefit-Rich
Drinking green tea is at the top, or near the top, of most “what to eat/drink for good and optimum health” lists. With good reason. It helps lower cholesterol, control blood sugar. It’s a warrior in our fight against heart disease, even some cancers. Green tea contains strong antioxidant and antibacterial properties, called catechins (which are polyphenols). The more catechins we take in, the better the results. For example, one 6-ounce cup of green tea contains between 50 and 100 mg of catechins. Drink a couple of cups a day, and you’ve easily boosted your catechins intake.
Dr. David Juan wrote a two-part series on green tea (“One More Look at This Superpower Drink”). He says that “… preliminary evidence suggests that drinking green tea may have the following influences on your body:
- Reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes
- Increase in the density of your bones, helping prevent osteoporosis
- Reduction of stress
- Protection of skin from UV radiation
- Treatment of human papillomavirus cervical lesions
- Prevention of both cold and flu
- Improvement of cognitive function
- Strengthening of your gums and prevention of gum disease
- Increase in blood pressure in older adults who suffer from hypotension
- Treatment of genital warts.”
Nice! How are those for benefits?
Then, there’s this: Green tea can also increase thermogenesis, a word that means you ‘ll burn more calories, faster. So, in a real sense, drinking green tea aids in weight loss.
Brewed and ready for mid-afternoon tea break!
It’s the immune support green tea offers that inspired me to buy more of it. We’re fast barreling into another cold and flu season, so like a warm winter coat protects against the wintry elements on the outside, green tea protects against bad bug invasion from the inside. “A single cup of Green Tea provides more antioxidant support than a serving of broccoli or strawberries,” so says Yogi teamakers, on the back of their box.
Yogi makes a bevy of teas, including several green tea varieties, and they’re both organic teas and natural teas. While the tea in the picture doesn’t wear the certified organic seal, all but one of the ingredients are organic—and there are a lot of them—Green tea leaf, hibiscus flower, peppermint leaf, burdock and dandelion root, orange, blueberry, raspberry, and pomegranate flavors. Yogi tells its customers that they think before they blend. In my opinion, they thought very well when they blended these two antioxidant superstars! Pomegranate is, according to Better Nutrition, November 2009, “…the only fruit rich in all three major antioxidants: tannins, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid.” Besides that, pomegranate also contains a worthy dose of Vitamins A, C and E, some folic acid and potassium. And, besides its top-notch nutritional profile, the pomegranate makes the green tea taste good.
Because green tea packs about 30 mg of caffeine in every teabag, I stay away from it in the evening. It’s become my mid-afternoon beverage of choice.
But not everyone likes to drink tea. Happily, there are green tea supplements available for them.
Natalie M. Rotunda's Organic Pantry Blog 
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