Health Tip: Green Tea and its Benefits

As one who has enjoyed coffee for many years, it was a significant adjustment for me to come to appreciate the delicate nature of tea. Following a reading of the widely acclaimed Dr. Weil’s book on Healthy Aging, I became obsessed with the hot beverage.

The purported benefits of green tea include the following:

rich with antioxidants
decreases risk of developing heart disease
lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol
lowers total body fat due to a boost in metabolism
decreases allergies
improves skin
may delay onset of diabetes
fights bad breath

Green tea contains two primary and powerful antioxidants, flavenoids and polyphenols, and they exist in levels that are 8 to 10 times greater than their presence in fruits or vegetables. In addition, they have a wonderful detoxifying effect on the body and can protect cells from cancer causing free radicals.

Anywhere from 4 to 10 cups per day (standard tea cup is 6 ounces) is recommended to achieve optimum health benefits. Green tea does contain caffeine, but the majority is easily removed by steeping your tea for 30-45 seconds, pouring off the tea, then adding additional water and steeping as you normally would. Since caffeine is water soluble it is extracted, but the healthy antioxidants remain.

Peet’s Coffee & Tea