Good for you / bad for you

By Kaitlyn Syring

Thursday, March 13, 2008

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Green tea is high in antioxidants and boosts your immune system.

In this seemingly never-ending blustery weather, coffee and cocoa are perfect for warming us up. And when the weather changes from frigid to sweltering, soda and juice will cool us down. But there’s one healthy beverage that can be served piping hot and thirst-quenching cold, and also has the ability to kick-start your immune system: green tea. This natural drink is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis bush. Immediately after the leaves are plucked, they are steamed or pan-fired to prevent fermentation. The unfermented leaves contain catechins, which are potent antioxidants and disease-fighters. Nadine Taylor, registered dietician and author of Green Tea: The Natural Secret to a Healthier Life, says green tea is the only natural source of large amounts of catechins. A 6-ounce cup of green tea contains about 50 to 100 mg of cathechins. Taylor says catechins provide numerous health benefits including lower cholesterol, weight loss and decreased tooth decay. Aside from that, Taylor says, green tea contains flavonols—which combat free radicals—vitamin C, various B vitamins, vitamin E and flouride. She says that green tea extract, like in green tea pills, contains many times more catechins and vitamins than the drink does. So today, when you feel a hankering for a beverage, go with green tea, the drink that offers more than refreshment.

VERDICT: good for you

 

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