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Green tea is often in the news, and many are touting green tea health benefits. There's a lot of research in terms of green tea and its ability to fight cancer and heart disease. A limited number of studies also show that this variety of tea might have a role in bringing down your cholesterol numbers, preventing diabetes and stroke, burning fat, maybe even holding off dementia. However, before you jump on the bandwagon, you need to understand you'll be drinking more than a cup or two... at least three to an even better six cups a day are needed to get the benefits. What's more, how the tea is made is important, using bags or loose tea is the optimum choice - it must be brewed. You aren't getting anything from an iced drink you buy at the mini mart. Green tea comes from the same plant, camellia sinensis, as black and oolong teas, and though each is created using different processing methods (green tea has minimal processing) all are typically brewed and drunk. There are lots of varieties of green tea grown in areas all over the world, which allows for natural differences in taste and color that come as a result of growing conditions, harvesting and processing. Drinkers say that the tea has a light, pleasing flavor. The real world evidence for health benefits comes mainly from the lab, and this keeps experts from suggesting everyone start drinking it regularly. There have been a few promising large scale studies in humans on the impact of green tea on heart disease and cancer, but it's important to understand this research was conducted in the East, where tea is part of everyone's diet and where other foods (lots of fish and soy protein) and lifestyle factors may also be contributing to the benefits. Green tea does have some key antioxidants (catechins) and compounds that are important to keeping your body healthy. Moderate green-tea drinking is safe for most of us, though it does have some caffeine (not without side effects), and a small amount of vitamin K (an issue if you're taking anticoagulants) per cup. There are other natural sources of these healthful nutrients, foods that you can eat that might also deliver some incredible benefits to your health. Blueberries and pomegranates are both tasty options.
You may also have heard of tea extracts in capsules, though experts aren't sure that you get the benefits in this form. And while this formulation probably won't hurt you, it certainly isn't the optimal way to get the best of the nutrients. Experts speculate nutritious compounds in green-tea might need to be consumed at the same time. Green tea is also part of many skin care products. It does have antioxidant properties (beating out vitamins A, C and E) and can protect against sun damage by working to subdue unhealthy cells. It's also good for easing rosacea redness, and has been found to be a good acne treatment as well. Green tea health benefits can certainly complement other good things you're doing in terms of diet. It's important to get a balance of fruits, veggies, grains, seeds and nuts in what you're eating while adding a few cups a day of delicious, delightful tea to what you're drinking.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kirsten_Whittaker
==== ==== Discover the Green Tea secrets they really don't want you to know at http://tinyurl.com/Green-Tea-X ==== ====