Health
GREEN TEA
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Behind green tea’s faint color and mild taste, lie powerful health benefits.
ue to recent findings regarding its health benefits, this beverage’s popularity has reached an all-time high. Now, more than 15 million people in America alone are drinking green tea, with sales up 650 percent from 2002. It was recently reported by Newcastle University that a cup a day can help prevent Alzheimer’s and some cancers. Green tea is readily available in the Algarve and should be thought about seriously. Many people reduce their water intake over the winter months, so maybe this is the way to keep our bodies running smoothly.
STRONGEST ANTIOXIDANT FOUND IN GREEN TEA. In September 1997, a study concluded that green tea contains high concentrations of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the strongest antioxidant. EGCG is over 100 times more effective in neutralizing free radicals than vitamin C
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and 25 times more powerful than vitamin E, both wellknown antioxidants. Antioxidants are thought to prevent cellular damage that leads to certain diseases, especially cancer. When compared to black and oolong tea it was found that green tea contained, by far, the highest active EGCG concentrations. This is because green tea is steamed immediately after it is picked, which prevents the leaves from oxidizing, thus preserving EGCG. ENHANCED WEIGHT LOSS Two studies have proposed drinking green tea may help you lose weight. The first study compared green tea’s metabolic effect, in extract, to that of a placebo. Researchers found green tea drinkers burned an additional 70 calories per day. The difference is believed to be caused by the catechins (i.e., antioxidants which enhance metabolism) in green tea. The second study, done by the
July 2020
