So What About Green Tea?

One of the healthiest beverages I suggest for my patients time and again is green tea. This amazing extract of the Camellia sinensis plant has been cultivated in Asia for centuries and is the subject of thousands of research studies, due to its powerful healing abilities.

Research is finding green tea beneficial in reducing cholesterol, decreasing blood (platelet) thickness, lowering blood pressure, reducing body fat and even benefiting diabetes. It is also showing promise in cancer research by decreasing and even reversing the growth of cancer cells.

Can all this be true of this common, everyday social beverage? Actually, yes. The main player is a group of compounds called catechins which are powerful antioxidants (see: http://toolstolife.com/article/A-Fresh-Approach-to-Your-Diet-41) vital to our health and our ability to fight off and prevent illness. One cup of green tea has more antioxidants than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots, or strawberries.

Here are some helpful green tea tidbits:

Green and black tea; what's the difference? Simple. It's fermentation. Raw green tea is fermented and oxidized to make black tea. Lower in bitter catechins, black tea is preferred for its taste, though is much lower in antioxidants.

What if I'm sensitive to caffeine?  Green tea contains only about one quarter the amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee.  I don't recommend decaf because a chemical extraction process using ethyl acetate is usually employed to lower this stimulating chemical.

Theanine to the rescue.  This powerful compound not only blocks much of the elevating effects of caffeine, it also stimulates a relaxing brain chemical called GABA, making it a unique stress and anxiety buster. We could all use this from time to time!

Do it yourself. Here is a great caffeine-lowing tip. Add boiled water to dry tea, steep for about one minute, and then pour that off into the sink. Doing so will reduce the caffeine load (and the bitterness) by about 70 percent. Steep your tea again for about three more minutes and enjoy an amazingly healthy, low caffeine beverage.

Still too bitter? Agave syrup, Stevia (see: http://toolstolife.com/article/The-Magic-of-Stevia-53), and raw organic honey are excellent sweeteners to accompany your drink.

My personal favorite is Genmaicha a blend of green tea and roasted brown rice. The nutty aroma is irresistible and the taste is incredibly smooth. Enjoy it hot or iced.

Healthiest regards,

Dr. Carlos