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Health 52
Info Tip:
Green Tea
The health benefits of green tea have long been recognized in Chinese
medicine. The antioxidant properties that help strengthen the immune system
and prevent heart disease have boosted worldwide popularity of green tea in
recent years.
Green tea and traditional black tea come from the same plant. The difference
is in how the leaves are processed. Unlike black tea, in green tea the
leaves are not fermented; they are steamed or roasted quickly after harvest
so the natural chemicals remain intact.
These chemicals are believed to ward off harmful bacteria and inhibit the
growth of cancer. The National Cancer Institute says that catechins, the
antioxidants found in tea, are released when tea is steeped in hot water for
about five minutes.
Instant iced tea, on the other hand, contains negligible amounts of these
antioxidants, and adding milk to green tea may negate some of the beneficial
effects.
By the way, green tea contains caffeine, but not nearly as much as black tea
or coffee. And herbal teas, naturally without caffeine, are technically not
tea at all, but are made from the leaves of various plants.
Sources: National Cancer Institute, Harney and Sons, mothernature.com
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