Thursday, October 16, 2008

News Flash: My Tea is GReeN!


I'm not the kind of person who loves to drink water. In fact I hate it. But I do know that water is good for the health and in my case I need water in my body! So, I have been trying for weeks to drink at least 8 glasses of water everyday. Have I been successful? No! A big NO! So there, I failed. I just can't do it! Everytime I'm on my 5th glass already, its starting to give me this weird feeling, as if I have a mini waterpool inside my belly and all the water would just flush out of my mouth. Geesh, I hate that feeling.
So instead of taking 8 glasses of water, I've decided why not take at least 3 glasses of water, then 1 to 2 cups of green tea, then another 3 glasses of water; and it would still give me a total of 8 glasses a day. Anyway, green tea has water in it right, right? It's been five days so far and I'm loving it. I think I have a new addiction, Green Tea, that is. Too bad Sweets don't likey it, I think he said it was the smell or the taste. I like the one from Twinings - Green Tea with Jasmine. Prefer to use tea bags instead of those powdered ones. I don't know I just think that the powdered ones has a lot of preservatives. Sweets also told me that Green tea can be used to lose weight. He have this weight loss recipe wherein you have to add cinnamon and honey with your green tea. He said it tastes awful but effective. Maybe that's why he no likey the tea. Hmmm, weight loss, hmmm...if it helps with weight loss, then, this must be perfect for me! haha! BUT, before you react my dear readers, yes I know, I know that "exercise" is what I need. Got! Comprende!
So, since I'm done with my work (earlier than usual) I've been doing some research about it. This is an article I found at http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm
The Miracle of Green Tea
To sum up, here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:
cancer
rheumatoid arthritis
high cholesterol levels
cariovascular disease
infection
impaired immune function
What makes green tea so special?
The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.
Links are being made between the effects of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." For years, researchers were puzzled by the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers.
Why don't other Chinese teas have similar health-giving properties? Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way it is processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are made from fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG being converted into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various diseases.
Other Benefits
New evidence is emerging that green tea can even help dieters. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.
Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market.

Harmful Effects?
To date, the only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine. However, green tea contains less caffeine than coffee: there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee.

7 comments:

  1. I agree I hate water too green tea gets me by

    ReplyDelete
  2. sosyal! kala ko kung sinong colline hihiih! although nagka idea na ako. i dunno that u blog. link kita later ahihi :D link moko ha! :) tsup!

    ReplyDelete
  3. cool blog. luv it. :O

    ReplyDelete
  4. sure girl.. add kita.. hehehe.. pati dito.. nagkita tayo.. hehehe.. miss ya too.. syempre.. ang adik sa picture.. adik at adik parin.. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Collin,

    Thanks for the infos about Green Tea, I know it's healthy to drink green tea, unfortunately, I am not a tea lover (except iced tea) like your Sweets.

    ReplyDelete
  6. hi there pretty colline! kita ko blog mo kay hannah hehehe

    /dylan
    http://picturesnmore.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

PinkChinadoll's bookshelf: read

Up to Me
Wallbanger
Wanted
The Secret of Ella and Micha
The Marriage Mistake
The Marriage Trap
Fallen Too Far
Unlikely Allies
Ride with Me
Graffiti Moon
Teach Me
Almost
Graffiti Moon
Love's Rhythm
The Edge of Never
My Life Next Door
Hopeless
The Marriage Bargain
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Losing It


PinkChinadoll's favorite books »