Green Tea Reduces Death Due to Cardiovascular Disease
September 13, 2006 by Lei
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Heather at Lively Women has been touting the health benefits of green tea for a while so I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon too. My favorite tea is Chinese oolong which is apparently somewhere between green and black in oxidation.
In the latest study from JAMA, green tea reduced the risk of death from heart attacks and stroke but, surprisingly, did not have the same effect on death from cancer.
Tea contains natural compounds called flavonoids that have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants neutralize damaging molecules that are believed to help cause heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Because green tea is less processed than black tea, it contains more of these beneficial antioxidants.
Drink up! But don’t forget that tea has caffeine too. One tea bag has about 1/4 the caffeine of a 5 oz. cup of coffee but because it’s not as harsh, it goes down easier so I always lose track. A few cups of oolong before bed is not such a great idea.
Chicago Sun-Times, September 13, 2006
Photo credit: Rob Ireton
Technorati Tags: green tea, tea, oolong, diet, food, heart, heart disease, disease, illness, health, cardiovascular disease, cvd
