Drink to Your Health

As a writer, I find myself asking questions I would like to know the answers to all the time.  Just the other day I was enjoying my Sobe Green Tea (delicious) and wondered if green tea really improves your health.  Since I was sneezy and snotty, I decided it'd be something worth looking into before the cold weather rolled in.

After some extensive research I discovered that drinking 3-5 cups of green tea a day can improve your chances of not getting diseases and sicknesses such as cancer.  Of course as a journalist I had to find out why that is.

 According to registered dietician and author of "Green Tea: The Natural Secret to a Healthier Life" Nadine Taylor, M.S., R.D., green tea has an abundance of catechin polyphenols.  I, of course, had no idea what that is, but I discovered that there is a certain kind called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that is the Thor of anti-oxidants.  This little doohickey inhibits and kills cancer cells without hurting you! Who knew green tea could do all of that?

Due to the wonderful anti-oxidant found in green tea, the beverage can also lower cholesterol levels and prevent blood clots from forming.  This in turn is better for your heart and body in all aspects.

Delving further into research I learned that other teas are good for you as well, but green tea is particularly healthier for you because of the way it is made. 

" 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," said Taylor.

I got way more than I bargained for finding this informational source.  I also learned that green tea is good for your diet, but I'm not one of those people that has the discipline to stick to a diet of any kind so I moved on. 

Since drinking tea seems easy enough to reduce the risk of Cancer, I decided I should make an effort to at least do that much for myself.  After learning all this cool stuff about green tea, I managed to find another question that needed answering.

What kind of Green Tea should I drink?

I know that there are two types of tea in most people's eyes, brewed and boiled tea, and already bottled tea which goes alone with pour and shake tea.  I got to wondering if my Sobe Green Tea had the same healthy benefits as the brewed tea.

Fortunately enough for me I found another helpful article titled "Best Green Tea To Drink
4 Studies Reveal Healthiest Brands."  I discovered that my delicious Sobe was not in the top 5 healthiest teas, but these are:

·         Best Green Tea #1:  Regular Green Tea

·         Best Green Tea #2:  Celestial Seasoning Authentic

                                        Green Tea (Lipton and Uncle Lee)

·         Best Green Tea #3:  Stash Darjeeling Organic Green Tea

·         Best Tea #4: Loose  Green Tea

·         Best Green Tea #5:  Dragon Well Green Tea

I was so excited to hear that Lipton made the list because I was not planning on brewing my own tea.  To make it even more convenient, Lipton sells their green tea in many different flavors and already bottled.  If you really decide to make a habit out of this green tea drinking, Lipton also has the to-go packs that you just pour into your water bottle and shake anywhere you are.  They fit in your purse, pocket, car or anywhere else you decide to stash.  I'm going to kill some Cancer cells and hopefully will be in touch with the next couple hubs about how well it goes.