The Good in Green Tea

An article from Parade

A cup of tea runneth over with health benefits. The antioxidants it contains—called catechins—a ppear to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and retard the development of arteriosclerosis by promoting dilation of the blood vessels and facilitating blood flow. They also may prevent the buildup of plaques in the brain, linked to Alzheimer’s. Green tea may even help you lose weight. (New metabolism-boosting energy drinks have added green tea extract.)

But scientists are perplexed by the fact that England, a nation of tea-drinkers, doesn’t report the same health benefits as other high tea-consuming nations. One recent theory: The British often add milk to tea, which may negate some of its benefits. A small study from Germany suggests that the culprit may be caseins, a group of proteins in milk, which interact with the tea to lower the concentration of catechins.

Since green tea drinkers usually don’t add milk, these findings apply primarily to those who prefer black tea. You still can drink tea with lemon, but lighten up on the milk.

Photograph extracted from TrekEarth