Thinking about going green? Start with the tea in your cup.
Green tea is rich in immune-boosting antioxidants, plant substances that help neutralize free radicals. These are the harmful particles that can damage cells and DNA, cause inflammation, and lead to a variety of illnesses including cancer and heart disease. Specifically, green tea, which undergoes less fermentation during processing than other varieties, contains high levels of the polyphenol antioxidants known as catechins.
How much green tea do you need to reap the antioxidant rewards? In some cases, it could be as little as one cup a day. Here are 10 ways green tea is brewing health benefits:
Cancer
The risk of lung cancer appears to be five times lower for those who drink just one cup of green tea a day, according to a Taiwanese study. “The antioxidants may inhibit tumor growth,” I-Hsin Lin, of Taiwan’s Chung Shan Medical University, tells WebMD. Other studies link higher consumption of green tea with lower risk of numerous other cancers, including breast, stomach, skin, oral, esophageal, prostate, uterine, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer.
