Green Tea: Healthy & Tasty!

Want some positive nutrient support for your arthritis and its accompanying inflammation, your weight-loss effort, and your metabolism (1)? Want to reduce the breakdown of your cartilage (as in knee and spinal discs) and boost your immune system (to prevent colds and flu) and even your low blood pressure (2)? Protect against or slow the growth of certain cancers? (3) Green tea may be for you... although you are in Toronto and not Japan! Your Toronto chiropractor at Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre brings this information about the benefits of green tea to you. Talk about it at your next Toronto chiropractic visit!

WHAT IT IS

Most Toronto residents enjoy black teas. Green tea is different from the run-of-the-mill black tea and oolong tea in that green tea is not as processed. It is created from unfermented leaves which allows it to keep the highest concentration of antioxidants called polyphenols. These antioxidants fight the free radicals, those compounds that alter and damage cells. They may even lead to health problems like cancer and heart disease and contribute to the aging process. (1) You get the idea. Free radicals are bad. Antioxidants are good. So let’s get back to green tea. It's full of good antioxidant polyphenols... and alkaloids (caffeine, theobromine, theophylline) and the amino acid, L-theanine, which calms the nervous system. (1) Buy some green tea next time you're out shopping in Toronto, and try it!

FORMS

Now green tea comes in a couple forms: the green tea leaves which are soaked for beverages or in powdered form for capsules or in skin products or even for cooking. ("Matcha" or "maccha" is fine ground, shade-grown green tea. (4,5) It can be bought or made. If you have green tea leaves, just smash them in a grinder. Then, cook away! The honeysuckle green tea cake is appealing and delicious! (6))

Green tea is also available in decaffeinated form.

HOW TO TAKE IT

For adults, green tea is safe in moderation. Two to 3 cups of green tea a day gives about 240 to 320 mg polyphenols. Taking 100-750 mg a day of standardized green tea extract works well. Check the brand of tea to confirm what you may get from their tea. (1) Make some green tea ice cream (7) or a refreshing green tea and honeydew granita (8) with green tea powder, and enjoy!

Green tea is beneficial. Don't go overboard. Just try it and see how you like it. Talk with your Toronto chiropractor first. The best time to do that is at your next chiropractic appointment at Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre, so call 416-928-0003 today or contact the office by email to set that up! To your health...