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Green tea and healthy agingGreen tea and your brainTurn on your kettle to lower your risk of dying from a stroke by up to 42%. In a large study of women, those who sipped at least five cups of green tea daily had a 42 percent lower risk of death due to stroke vs. those who drank less than one cup a day. Five cups per day seems a lot, but remember that it is traditionally made very weak Another study showed that older people who drank at least 2 cups of antioxidant-rich green tea per day were 50 percent less likely to develop cognitive impairment vs. those who drank 3 or fewer cups per week. Other proven ways to keep your brain sharp include exercising it regularly with puzzles, learning virtually anything, and problem solving Creaking knees?Potent compounds in green tea - EGCG and ECG - can help you avoid knee pain and keep your joints healthy. A green-tea devotee is more likely to have youthful knees from the powerful flavonoids being sipped. The catechins EGCG and ECG found in green tea help reduce inflammation, and also cartilage and collagen destruction in arthritic joints, preventing both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis Other research shows that just two cups per day dramatically reduces the risk of dying from heart disease. The reason is not entirely clear, but it is probably because of the artery-friendly polyphenols in green tea Skin careUse the remaining tea in your pot or cup on your skin. Dab it on with a swab or cloth. Green tea is a fantastic antioxidant moisturiser, and costs almost nothing compared to others in the shops How to make the best cup of green teaMost herbal teas and common black tea should be prepared with boiling water, but with green tea it is important not to scald the delicate phytonutrients. The best water temperature for green tea is about 160-180 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don't have a thermometer, simply boil the water then remove it from the heat source and wait for a minute. The steeping time is also important for the most flavorful and beneficial cup. Herbal teas need steeping for 5 to 20 minutes depending on the herb, and black teas for 2 to 6 minutes according to taste. However this is too long for delicate green tea and may affect its flavour and potency. Green tea should be steeped for only 2 to 3 minutes. Traditionally, green tea is made very weak - just a pinch in a whole pot of tea Reference: Catechins from green tea (Camellia sinensis) inhibit bovine and human cartilage proteoglycan and type II
collagen degradation in vitro. Adcocks, C., Collin, P., Buttle, D. J., Journal of Nutrition 2002 Mar;132(3):341-346. |