Is green tea really healthy

For several years now, we’ve been hearing about how green tea can prevent many serious diseases, including cancer. As the evidence mounts, it can be hard to ignore the fact that green tea is a powerful way to protect your health. So, what is it about green tea that is creating so much attention? Well, it appears that the anti-oxidants in green tea are just as powerful as those in fruits and vegetables – possibly even more so. And, anti-oxidants are critical to preserving health and preventing disease. As we convert the foods we eat into energy, we create free radicals in our body that can damage our cells and our DNA if left unchecked. It is believed that unchecked free radicals contribute to the development of many diseases, including cancer. Anti-oxidants combat these free radicals so that they are not able to wreak such havoc on our bodies. Therefore, a diet rich in anti-oxidants is a great way to protect your health. Your best sources of anti-oxidants are fresh fruits, vegetables, and yes, green tea. The research abounds to support the fact that green tea is healthy. Here are some examples. Take a look in the March, 2004 issue of New Scientist Magazine. You’ll find numerous studies mentioned that suggest that green tea protects against many types of cancers, including lung, prostate and breast cancer. A study at Kyushu University in Japan showed that green tea slowed the growth of a certain type of human lung cancer cells. Next, visit the US National Cancer Institute’s website and review their studies. You’ll find evidence that the anti-oxidants in green tea inhibited the growth of cancer cells and reduced the number and size of tumors in animals. You can view the press release on this study here: cancer. gov/newscenter/pressreleases/tea Check out the May 2002 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. This magazine describes a Chinese study that showed that men and women who have been lifelong tea drinkers have higher bone mineral density than those who are not tea drinkers. The study involved 497 Chinese men and 540 Chinese women over the age of 30 who were asked about how much tea they drink as well as about lifestyle factors. Of the 1,037 study participants, 48.4 percent were habitual, long-term tea drinkers. The researchers found that those who had been drinking tea habitually for six to 10 years had higher bone mineral density in the lumbar spine, and those who had been drinking tea regularly for more than 10 years had higher bone mineral density in all body sites measured than study participants who didn’t drink tea regularly. This same magazine reported on another study in December of 2005 that suggested drinking just one cup a day of green or black tea may lower the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer in women by 24 percent. By drinking two or more cups each day, you can cut the risk by up to 48 percent. This study was conducted over a 15 year period by researchers at the Swedish Mammography Cohort. It’s important to report that there appears to be virtually no evidence that suggests that anything about green tea is unhealthy. Even studies which can’t necessarily support green tea health claims show that green tea has no negative effects. For example, a study conducted by Yoshitaka Tsubono, M. D., Yoshikazu Nishino, M. D., Shoko Komatsu, M. D., Chung-Cheng Hsieh, Sc. D., Seiki Kanemura, M. D., Ichiro Tsuji, M. D., Haruo Nakatsuka, Ph. D., Akira Fukao, M. D., Hiroshi Satoh, M. D., and Shigeru Hisamichi, M. D. could find no link between consumption of green tea and gastric cancer. The study did not find any increased protection among those who consistently drink green tea, but it also did not find any health risks associated with large green tea consumption. So, in light of all the evidence, it seems that adding green tea to your diet is a wise choice. While we still need to do more research on the subject, there certainly is reason to believe that green tea is a powerful tool for protecting your health. In addition, there’s reason to believe that green tea’s effects may be more prevalent on certain types of cancers, and less prevalent on others. And, even if it turns out that green tea doesn’t prevent serious diseases – there is compelling evidence that green tea is healthy. Green tea can support healthy teeth, and slows down the aging process, just as any other food rich in anti-oxidants. Plus, there is also research that suggests that green tea may speed up metabolism and help you maintain a healthy weight. As you can see – you have nothing to lose. Even if green tea doesn’t make you live to an old age with no serious illnesses, it won’t hurt you. So, go make a cup of green tea. There’s little doubt that it will do something good for your body.

Viansa winery reaches out to indy racing crowd

If horse racing is the sport of kings, then car racing could conceivably be dubbed the sport of the average Joe. Traditionally, events like the Indianapolis 500 are accustomed to selling more beer and hot dogs than Starbucks coffee and veggie burgers, but times are changing and so is the motor sporting crowd. According to a research study conducted by Nielsen Media Research for the Indianapolis Racing League - the governing body of the open-wheel racing series that counts the Indy 500 as its centerpiece - the average racing fan is 39 years old, college-educated and has a median household income of $81,000 or more. This indicates that the face of motor sports fans in general, and specifically the Indy Car series, may be changing. To this end, the IRL is catering to its growing fan base by providing not only traditional fare, such as hamburgers and sodas, but also treating fans to a fine-dining experience by offering more upscale cuisine. Through gourmet "kitchens on wheels," or mobile restaurants as they are more commonly called, chefs prepare lavish meals for drivers, crew members, team guests, and of course fans, at select tracks across the U. S. The most recent racetrack to accommodate this change was the Miami-Dade Motor Speedway earlier this year. Supporting this trend are companies like Viansa Winery and Marketplace. The winery, based in Sonoma, Calif., is attempting to appeal to motor sports' wine fans with its sponsorship of the Vision Racing Team. Members of the Tuscan Club, Viansa's wine and food club, have been invited to attend the racing events as guests of the company. Vision Racing was formed early last year when IRL founder Tony George purchased the assets of Kelley Racing from Tom Kelley. Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey is a co-owner of the team.

Fruit juices a healthy delicious alternative to soda

For anyone trying to maintain a healthy diet, soda is one of the worst things that you can put in your body. It is full of sugar, in addition to other chemicals that do nothing but harm your body. So if you want to lose weight and keep it off, you should start thinking about cutting soda from your diet. One option is to replace it with fruit juice. Whenever you feel the urge to drink soda, just throw back a cup of fruit juice. It will probably have almost as much sugar, but you replace harmful chemicals with beneficial vitamins. Sometimes you can find a fruit juice that will combat other health problems. Grape juice is said to prevent blood clots. Urinary tract infections can be battled by cranberry juice. Pomegranate juice can clear your arteries. To choose which juice you are going to drink, you should first look for something colorful, with a purple, red, or blue color. These have anthocyanins, which are beneficial antioxidants. You should also look for juice where you can see sediments in the bottom of the bottle, since this means that the whole fruit has been used in making the juice. Scientists say it’s more beneficial to eat a fruit than it is to drink it, but if you insist on juice then you might as well get as close as possible to the real thing. There are hundreds of different juice options, from domestic apple and grape juice, to exotic noni or goji juice. The best thing you can do is simply try out a few different juices, and research their effects on the body. Then you can decide on one that will be beneficial for you. But if you are replacing excessive amounts of soda, then almost anything is a step up on the healthiness level.