Green tea prevents cancer, but what type of tea?

[traditional_woman]

Studies have proven that green and black tea can decrease the risk of cancers by 37% and 50% in other types of cancers. I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty promising. I already drink about 1-2 cups of regular tea, but it's the bottled sweetened kind. Does anyone know if the sugar cancels out the properties that's supposed to prevent it in the first place? Does anyone know if it has to be the actual tea bag?

[Samm]

I am not much of a tea drinker anymore, but my wife works in a coffee/tea store and is a "healthy eater" and an avid tea drinker. I believe in general, you should use loose or bagged green tea not the bottled drinks. Look at the ingredient label... there is all sorts of crap in a lot of those tea drinks besides sugar. If they are "pure" they may be as good as loose tea, but I really don't know.

And I suggest using agave nectar or honey as a sweetener rather than sugar or any of the artificial stuff.

[natalie addict]

Studies have proven that green and black tea can decrease the risk of cancers by 37% and 50% in other types of cancers. I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty promising. I already drink about 1-2 cups of regular tea, but it's the bottled sweetened kind. Does anyone know if the sugar cancels out the properties that's supposed to prevent it in the first place? Does anyone know if it has to be the actual tea bag?

But what kind of cancer? I know any kind stopped would good, but any that tea is good at?

[BillBrown]

But what kind of cancer? I know any kind stopped would good, but any that tea is good at?

It's been proven to reduce esophageal cancer by 60%.
It's been shown to inhibit the growth of all cancer cells.

To sum up, here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:

* cancer
* rheumatoid arthritis
* high cholesterol levels
* cariovascular disease
* infection
*

impaired immune function...


http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm

Besides that, it's good. I lived in Tokyo for a couple of years and got addicted to it. I'd rather have it than coffee.
I have never been able to find it over here, that tastes the same as in Japan- no matter how much I paid.

[natalie addict]

How much do you have to drink a day?

[malnila]

It's been proven to reduce esophageal cancer by 60%.
It's been shown to inhibit the growth of all cancer cells.



http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm

Besides that, it's good. I lived in Tokyo for a couple of years and got addicted to it. I'd rather have it than coffee.
I have never been able to find it over here, that tastes the same as in Japan- no matter how much I paid.

I bet you can find what you want on the Internet. Are you talking about the traditional green tea like they use in tea ceremonies? That's powdered. We have a great Chinatown here and I buy different types of Chinese Green tea and most are like $5 for a box of 100 bags...great bargain.

[DLaw911]

How much do you have to drink a day?It's not how much yuo drink. It's also what else you eat and drink, and what you avoid. A person with a bad diet who drinks a ton of the best tea in the world is not going to gain much of a benefit.

[dannyg79]

I bet you can find what you want on the Internet. Are you talking about the traditional green tea like they use in tea ceremonies? That's powdered. We have a great Chinatown here and I buy different types of Chinese Green tea and most are like $5 for a box of 100 bags...great bargain.

I have always heard powdered is the best for ya too. There are some bottled that are all natural that I am sure are ok. Lipton and many of the name brand drinks have corn syrup and other things that negate most of the health benefit.

[BillBrown]

I bet you can find what you want on the Internet. Are you talking about the traditional green tea like they use in tea ceremonies? That's powdered. We have a great Chinatown here and I buy different types of Chinese Green tea and most are like $5 for a box of 100 bags...great bargain.

What I drank, over there, wasn't powdered.
They served it in a cup, without a handle, and the tea leaves were in the bottom of the cup. They were coarsely cut and looked like chopped spinach.

It had an astringent taste to it, I haven't been able to find over here.
PS- Japanese green tea is different than Chinese.

[gdoane]

Figures, my favorite kind of tea is white tea. I never catch any breaks.

I'm thinking that the benefit is more related to hydration than to the actual tea. Living in the Sonoran Desert, hydration is taken more seriously here than in a lot of other non-desert parts of the country and supposedly, if you feel thirsty, then you're already dehydrated.

Dehydration is obviously unhealthy (sometimes fatal if taken to extremes) and hydration is more healthy so I'm wondering if this research didn't just prove that people who keep their liquid intake up are healthier than those who don't.

[Seanachie]

Hello T_W,

Close to three years ago I became a teetotaler. It's just amazing to me that I acquired any knowledge of this stuff at all. My research started in searching out bulk teas. I got tired of paying supermarket prices.

A tea grown in South Africa caught my interest. It's called Rooibos or 'Redbush' in the King's English. A link to that follows;

http://lifespantea.com/Rooibos_7_Ways_Better_Than_Green_Tea.htm


The following link is for Wikipedia on tea. Interesting reading.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea

I now buy green tea in the dollar store cause it's so much cheaper. Maybe someday I'll get around to buying the stuff in bulk; especially the Rooibos because it contains no caffeine in its natural state. I Make and drink my own Ice-Tea and Samm is quite right; store bought ice-tea contains many sweeteners from sugar to corn-syrup to artificial sweeteners. I do use honey at times; but mostly brown unrefined sugar.

The most fascinating tea I ran across is 'Blooming Tea': an old Chinese method of sewing tea leaves around dried out flowers which 're-bloom' in hot water. Link to Artisan Teas follows;

http://www.artisan-tea.com/

GEESH~! I feel like such a girlie-man even writing about this stuff!

Be well Lady,

Jim

Edited to add this link to Wikipedia on tisane or herbal teas which includes the Rooibos I mentioned earlier:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbal_tea

Rhet told me last year she had some Redbush in Africa some years ago and didn't care for it. But that may be because she has no use for decaffeinated beverages.

[traditional_woman]

But what kind of cancer? I know any kind stopped would good, but any that tea is good at?

All kinds, by 37-50% depending on the type. Here is a link about the extract but it applies to green tea as well.

http://health.learninginfo.org/green-tea-extract.htm

[traditional_woman]

Figures, my favorite kind of tea is white tea. I never catch any breaks.

I'm thinking that the benefit is more related to hydration than to the actual tea. Living in the Sonoran Desert, hydration is taken more seriously here than in a lot of other non-desert parts of the country and supposedly, if you feel thirsty, then you're already dehydrated.

Dehydration is obviously unhealthy (sometimes fatal if taken to extremes) and hydration is more healthy so I'm wondering if this research didn't just prove that people who keep their liquid intake up are healthier than those who don't.

White tea was mentioned as beneficial too, but i don't know if it's lower on the totem poll.

[Samm]

But what kind of cancer? I know any kind stopped would good, but any that tea is good at?

I think most forms of cancer... green tea is an antioxidant, like cranberry juice. I don't know what clinical studies have been done, but I think intestinal and organ cancers are at the top of the list for prevention by food based antioxidants.

[traditional_woman]

Hello T_W,

Close to three years ago I became a teetotaler. It's just amazing to me that I acquired any knowledge of this stuff at all. My research started in searching out bulk teas. I got tired of paying supermarket prices.

A tea grown in South Africa caught my interest. It's called Rooibos or 'Redbush' in the King's English. A link to that follows;

http://lifespantea.com/Rooibos_7_Ways_Better_Than_Green_Tea.htm


The following link is for Wikipedia on tea. Interesting reading.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea

I now buy green tea in the dollar store cause it's so much cheaper. Maybe someday I'll get around to buying the stuff in bulk; especially the Rooibos because it contains no caffeine in its natural state. I Make and drink my own Ice-Tea and Samm is quite right; store bought ice-tea contains many sweeteners from sugar to corn-syrup to artificial sweeteners. I do use honey at times; but mostly brown unrefined sugar.

The most fascinating tea I ran across is 'Blooming Tea': an old Chinese method of sewing tea leaves around dried out flowers which 're-bloom' in hot water. Link to Artisan Teas follows;

http://www.artisan-tea.com/

GEESH~! I feel like such a girlie-man even writing about this stuff!

Be well Lady,

Jim

Edited to add this link to Wikipedia on tisane or herbal teas which includes the Rooibos I mentioned earlier:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbal_tea

Rhet told me last year she had some Redbush in Africa some years ago and didn't care for it. But that may be because she has no use for decaffeinated beverages.

Thanks jim, I'm thinking i may just start taking the green tea (the kind from a health food store w/ a good track record) capsules again. I don't really care for the taste of the real green tea(bag), unless it's bottled(which means more calories) and i don't want to be taking in extra calories when i can be drinking water. I don't drink enough water as it is. I do like me some canned iced tea, it's soo good! It tastes better in the can.

[BillBrown]

Thanks jim, I'm thinking i may just start taking the green tea (the kind from a health food store w/ a good track record) capsules again. I don't really care for the taste of the real green tea(bag), unless it's bottled(which means more calories) and i don't want to be taking in extra calories when i can be drinking water. I don't drink enough water as it is. I do like me some canned iced tea, it's soo good! It tastes better in the can.

I'll try to find a link, but it's been shown that capsules don't deliver the same benefits as actually tasting the herb (in this case tea). There is a mechanism involved that they don't understand, but know it exists.

Cayenne pepper is a good example. It is one of the most beneficial herbs known. It lowers blood pressure, prevents and dissolves blood clots (preventing strokes and coronary thrombosis), and lowers cholesterol. It does almost nothing, if taken in capsule form.

Also, capsules are much more expensive than the bulk herb would be.

[Samm]

Hello T_W,

Close to three years ago I became a teetotaler. It's just amazing to me that I acquired any knowledge of this stuff at all. My research started in searching out bulk teas. I got tired of paying supermarket prices.

A tea grown in South Africa caught my interest. It's called Rooibos or 'Redbush' in the King's English. A link to that follows;

http://lifespantea.com/Rooibos_7_Ways_Better_Than_Green_Tea.htm


The following link is for Wikipedia on tea. Interesting reading.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea

I now buy green tea in the dollar store cause it's so much cheaper. Maybe someday I'll get around to buying the stuff in bulk; especially the Rooibos because it contains no caffeine in its natural state. I Make and drink my own Ice-Tea and Samm is quite right; store bought ice-tea contains many sweeteners from sugar to corn-syrup to artificial sweeteners. I do use honey at times; but mostly brown unrefined sugar.

The most fascinating tea I ran across is 'Blooming Tea': an old Chinese method of sewing tea leaves around dried out flowers which 're-bloom' in hot water. Link to Artisan Teas follows;

http://www.artisan-tea.com/

GEESH~! I feel like such a girlie-man even writing about this stuff!

Be well Lady,

Jim

Rooibos is one of my wife's favorite herbal teas. She has an intolerance for caffeine.

Jim, unrefined sugar is better than refined, but have you tried agave nectar instead of honey? I find it better than honey in tea because it dissolves much more readily and therefore doesn't leave that over-sweet "sludge" at the bottom of the cup.

[Seanachie]

Rooibos is one of my wife's favorite herbal teas. She has an intolerance for caffeine.

Jim, unrefined sugar is better than refined, but have you tried agave nectar instead of honey? I find it better than honey in tea because it dissolves much more readily and therefore doesn't leave that over-sweet "sludge" at the bottom of the cup.

Hello Samm,

Thanks for the info. I'll have to give Roobois a try. It's hard to find any beverage that doesn't have caffeine in it. The iced-tea I make is mostly for hydration purposes and caffeine defeats the purpose somewhat. I can't stand drinking plain water. I guess I don't retain it and I refuse to buy bottles of flavor infused water. Doing that just goes against my common sense. The well water here is fine enough for me but on the acidic side of neutral.

You are quite right about honey 'sludge' so I don't use it often. The 'honey-bee' situation makes it very expensive. I will definitely try the agave nectar too. Anything to make my home-made ice-tea concocktions a wee bit more tolerable is fine by me. For some reason; hot beverages just don't cut it for me.

Thank You again and be well along with your Wife,

Jim

[RTchoke]

I bet you can find what you want on the Internet. Are you talking about the traditional green tea like they use in tea ceremonies? That's powdered. We have a great Chinatown here and I buy different types of Chinese Green tea and most are like $5 for a box of 100 bags...great bargain.

I may have to look into that. We had some wonderful tea while in China and you just can't find anything similar here. We brought back one container of a rolled tea. I forget what it was now, but it's rolled into little balls. It was wonderful.

[traditional_woman]

I'll try to find a link, but it's been shown that capsules don't deliver the same benefits as actually tasting the herb (in this case tea). There is a mechanism involved that they don't understand, but know it exists.

Cayenne pepper is a good example. It is one of the most beneficial herbs known. It lowers blood pressure, prevents and dissolves blood clots (preventing strokes and coronary thrombosis), and lowers cholesterol. It does almost nothing, if taken in capsule form.

Also, capsules are much more expensive than the bulk herb would be.

Figures.

[Samm]

Hello Samm,

Thanks for the info. I'll have to give Roobois a try. It's hard to find any beverage that doesn't have caffeine in it. The iced-tea I make is mostly for hydration purposes and caffeine defeats the purpose somewhat. I can't stand drinking plain water. I guess I don't retain it and I refuse to buy bottles of flavor infused water. Doing that just goes against my common sense. The well water here is fine enough for me but on the acidic side of neutral.

You are quite right about honey 'sludge' so I don't use it often. The 'honey-bee' situation makes it very expensive. I will definitely try the agave nectar too. Anything to make my home-made ice-tea concocktions a wee bit more tolerable is fine by me. For some reason; hot beverages just don't cut it for me.

Thank You again and be well along with your Wife,

Jim

If you don't like Rooibos, bourbon has no caffeine in it and it can be drunk without sweeteners. ;)

[davetexas]

I'll try to find a link, but it's been shown that capsules don't deliver the same benefits as actually tasting the herb (in this case tea). There is a mechanism involved that they don't understand, but know it exists.

Cayenne pepper is a good example. It is one of the most beneficial herbs known. It lowers blood pressure, prevents and dissolves blood clots (preventing strokes and coronary thrombosis), and lowers cholesterol. It does almost nothing, if taken in capsule form.

Also, capsules are much more expensive than the bulk herb would be.


I take cayene regularly. It is such a rush to put a teaspoon of it in a can of tomato juice and chug it down. You can feel it going through your arms as it goes into your system.

[davetexas]

Studies have proven that green and black tea can decrease the risk of cancers by 37% and 50% in other types of cancers. I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty promising. I already drink about 1-2 cups of regular tea, but it's the bottled sweetened kind. Does anyone know if the sugar cancels out the properties that's supposed to prevent it in the first place? Does anyone know if it has to be the actual tea bag?


I would say yes. You can buy tea on ebay.

Not much difference ,if I remember correctly,in the green and black tea. i think it is the same plant,just different cuttings or ageing.

Orange peko (sp?) is the same plant too. brew some nice black tea from bulk tea,not bags,and you will never buy that bottled stuff again.

[neoINDIE]

Hey - what about GREEN BEER???

[Seanachie]

If you don't like Rooibos, bourbon has no caffeine in it and it can be drunk without sweeteners. ;)

Hello Samm,

I wouldn't know 'Jack' about this tea stuff at all if I hadn't given up all of those man-made 'Spirits'.

I'd rather rust me pipes with Rooibos flavored water than tempt the fate of waking up dead. A near death experience usually cures one of searching out another. Hopefully the final one will be quick, sublime and fatal. I'd rather not remember that last one either.

Be well Samm and enjoy that Bourbon as much as you can while you're ready, willing and able.

Jim

PS: Years ago I had many a bout with 'Yukon Jack' and his distant cousin 'Jack Daniels'. I don't remember (thankfully) ever winning a single one of them.

[ChaosControl]

Nice. Love green tea. I got to the point where I don't even need honey in it and actually like the somewhat bitter taste. :O

[malnila]

What I drank, over there, wasn't powdered.
They served it in a cup, without a handle, and the tea leaves were in the bottom of the cup. They were coarsely cut and looked like chopped spinach.

It had an astringent taste to it, I haven't been able to find over here.
PS- Japanese green tea is different than Chinese.

I know but it was suggestion only. And believe it or not, in Chinatown where I buy the bargain brand green tea bags, they also have a loose tea leaf "bar." You may want to check it out if you have a Chinatown where you live.