| No doubt you've heard of Green Tea and the | | | | With my third child, I discovered Green Tea and |
| health benefits you can experience from drinking | | | | noticed that when I drank it, not only did it ease |
| it. | | | | the nausea, but it seemed to have a mildly |
| Are you giving your family this powerful | | | | stimulating effect on my appetite and it helped |
| antioxidant daily? | | | | me keep the food that I ate down. My guess is |
| Here is a refresher on some of the benefits you | | | | that the astringent effect of the polyphenols |
| can experience with Green Tea. | | | | caused this. |
| Historically, Green Tea has been one of the | | | | Historically Green Tea has been used as a |
| world's most popular beverages. The Chinese | | | | digestive aid. That can certainly be helpful to a |
| have been drinking it for thousands of years. It is | | | | pregnant woman. |
| now the second most popular beverage in the | | | | *Natural energy boost |
| world, after water! | | | | Again, I could find no studies that proved this, but |
| Green tea is made from the Camellia Sinensis | | | | I drink Green Tea primarily for the natural energy |
| plant...as is black tea. The difference is that Green | | | | boost it gives me, without any unpleasant side |
| Tea is unfermented, which means that the | | | | effects. I used to drink a coffee in the afternoon, |
| powerful antioxidant properties are fully intact. | | | | get shaky and hyper, only to crash later on. |
| The power of Green Tea lies in its catechin | | | | Green Tea doesn't cause those unpleasant side |
| polyphenols, particularly something called | | | | effects, and it also gives me the same feeling of |
| epigallocatechin gallate (say that 5 times fast!). | | | | "clearing the cobwebs" from my brain. |
| EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: not only does it | | | | What Mom doesn't need this? |
| inhibit the growth of tumors, it kills cancer cells | | | | *Lowers the risk of blood clots |
| without harming healthy tissue. | | | | Green tea has been shown to be effective in |
| Green Tea has been reported to: | | | | preventing abnormal clotting of blood, which is |
| *Assist in weight loss. | | | | especially important during pregnancy. |
| According to a a study conducted at the | | | | Green tea is non-toxic and safe. It doesn't cause |
| University of Geneva in Switzerland, Green Tea | | | | birth defects and has no adverse affect on |
| seems to help the body burn more calories. | | | | pregnancy or breastfeeding. |
| Green Tea also slows down the release of | | | | In fact, a study conducted at Kaiser Permanente |
| carbohydrate in the body, preventing sharp rises | | | | Medical Care Program of Northern California, |
| in blood sugar. | | | | researchers found that women who drank more |
| I know a couple who lost ten pounds each in the | | | | than one half cup of green tea every day doubled |
| first few weeks after drinking Green Tea every | | | | their odds of conceiving. |
| day, with no other changes in their diet. | | | | No significant association was found for other |
| *Boosts the immune system. | | | | beverages, researchers concluded that some |
| Green Tea is one of the most potent antioxidants | | | | chemical component of tea might have been |
| available. It also contains some vitamins and | | | | responsible for the increase in fertility. |
| minerals. Green Tea lowers the risk of cancer. | | | | Green Tea Benefits Kids! |
| In 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer | | | | *Helps prevent tooth decay |
| Institute published the results of an epidemiological | | | | Green Tea can kill the bacteria that causes plaque. |
| study indicating that drinking Green Tea reduced | | | | Does your child's juice do that? |
| the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and | | | | Having a hard time getting your kid to eat his |
| women by nearly sixty percent. University of | | | | veggies? |
| Purdue researchers recently concluded that a | | | | A cup of Green Tea has more antioxidant ability |
| compound in Green Tea inhibits the growth of | | | | than a cup of broccoli or spinach! |
| cancer cells. | | | | *Helps prevent illness |
| A study in September 1997 by the University of | | | | Previous tests prove Green Tea can neutralize |
| Kansas reported that Green Tea has the highest | | | | germs, including some that cause diarrhea, |
| amount of any known antioxidant. EGCG (that | | | | pneumonia, cystitis and skin infections. |
| tongue twisting antioxidant found in Green Tea) is | | | | New research by Milton Schiffenbauer of Pace |
| 100 times more effective than Vitamin C, and | | | | University finds that Green Tea deactivates |
| twice as powerful as resveratrol (the antioxidant | | | | viruses. |
| in red wine). | | | | Recent research at Harvard indicated that tea |
| *Lowers cholesterol | | | | chemicals stimulated T-cells that bolster immunity |
| University of California scientists discovered that | | | | against bacteria and viruses. |
| the caffeine in coffee is bound with coffee bean | | | | Would fewer illnesses make life more pleasant in |
| oils, which raise cholesterol levels. | | | | your home? |
| In contrast, research indicates that drinking Green | | | | *Ok, so why aren't you drinking Green Tea |
| Tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as | | | | already? |
| improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to | | | | If you're like me, it's because the Green Tea |
| bad (LDL) cholesterol. | | | | you've tried tastes terrible. I've tried many brands |
| Green Tea Benefits Moms | | | | that reminded me of diaper rash ointment...no I'm |
| *Helps with morning sickness | | | | not kidding! |
| There are no studies that confirm this, this is a | | | | My favorite brand of Green Tea is manufactured |
| personal observation. | | | | by Sunrider International. (For more information |
| I had severe, prolonged morning sickness with all | | | | visit My kids and picky husband even love it. |
| 3 of my pregnancies. | | | | Here's to your health! |