What are some benefits of drinking green tea?

What are the benefits of drinking green tea? Is Crystal Light Green Tea just as good as others?

• Answer:

  Green tea possesses compounds that may provide powerful protection against several cancers and, possibly, heart disease. Studies indicate that it also fights infection and promotes longevity. You can get the benefits of green tea either by taking green tea capsules or tablets, or by drinking several cups of the brew each day. Your aim should be to get 240 to 320 mg of polyphenols. When using supplements, buy those standardized to contain at least 50% polyphenols. At this concentration, two 250 mg supplements would provide 250 mg of polyphenols. Studies show that four cups of freshly brewed green tea also supply a recommended amount of polyphenols. Guidelines for use: Take green tea supplements at meals with a full glass of water. Drink freshly brewed green tea on its own or with meals. To make tea, use 1 teaspoon of green tea leaves per cup of very hot water. Let the brew steep for three to five minutes; then strain and drink it. Green tea leaves contain hefty amounts of vitamin K, but a cup of brewed tea or green tea supplements have virtually none. This means that people taking anticoagulant drugs for heart disease (who may have been told to avoid large servings of foods rich in vitamin K because of the vitamin's influence on blood clotting) can enjoy green tea with no fear of side effects. Possible Side Effects - Green tea is very safe, both as a supplement and as a beverage. People who are sensitive to caffeine, however, may not want to drink too much green tea, because each cup contains about 40 mg of caffeine. (Indeed, for this reason, pregnant women and those who are breast-feeding should limit their consumption to two cups a day.) Green tea supplements, however, have very little caffeine. The recommended dose of green tea supplements provides the same amount of polyphenols as four cups of green tea, but generally contains only 5 to 6 mg of caffeine.