Relax with an aromatic cup of green tea each day. The healthiest brands of green tea, which grow on an evergreen tree (Latin word is carmellia sinensis), are those that are organic. If the plant is grown organically, there are no pesticides or synthetic fertilizer used. Therefore, there is nothing in the leaves other than the flavor and nutrients of the plant.

The reason green tea has adopted its name is because the leaves are steamed when they are processed. This minimizes oxidation, which retains nutrients, color and taste. The best green tea has bright green leaves and does not taste bitter. The tea leaf is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols. Up to 30 percent of polyphenols exist in the dry leaf weight. Polyphenols are a group of chemicals known as catechins.

The most powerful catechin found in green is called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is more potent as an antioxidant than vitamins C and E. Antioxidants help the body fight off disease resulting from germs and pollutants in the air that we breathe and the food that we eat. The Chinese have long recognized the medicinal properties found in tea.

Studies have shown that EGCG kills cancer cells and stops cancer cell growth. EGCG can lower LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol), overall cholesterol levels, and can prevent the formation of blood clots which cause heart attacks and strokes. Other health benefits of green tea include its ability to help dieters burn more calories. It also helps improve mental alertness and can even prevent tooth decay by killing the bacteria that cause plaque which fastens on the tooth surface.

Green tea is one of the most beneficial beverages, aside from water, that you can drink. So take the advice from the old Chinese proverb, “better to be deprived of food for three days than teas for one,” and drink to your health!