Anyone drink green tea?

[KarenB]

I have read and heard that green tea is so good for you. I decided to give it a try as I popped into the grocery store this morning. Well, there are so many kinds, flavors, and brands my head was spinning. I ended up getting a small box of "Authentic" Green Tea. I have water heating now to give it a try.

If you drink green tea, what do you recommend? I would probably want the tea in bags for now instead of loose. I would drink it hot (with a small amount of sugar?) I am more of a coffee drinker and would drink tea if I had a moment at work or in the evenings.

Thanks,
Karen

 

[golfgal]

I started drinking it a couple weeks ago after reading here that there is something in coffee that prevents you from losing weight. I have no idea if that is true but I have read many articles that says Green Tea is good for you. I am giving it a try.

I have tried Bigalow and Celestial Seasonings and I like the Celestial Seasonings better.

 

[ChrisnSteph]

I use the tea bags, and I drink it both hot and cold. Green tea is bitter, so you will probably want to sweeten it with some sugar or honey. It's not the best tasting tea out there, but drinking several cups of it a day is very good for you.

 

[KarenB]

Well, it's not too bad. I added a bit of sugar. I could easily drink a few cups a day. I don't think I could take the "flavored" kinds though.

But now where does Chai Tea come into the picture?

 

[MinnieM21]

I drink green tea everyday. It is very good for you since it contains antioxidants. I have a kidney disease and my kidney specialist recommends drinking it.

I use the tea bags and drink it hot. I add Equal to mine (which isn't so good for you though). I'd recommend adding a small amount of sugar or maybe even honey.

 

[bigolive9]

i like green tea with a little bit of honey and sugar. it sweetens it enough for me to drink it. Chai tea has some Indian spices- I don't know much about it, but I tried it once and didn't like the taste.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I will NEVER drink green tea.

It has very very high levels of fluoride.
Then, when brewed with flouridated water, multiply that ten times.
It also contains aluminum.
Fluoride and aluminum together are a toxic brew!!!!

I know that green tea is supposed to have an antioxidant. And, it is the latest big fad/craze. But, do a little research. Find out the truth. It can be toxic.

Many thyroid patients already know that they should avoid this. I personally know people who have thyroid disease, toxic levels of aluminum, and many other problems. etc... It can be hazardous to drink too much tea.

And, you know what the real kicker is? One very well known health site recently had the gall to have a front-page promotion, saying that the antioxidant in green tea may be beneficial for alzheimers. HELLO, aluminum and flouride are actually known to be huge factors in alzheimers disease!!!!

Anything will be promoted for the almighty buck.

I don't care what antioxidant may be found in green tea. I will never drink it.

PS: minnie... these compounds are also known to be detrimental to the kidneys.

 

[golfgal]

I will NEVER drink green tea.

It has very very high levels of fluoride.
Then, when brewed with flouridated water, multiply that ten times.
It also contains aluminum.
Fluoride and aluminum together are a toxic brew!!!!

I know that green tea is supposed to have an antioxidant. And, it is the latest big fad/craze. But, do a little research. Find out the truth. It can be toxic.

Many thyroid patients already know that they should avoid this. I personally know people who have thyroid desease, toxic levels of aluminum, and many other problems. etc... It can be hazardous to drink too much tea.

And, you know what the real kicker is? One very well known health site recently had the gall to have a front-page promotion, saying that the antioxidant in green tea may be beneficial for alzheimers. HELLO, aluminum and flouride are actually known to be huge factors in alzheimers desease!!!!

Anything will be promoted for the almighty buck.

I don't care what antioxidant may be found in green tea. I will never drink it.

Do you have links to back up your information? What about Green tea is bad for thyroid paitents?

 

[LoveWDW]

I've been drinking decaf green tea because of the antioxidents. I don't add sweeteners, but I don't add sweeteners to coffee or regular tea either. There should be some non-flavored green teas in your grocery store.

I like chai, but the kinds I've tried have cloves- which I am allergic to.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I will not get into any personal discourse, and risk derailing this thread, and being flamed. This is something personal that folks need to look into for themselves.

I did feel compelled to put out a big FYI.

There is a lot of information out there. Start doing some Yahoo or Google searches. Fluoride - Tea - Aluminum - etc...

 

[DisTeach1]

I like Green Tea, but am more interested in finding out if drinking coffee prevents weight loss. I know Dr. Perricone says that, but is it really true? I don't know if I could give up coffee.

 

[Christine]

If you're going to drink a lot of green tea, just realize that it does have a good bit of caffeine in it (it is not like herbal tea). Not as much as coffee, of course, but a few cups in the evening could keep you up at night.

 

[KarenB]

Wishing on a star-thanks for the heads up. I did a few searches (disadvantages, hazards, etc of green tea) and all I could find is information stating that yes there is caffine in it, it stains, the flavor may not be suitable for certain tastes, something about it being difficult to strain if using loose tea, and a warning that the advantages will not happen immediately. While I appreciate your information, we don't have flourine in our water, and I won't be drinking massive quantities of it. I believe that with all the information in today's high tech world, we can find fault or hazards in everything.

Karen

 

[Wishing on a star]

Do some searches on the specific hazards...

fluoride green tea aluminum etc....

The info is there...

 

[Talking Hands]

I have been drinking green tea for over 50 years now with no ill effects. Drink it hot with no sweeteners like it is supposed to be. Of course, I lived in Japan when I started drinking it. I would never buy it in a regular grocery but buy it at an Asian grocery. Brew it in a proper tea pot too. Ceramic not metal. Boil water, rinse pot, pour out, add tea ball and then boiling water and let seep a few minutes to your taste.

 

[BWVDenise]

I was just heating up some water to have a cup when I found this thread. I only drink one cup a day, if that. I'll have to look into the negative health affects.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Here is some basic information, from the well know system about.com

Notice the known affects of flouride/aluminum (found in high quantities in green tea) on the thyroid, kidneys, and brain.

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Toothpaste, beverages, processed food, fresh fruits and vegetables, vitamins and mineral supplements all contribute to the intake of fluoride. It is now estimated that the total amount of fluoride ingested per day is 8 mg/day, eight times the optimum levels.

.........

Aluminum compounds are frequently added to the water supply as clarifying agents. On its own, aluminum is not readily absorbed by the body, however, when fluoride is present, the two form aluminum-fluoride, which is easily absorbed. A long term study published in 1988 found that even low levels of aluminum-fluoride in drinking water delivered more aluminum to the brain than concentrated aluminum fluoride. The same study found that low levels of aluminum fluoride and sodium fluoride found in "optimally" fluoridated water cause severe kidney damage and lesions to the brain similar to those found in Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. Dr. Robert Isaacson, State University of New York, found that when aluminum fluoride is added to the food of rats, the rats developed short-term memory problems, smell sensory loss and other characteristics of Alzheimer's disease. (Isaacson, R. "Rat studies link brain cell damage with aluminum and fluoride in water" State Univ. of New York, Binghampton, NY, Wall Street Journal article by Marilyn Chase; Oct. 28, 1992, p. B-6).

What are the Thyroid-Specific Concerns?

Is fluoride in part the reason for near epidemic levels of hypothyroidism in the United States? Some experts and researchers believe this is the case.

Fluoride had been used for decades as an effective anti-thyroid medication to treat hyperthyroidism and was frequently used at levels below the current "optimal" intake of 1 mg/day. This is due to the ability of fluoride to mimic the action of thyrotropin (TSH). It makes sense, then that out of the over 150 symptoms and associations of hypothyroidism, almost all are also symptoms of fluoride poisoning.

Researcher and advocate Andreas Schuld has also found that excess of fluoride correlates with other thyroid-related issues such as iodine deficiency. Fluoride and iodine, both being members of the halogens group of atoms, have an antagonistic relationship. When there is excess of fluoride in the body it can interfere with the function of the thyroid gland. It is possible that iodine deficiency, which is the most common cause of brain damage and mental disability in the world, could be lessened by simply cutting back on the use of fluoride.
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[ennazus]

I love green tea for the health benefits! I've been drinking it regularly for about two years and I've really cut down the number of times I'm sick during the winter.

I drink Tazo China Green Tips Tea, Stash Fusion Green and White Tea and for loose tea I love Adiago's selections.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Here is more info re: Tea

This is from the Mercola site.

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Tea is very high in fluoride content. Fluoride in tea is much higher than the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) set for fluoride in drinking water.

Tea leaves accumulate more fluoride (from pollution of soil and air) than any other edible plant (1,2,3). Fluoride content in tea has risen dramatically over the last 20 years, as has tea consumption (4).

......

Fluoride and Aluminum in Tea

To make matters much worse for human health, fluorides in teas are found together with aluminum. The combination of aluminum and fluorides in tea is of urgent concern, due to the increased damage done by fluorides when in the presence of aluminum, especially neurological and renal damage)(17).

...

The fluoride/aluminum association is of particular importance as it relates to Alzheimer's Disease. Aluminum by itself is not readily absorbed by the body. However, in the presence of fluoride ions, the fluoride ions combine with the aluminum to form aluminum fluoride, which is absorbed by the body. In the body, the aluminum eventually combines with oxygen to form aluminum oxide or alumina (53). Alumina is the compound of aluminum that is found in the brains of Alzheimer's disease.

In the brain, protein binds to the alumina, and "that is the key to the plaques and tangles which are the hallmarks of this terrible disease" (54). In a study by Dr. Robert Isaacson at the State University of New York, aluminum fluoride was added to the rats diet. This, contrary to normal expectations, passed through the brain barrier and gave the rats short term memory, smell sensory loss, unsteady gait, and loss of structures of the neo-cortex and hippocampus, all symptoms of Alzheimer's.(53,54,55,56) A Varner and Jensen study conducted with Isaacson confirmed this in 1998.(57)


There are hundreds of G protein-coupled receptors. (60) The thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor is also coupled to the G protein. The TSH receptor is densely expressed in the thyroid gland and mediates the production and secretion of thyroid hormones. (61) To presume that the fluoroaluminate will not interfere here is simply naive.

There have been hundreds of scientific studies using aluminum/fluoride complexes in the last ten years. A review of the literature by Strunecká and Patocka reveals that aluminofluoride complexes influence all cells and tissues of the human body with "powerful pharmacological efficacy."(62,63)

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The real evidence is out there... Just have to look for it.

 

[dumboiu]

Another view:

Tea And Fluoride

Tea Council of the USA

Statement Regarding Research Conducted at Washington University on Skeletal Fluorosis and Instant Tea

Issued January 26, 2005

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis published a study this week in the American Journal of Medicine based on a case study of a woman with skeletal fluorosis that resulted from her consuming between 37-74 mg of fluoride per day for most of her adult life. It was determined that the fluoride came from fluoridated drinking water and one to two gallons of instant tea prepared at a concentration of twice what the directions recommend (equivalent to up to four gallons per day). Following are comments from the Tea Council of the USA in response to this paper:

The average 8-ounce serving of instant tea contains 0.78 mg of fluoride. The Environmental Protection Agency has stated that, in drinking water, up to 1 mg per 8-ounce serving is a safe level for adults.

To put the study into perspective, the researchers state that, based on the EPA guidelines, it would take at least 20 milligrams of fluoride per day every day for 20 years to produce skeletal fluorosis.

Based on the preponderance of evidence from research as well as the position of leading U.S. health organizations, the Tea Council of the USA feels confident in assuring that, when consumed as part of a healthy diet, tea poses no health risks, and likely even provides health benefits.

A multitude of research studies suggest that drinking tea can be included as part of a healthy diet and may contribute to overall health. Studies have found that tea drinkers have a reduced risk of certain chronic diseases, including heart disease and some types of cancer.

The primary source of fluoride in the diet is fluoridated water, according to the American Dietetic Association. The level of fluoride in brewed or powdered teas varies with the fluoride content of the water. Additionally, brewed tea and commercially prepared foods, such as poultry products, seafood and powdered cereals, can also supply varying amounts of fluoride to the diet.

The USDA has a database on the fluoride content of Foods and Beverages:
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/Fluoride/fluoride.xls