Green tea is as famous for its potential health benefits as its vibrant color.
The beverage has been around for millennia, used for hydration, ceremony and medicinal purposes, with researchers calling it “the second most popular drink in the world besides water.”
Most recently, green tea has developed a reputation as a superfood and health elixir, with claims that it can impact everything from heart disease and cancer risk to weight loss. But is that true?
Just drinking tea in general is a healthy habit, especially if it’s a replacement for sugary drinks, says dietitian Teresa Fung, Sc.D., co-chair of the department of nutrition at Simmons University in Boston and an adjunct professor at the Harvard School of Public Health.
“Tea itself is great because it has antioxidants,” Fung tells TODAY.com. “You’re drinking fluids, and when we are getting our fluids from tea, hopefully we are not getting it from soda.”
Regular green tea consumption can be beneficial to people’s health, adds Dr. Jay Lee, a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
“Many patients do sort of swear by it and believe that it does help with their sense of wellbeing,” says Lee, who is medical director at Integrated Health Partners of Southern California.
What is green tea?
Green and black tea come from the same tree, but the tea leaves are processed differently after they’re picked, Fung says.
To make black tea, the leaves are oxidized — allowed to dry and darken — for a longer period. Green tea undergoes much less processing, which preserves the antioxidants in the leaves better, she notes.
Green tea nutrition
Since it’s mostly water, green tea is a low-calorie beverage as long as you don’t add sweetener or cream.
One cup contains the following, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture:
- 2 calories
- 29 milligrams of caffeine
- 0.5 grams of protein
- 2 milligrams of sodium
Brewed pure green tea has no fat, sugar, carbs or fiber. It contains…
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