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Five Surprisingly Healthy Foods


Tea pot set
Tea

Topping the list of surprising superfoods is tea—any type that comes from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis, including black, green, white, and oolong.

Many studies have looked at the health benefits of tea. While the jury is still out on some of these potential benefits, there appears to be compelling evidence for tea's ability to reduce the risk of heart disease.

"There are some intriguing studies that tea may prevent cancer, reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and impact halitosis [bad breath], and while these studies are more speculative, the strongest evidence is on the reduction of coronary heart disease risk," says Tufts University researcher Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD.
Tea's secret ingredient is catechins, a type of flavonoid from the family of disease-fighting antioxidant phytochemicals that is also found in fruits, vegetables, and red wine.

Not just any cup of tea will provide you with a healthy dose of flavonoids. Strong, steeped tea is richest in these phytochemicals. And the longer you steep your tea, the more of these healthy extracts your beverage will contain.

Because iced tea is typically diluted, it's not as good a source as hot tea. Bottled teas start off with low levels of flavonoids, and tend to lose potency over time. Decaffeinated tea is a good option, though it has about 10 percent fewer phytochemicals than tea with caffeine.

So how much tea should you drink? Some studies have suggested that drinking three cups each day can reduce your risk of heart disease.

Blumberg suggests choosing tea whenever you can. He points out that it can contribute as much antioxidants as a serving of fruit or vegetable without the calories, and is far preferable to soft drinks.
If you add sugar or full-fat milk to your tea, do so sparingly. These additions can turn naturally noncaloric tea into a high-calorie beverage. Good news for chocolate lovers!



SOURCES: Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, professor, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University. Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN, spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association; author, So What Can I Eat?!. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, June 9, 2004. Diabetes Care, January 2004. Annals of Internal Medicine, May 2, 2005. American Heart Association Dietary Guidelines. van Dam, R.M. The Journal of the American Medical Association, July 6, 2005; vol 294: pp 97-104. Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist, Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies; research assistant professor of psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville. Peters, U. (2001) American Journal of Epidemiology, 2001; vol 154: pp 495-503. Huxley, R.R. and Neil, H.A. (2003) The relation between dietary flavonol intake and coronary heart disease mortality: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. American Heart Association: "High Blood Pressure." News release, American Heart Association; American Society of Hypertension Nineteenth Annual Scientific Meeting and Exposition, New York, May 18-22, 2004. Charalambos Vlachopoulos, MD, Athens, Greece. Naomi Fisher, MD, associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston. Taubert, D. The Journal of the American Medical Association, Aug. 27, 2003; vol 290: pp 1029-1030; Grassi, D. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 2005; vol 81: pp 611-614. 64th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society, Denver, March 1-4, 2006. Sarah Conklin, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, cardiovascular behavioral medicine program, department of psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. WebMD Weight Loss Clinic: "10 Amazing Disease-Fighting Foods."

Reviewed on March 01, 2006
© 2006 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.