The cure for cancer lies in my desk drawer.

Lies, you says.

NOT LIES! I says.

Okay, maybe not a cure, but here are all the things that this particular item is supposedly good for:

- preventing cancer

- preventing tooth decay

- improving skin

- improving muscle and organ function

- boosting the immune system

- weight loss

- rheumatoid arthritis 

Can you guess what this is? I'll give you some time... ::Whistles the "Jeopardy" theme.. ::

...

... <-- A little extra time for good measure..

IT'S....

Green tea!  Yes, that's right folks, just your plain, ordinary green tea! Now, here's a little disclaimer: I've done all I can think of to try and make this post as humorous as possible. And while interesting, it's not very funny. Sorry. It seems that making fun of my self and recounting my mistakes is a lot more humorous than discussing the origins of tea (gee, wonder why?). So, I apologize for the lack of humor. I'm saving all of my best stories for later! And I don't have very many emails from Beijing - where all of the good stories come from. So, I don't want to give everything way too early. Bear with me, ok? This is still interesting. Yes, yes it is. Just you read and see.. >.<

In order to understand what makes it different from other teas, we first need to know the process of how tea is made.

First, all tea leaves (with the exception of added things like fruit pieces, flowers, etc.) come from the same type of plant: the Camilla Sinensis bush. There are 4 types, in general, of tea: white, green, oolong, black (red in Chinese)

Green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant which is twice as powerful as resveratrol, the antioxidant found in red wine that promotes heart health and combats smoking and fatty diets.

The difference lies in the amount of oxidation/fermentation that occurs. When the tea leaves are snapped, crushed, etc. they begin to oxidize (like an apple that you've bitten into and left sit for too long). The white teas are not fermented at all, and in fact the leaves are picked when they are still buds - not fully mature. The green tea is steamed to preserve its beneficial properties. Oolong the next, and black the longest.

Oxidation destroys these antioxidants, which is why oolong and black teas have lower concentrations.

To read more about the benefits and studies, visit these web sites:

The Miracle of Green Tea

How Green Tea Prevents Cancer

Green Tea and Weight Loss (the actual title is too long to list here)

Tea and Cancer Prevention Fact Sheet

So go get some green tea!

NOW!          :)