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Up close and edible:Green tea
Green tea is one of the most popular beverages to hit the U.S. market in the last decade. Unlike black tea or oolong, green tea is made from unfermented tea leaves. Because it does not go through a fermentation process, research suggests that it contains the highest concentration of polyphenols, antioxidants that rid of the body of free radicals. Some preliminary research shows that green tea's polyphenols, particularly ECGC, stop the free-radical damage that may lead to cancer and heart disease.
But even though green tea gets a lot of props for its reputation as a healing brew, most of the studies on its effects have been done in the laboratory or in animals. The bulk of human studies have been population-based, those that follow large groups of people over a specified period of time. The results of those studies have been inconsistent. Because of that data, the Food and Drug Administration says there is no scientific evidence that drinking green tea reduces heart disease, and the agency rejected a petition last year that sought to allow the claim on tea labels. The FDA previously said that green tea probably does not reduce the risk of breast, prostate or any other type of cancer. Green tea has a lot of wonderful active compounds that may play a role in fighting cancer and heart disease and even protecting the lining of the arteries, says Dave Grotto, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. But there needs to be a lot more research.
Despite many claims to the contrary, it probably doesn't help with weight loss, either. Some studies suggest that green tea's polyphenols may boost metabolism and help burn fat. Unfortunately, there's nothing magic about green tea, says Dr. Frank Greenway, head of the outpatient clinic at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., who studies herbal supplements and obesity. I'll be surprised if it is shown to have any profound effect on weight loss.
Don't throw out your green tea just because the studies have been less than impressive. Herbs always play catch-up when it comes to research, says Greenway. Green tea won't hurt you. And maybe it will do some good. Some studies show that some green-tea drinkers may actually get more health benefits than others. Try it freshly brewed, which provides more antioxidants than bottled green-tea drinks.
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绿茶面面观
绿茶是近十年来冲击美国市场的最流行的饮料之一。和红茶与乌龙茶不一样的是，绿茶是由没有发酵过的茶叶制成的。因为它没有经过发酵处理，研究表明它富含茶多酚以及去除人体自由肌的抗氧化剂。某些初步研究表明，绿茶的茶多酚，尤其是ECGC可以防治可能导致癌症和心脏病的自由肌对于人体的损坏。
虽然绿茶有很多好处使它享有保健品的美誉，但是，对于它的影响的实验仍然在实验室或者动物身上大量进行着。以人为实验对象这一块，是以特定时期的特定人群为基础的，但是，实验的结果却是不一致的。因此，根据这一数据，食品和药品管理局表示称喝绿茶可以减少心脏病是没有科学根据的，并且拒绝了去年要求把这一说法写在茶叶包装上的申请。FDA在这之前就提出过，绿茶很有可能不会降低乳腺、前列腺或者任何其他癌症的风险。美国食品卫生联合会的发言人Dave Grotto表示：绿茶里含有很多大量的非常棒的人体所需的化合物，这些化合物可能对预防癌症及心脏病起到一定的作用甚至会保护我们的动脉内壁。当然，这些结论都还需要更多的研究来给予证明。
绿茶似乎也并不能帮助减肥，虽然，也有很多说法与之相反。有一些研究表示，绿茶的茶多酚可能会加快新陈代谢以帮助燃烧脂肪。但是，非常不幸的是，美国路易斯安那州巴吞鲁日Pennington生物医学研究中心，研究草药补给与肥胖的临床门诊部主任Frank Greenway博士说：绿茶没有任何神奇之处。如果它对减肥有任何实质性的影响的话，我将会感到惊讶不已。
不要因为研究所表明的证据不足就把绿茶给扔了。Greenway说：对草药的研究结果总是表现的姗姗来迟，绿茶是不会有坏处的。也许它还有某些好处。某些研究结果表明一部分喝绿茶的人的确要比不喝绿茶的人身体健康。新鲜的绿茶要比瓶装的绿茶含有更多的抗氧化剂。
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