In 1970, when Kermit originally sang "It's Not Easy Being Green," he bemoaned having to "spend each day the color of the weeds," and said it "seems you blend in with so many ordinary things/and people tend to pass you over." But he came to embrace his green skin as precisely what he wanted to be. Smart decision by Kermit, because there's a lot of power in green - green tea especially.
An analysis of almost 101,000 Chinese tea drinkers published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that over seven years, a 50-year-old who drank at least three cups of tea a week, every week, had 39% lower risk of incident heart disease and stroke, 56% lower risk of fatal heart disease and stroke, and 29% decreased risk of all-cause death compared with those who never or only occasionally drank tea.
Looking at a subset of more than 14,000 tea drinkers, researchers found that those who drank green tea gained around 25% more protection against heart disease, stroke and all-cause death than folks drinking black or flavored teas.
Why is green most beneficial? Well, black tea is fully fermented, which oxidizes its polyphenols, making them less heart-protective. Also, people drink black tea with milk, which may counteract any positive effects on vascular function. So if black coffee (and its many heart-healthy benefits) is not your thing, opt for three-plus cups of green tea weekly. Then, with apologies to Kermit, you can croon, "It's healthy being green."
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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