Would you like an aide in weight loss that can also strengthen your bones and help prevent cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and heart disease? And it's available at your local grocer for pennies.

I'm talking about the ancient herbal drink, green tea. Whether you drink it hot or cold, recent scientific research is proving that green tea packs a powerful punch of antioxidants and phytonutrients that will help prevent a wide array of illnesses.

Green tea contains antioxidant chemicals called catechins. Catechins destroy free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that damage your DNA and cell structures. This leaves you susceptible to degenerative diseases.

In fact, green tea has 200 times the antioxidant power of vitamin E.1 Researchers at the USDA reported that green tea also produces greater antioxidant activity then 22 commonly consumed fruits and vegetables.2

* Look What Science Brewed Up *

Prevents Cancer – According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, people who drink green tea once a week for six months or more have a reduced risk for rectal, colon and pancreative cancers.3 Antioxidants in green tea inhibit the growth of cancer and destroy cancerous cells.4
Oral cancer patients drank three cups of green tea a day and applied a mixture of green tea and glycerin directly to their lesions. 38% of the patients experienced a reduction in the size of their cancer by 30% or more. The rate of formation of cancerous cells also decreased significantly.5

Boosts the Immune System - A recent study documented at the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that a component in tea prepares the immune system to attack invading bacteria, viruses and fungi. Non-tea drinkers who drank 5-6 cups of tea per day for 2 weeks improved their ability fight off bacterial infections.6

Aides in Weight Loss - In a study researchers found that green tea drinkers burned an additional 70 calories a day more than non-tea drinkers. In the second study, researchers at the University of Geneva discovered that the combination of caffeine and catechins in tea could enhance metabolic rate by 4%7.

Extends Life of Heart Attack Victims - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA found that drinking green tea can extend life after a heart attack. In 1,900 individuals who suffered heart attacks, scientists found that heavy tea drinkers reduced their risks of dying over the next 3-4 years by 44% compared to that of non-tea drinkers. Moderate tea drinkers reduced their risks by 28% compared to non-tea drinkers. 8

Strengthens Bones - A study by the National Cheng Kung University Hospital in Taiwan, found that drinking tea strengthens bones. Tea contains fluoride and flavonoids, both of which enhance bone strength. This study, based on 1,037 men and women age 30 conducted bone-mineral density tests. The people who consumed tea for more than 10 years had overall bone-mineral density at 6.2% higher than in non-habitual tea drinkers.9

Prevents and Reduces Rheumatoid Arthritis - Medical researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland published a study reporting that drinking four or more cups of green tea a day prevents rheumatoid arthritis and reduces the severity of it in those who currently battle the disease.

For centuries, people have enjoyed drinking green tea. The best way to receive the benefits abundant in green tea is to start with a tea bag. Most of the commercialized green tea products contain additives like aspartame that counteract green teas inherent healing properties. I sweeten my tea with raw honey or squeeze in a bit of fresh fruit juice.

Al Sears, MD