Studies have shown that those who consume alcohol in moderate amounts may have better health than does people who do not drink at all.  So would you qualify alcohol as a health drink?

 

These researches showed that those who drink alcohol moderately have lower risks and fewer heart attacks and strokes.  They are also less likely to have hypertension, peripheral artery disease, Alzheimer’s disease and even the common cold.  

 

In the Old and New Testament, the medicinal properties of alcohol were mentioned.  In the early 1900s, moderate alcohol drinking was already associated with  decreasing the risk of heart attacks.  Since then, there are continuous research studying on the medical attributes of alcohol.

 

Drinkers who drink sensibly are said to have longer lives.  Harvard and Chinese research showing men who drink has lower risk of death compared to those who does not drink at all.  Average difference would be from 21 to 28 percent.  Longevity is associated with lower risk of coronary heart disease, cancer and respiratory disease.  Moderate drinkers showed that they have less cases of hospitalization.  

 

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism discovered that in 20 countries world-wide, those who have 20- 40 percent lower chances of having coronary heard disease are those who moderately drink alcohol.  Those who abstain and drink heavily has higher rate of mortality due to coronary heart disease.  A Harvard study was also conducted and showed that women who drink half a glass or five grams of alcohol a date lower the risk of coronary heart disease by half.

 

Aside from decreasing heart disease risk factors, moderate consumption of alcohol also increases the survivability of those who fall victims of this disease.  Light to moderate drinking of alcohol a year before an acute myocardial infarction or AMI can reduce the risk of death after.  While those who drink two to four drinks of alcohol after a heart attack are less likely to have a second heart attack incident.  Compared to those who abstain from alcohol, the risk factor is cut into half.

 

An American Heart Associate research states that light to moderate alcohol consumption can also lower the risk of stroke both in men and women, regardless of their age and their ethnicity.  While those young adults who drink one to three drinks a day have the lowest levels of hypertension.  Moderate drinkers are also less likely to have the Type 2 diabetes compared to high drinkers and abstainers. 

 

Light to moderate drinkers are also more resistant to common colds compared to those who does not drink at all.  They also have lower risk of kidney cancer.  They also have lower risk of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma or cancer by 27 percent compared to abstainers.  And it goes on.  Alcohol consumption, as long as it is light and moderate have significant health benefits.

 

But once alcohol is consumed in large doses and amounts, then there we will encounter a problem.  When we talk about drinking moderately, medical researchers and professionals would say that is about one to three drinks a day.  For women, it should be 20 to 30 percent less than the average consumption of a man.  It is attributed mainly on smaller size and biological differences.  

 

There are also some studies indicating the consumption of alcohol, even if in moderation, have significant effects on having higher risk of certain disease.  For women, there are studies that showed that an average one to two drinks a day can increase their risk of breast cancer. Pregnant women drinking can also fall victims to miscarriage or fetal alcohol syndrome which can have negative effects on the nervous system of the unborn child.  Cirrhosis of the liver, heart muscle damage and stroke can still e attributed to alcoholic consumption.  

 

There are always two sides of a coin.  For alcohol it can be a drink beneficial to our health, but too much would lead to more sickness than cure.  

 

 

In the world where many diseases emerge every year, it is common for people to think about their health. This is why many companies are producing products that have potential health benefits for the consuming public. One of most marketed products today are health drinks that were derived from plants with soothing properties such as tea. 

 

Tea itself is considered a health drink especially for the Chinese who have been using it for its medicinal benefits roughly 4,000 years ago. In some other countries where there is cold climate, tea is a very popular drink next to water. Basically, tea has four types: the black tea, the oolong tea, the green tea, and the white tea. Each of which is said to have benefits that can help the overall well being of a person. 

 

 

But among all these types, green tea stands out because many health drinks, beauty products, and even food make use of it. Experts say that the reason behind this demand for green tea is because it is rich catechin polyphenols—more specifically in "epigallocatechin gallate" or EGCG, which is a very powerful anti-oxidant. 

 

Coming from the leaves of the plant called "camellia sinensis," experts say that green tea is considered are superior among the rest because it processed in the very different way. Unlike other types of teas, which are obtained from fermented leaves, the leaves of green tea are steamed. This is to ensure that the EGCG will not be oxidized unlike in the fermentation process where the EGCG are converted into other forms complex compounds. 

 

 

One of the reasons why people use healthy drinks and products that are derived from green tea is to maintain a healthy body that is away from diseases or illnesses. 

 

Since green tea is believed to be the healthiest among other types of teas, people consume it to veer away from certain medical conditions or to cure existing health conditions such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol levels, cariovascular diseases, infections, tooth decay, and various impaired immune functions as well as help people to lose weight. 

 

More and more people who are at risk with cancer and even those who are already suffering from the condition are using green tea as a health drink because of its high EGCG content. Experts believed that EGCG could inhibit the growth of cancer cells in the body by killing the cells without causing harm to other cells and tissues. 

 

Many companies also use green tea in their products because EGCG itself can lower LDL cholesterol levels while inhibits "thrombosis," the abnormal formation of blood clots in the body which are major causes cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and stroke. 

 

In the field of losing weight, more and more people are using green tea as a health drink because it is believed that the extract from the green tea is able to burn more calories compared to placebo or caffeine. For those who have dental concerns such as tooth decay, green tea can also help avoid this because it contains bacteria-destroying properties that kills the bacteria in plaque. 

 

Although green tea has many proven benefits to people who use it as a health drink, experts still warn that it should be used in moderation. This is because green tea still contains caffeine, which can cause insomnia attacks to people who have low caffeine tolerance. 

 

 

Green tea is one of the best health drinks around. In fact, the Chinese have used this for more than 4,000 years which is why we should drink it as well and experience its benefits. 

 

The benefits of drinking green tea include regulating your blood sugar, preventing certain cancers, fighting plaque, lowering your cholesterol and slowing down the aging process. 

 

But what makes green tea so special is the fact that it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate also known as EGCG.  

 

This is a powerful anti-oxidant that does two things. First it inhibits the growth of cancer cells and second, it kills cancer cells without harming any healthy tissue. It also lowers your cholesterol by inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots which causes someone to have either a heart attack or stroke. 

 

Green tea is able to fight tooth decay because it inhibits the major bacteria called Streptococcus mutans from forming in between the teeth. At the same time, drinking this regularly also helps prevent gum disease. 

 

Some people might ask, don’t other types of tea have the same benefits as green tea? They do but what sets green tea apart is how it is processed. The other products are not steamed so the EGCG compound which was explained earlier is not oxidized. 

 

So what are you waiting for? Go down to the supermarket and buy a box of green tea and starting drinking it so you are able to experience its many healthy benefits. If the taste is bland after you pour it into your cup, add some flavoring by adding sugar, honey or even a lemon wedge. 

 

You might be wondering, when is the best time to drink green tea? Since it contains caffeine, you should only drink this first thing in the morning and at different times during the day. You must never drink caffeine when you are hungry because this will just increase your appetite or at night because it will make it hard for you to get a good night’s sleep. 

 

Since it will take some time to finish a box of green tea, proper storage is important. To do that, make sure this is kept in an airtight container once you open it and away from light. You can also put it in the refrigerator at a temperature between 38 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. 

 

People who are allergic to caffeine should not drink green tea. If you are pregnant, drink this in moderation. If you happen to have some left over green tea from the day before, throw it away and just make a new one because it is best to drink when it is fresh from the kettle. 

 

Green tea just like coffee contains caffeine. This might lead you to the conclusion that this makes this drink just as bad as coffee but in reality, it isn’t because the caffeine content in green tea is fifty percent less than coffee. 

 

There is no doubt that a health drink like green tea can do a lot for you. If you have never tried it before, it is never too late to start to boil a water of water and putting in a tea bag. You can drink it separately or do with the English do and serve this with a few biscuits.