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So you know all about the fantastic health benefits of green tea, but did you know the picture is not all rosy? Most of the catechins—the good stuff of green tea that fights free radicals and lowers your risk of chronic disease—never make it into your bloodstream. In fact, as much as 80% of the catechins in green tea lose their potency in the intestine and are never absorbed.
However, as Dr. Oz explains in his article on RealAge.com, recent studies have found that adding a squeeze of citrus juice to your green tea greatly boosts your body’s absorption of the good stuff. Researchers believe that the vitamin C in these juices increases the acidity in your small intestine, which may aid in the absorption of catechins.
Researchers found that half green tea and half juice made for the best concoction for highest catechin absorption. Lemon juice was the best additive, followed by orange, lime and grapefruit juice.
So mix up a green Arnold Palmer and enjoy your summer.
Learn more about the healthy benefits of green tea:
Comments
There's always a trade-off. In this case, if you keep adding citrus it's going to impact your dental health. Therefore it's safer to drink more tea to get more antioxidants instead of adulterating the stuff and dissolving your teeth.
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