The 8 Healthiest Drinks

1.  Green Tea
     Benefits:

• Helps reduce risk of osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, and cavities. Green tea contains a rich concentration of flavonoids and polyphenols, natural antioxidants that may protect cells from carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) and inhibit tumor growth by helping to neutralize free radicals in the body. The tea's antioxidants may also guard against heart disease by relaxing blood vessels, inhibiting the formation of blood clots that trigger heart attacks and strokes. Green tea also contains fluoride, which strengthens teeth; the flavonoids may build up bones as well, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and tooth decay.
• Calories:  0

2.  One Percent Reduced-Fat Milk
     Benefits:

• Curbs cravings and helps protect against osteoporosis. Because it has the components of a healthy meal -- carbohydrates, protein, and a little fat -- you absorb it slowly and stay full longer, says Molly Pelzer, RD, a nutrition educator in Tipton, Iowa. It also stabilizes blood sugar, so you're less susceptible to cravings. Milk is the ideal source of calcium, because it contains vitamin D, which is needed for maximum calcium absorption. It may also help your body stop storing fat. In a recent study, women who consumed three to four servings of low-fat dairy foods (milk being one) lost nearly twice as much weight as those who took in lower amounts. "The calcium causes your body's cells to burn the   fat instead of holding on to it," says Pelzer. "This makes it easier to reach and maintain your goal weight."
• Calories:  120 for 8 ounces

3.  Mint Tea
     Benefits:

• Eases cramps and helps ward off indigestion. "Mint is an antispasmodic, so it can relax muscles, which combats stiffness and aches," says Susan Lark, MD, author of The Chemistry of Success (Bay Books, 1999). It also aids in digestion by promoting the movement of food through the digestive tract.
• Calories:  0

4.  Soy Milk
     Benefits:

• Lowers risk of heart disease. Soy milk contains soluble fiber and soy protein, which lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and triglycerides, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. If you're drinking it instead of cow's milk, buy soy milk fortified with calcium and vitamins A and D. One caveat: Soy contains phytoestrogens, which may be linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Talk to your doctor about drinking soy milk if you have a family history of the disease or have had it yourself.
• Calories:  81 for 8 ounces

5.  Hot Chocolate
     Benefits:

• Improves mood and may help protect against heart disease. Chocolate increases the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is responsible for regulating mood. (Low levels of serotonin have been associated with depression.) Cocoa is also rich in polyphenols, plant-derived antioxidants that may protect cells against oxidative damage that can lower HDL (good) cholesterol levels, possibly putting you at higher  risk for a heart attack.
• Calories:  195 for 8 ounces homemade cocoa; 115 for a powdered mix

 6.  Low-Sodium Tomato Juice
      Benefits:

• May protect against numerous cancers. Processed tomato products are the richest source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been associated with a reduced risk of lung and stomach cancer, as well as pancreatic, colorectal, esophageal, oral, breast, and cervical cancers. Lycopene also appears to protect the lungs and heart against oxidative damage, helping to ward off cardiovascular disease.
• Calories:  31 for 6 ounces

7.  Cranberry Juice
     Benefits:

• Helps prevent gum disease. Research suggests that the same antibacterial properties present in cranberry juice that fight off urinary tract infections may also protect against periodontal disease. Experts theorize that a component of the juice called nondialysable material (NDM) inhibits bacteria from sticking to the gums. Many nutritionists are wary of fruit juices because of their sugar content, so limit your intake to no more than one glass (6 to 8 ounces) daily. "Make sure the label says 100 percent juice, not 'juice drink' or 'cocktail,'" suggests Heidi Reichenberger, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. You can find this type of juice in health-food stores and some supermarkets.
• Calories:  140 for 8 ounces

8.  Orange Juice
     Benefits:

• May ward off cataracts, cancers, and birth defects and boost immunity. An excellent source of vitamin C, orange juice is also a potent antioxidant that may protect against a variety of diseases including cataracts (a clouding of the eye's lens that can lead to blindness) and lung cancer. Vitamin C may prevent oxidative damage that can cause cells to become cancerous, and it improves immune-cell functioning, enabling your body to fight off infections more efficiently. And it's a good source of folate, which protects against neural-tube defects in fetuses. To get the extra benefit of bone protection, try some calcium-fortified orange juice.
• Calories:  115 for 8 ounces

Info from:  Fitness Magazine

Green Tea Preparation Guidelines

Size of leaves:  Small loose leaf green tea is the best choice, because it infuses quickly.  Tightly curled or large leaf tea requires a longer infusion time.

Loose leaf vs. teabags:  Loose leaves are preferable to teabags.  In order to increase the extraction of polyphenols, teabags should be continuously dunked in the teapot rather than left to float on the water.

Temperature:  Boiling water promotes the extraction of polyphenols.

Steeping Time:  Tea should be steeped for two to five minutes.  The polyphenol content of tea increases with steeping time, while a shorter steeping time results in a high caffeine content but low polyphenol content.

Green Tea: Health Effects

Green Tea:  Health Effects

Green tea contains salubrious polyphenos, particularly catechins, the most abundant of which epigallocatechin gallate, which is a potent antioxidant and therapeutic for cancer.  Green tea also contains carotenoids, tocopherols, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), minerals such as chromium, manganese, selenium or zinc, and certain phytochemical compounds.  It is a more potent antioxidant than black tea, although black tea has substances which green tea does not such as theaflavin.

In vitro, animal, preliminary observational, and clinical human studies suggest that green tea can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, dental cavities, kidney stones, and cancer, while improving bone density and cognitive function. 

Green tea consumption is associated with reduced heart disease in epidemiological studies.  Animal studies have found that it can reduce cholesterol.  However, brief human trials have found that tea consumption did not reduce cholesterol in humans.  In 2003, a randomized clinical trial found that a green tea extract with added theaflavin from black tea reduced cholesterol.

A study performed at Birmingham University, showed that average fat oxidation rates were 17% higher after ingestion of green tea extract than after ingestion of a placebo.  Similarly, the contribution of fat oxidation to total energy expenditure was also significantly higher by a similar percentage following ingestion of green tea extract.  This implies that ingestion of green tea extract can not only increase oxidation during moderately intensive exercise but also improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in healthy young men.  Green tea is also effective in preventing glaucoma or systolic and diastolic blood pressure.