Although tea drinking has been associated with health benefits for centuries, only in recent years have its medicinal properties been investigated scientifically. The October issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch recognizes the healthy power of tea while helping readers get the most out of their cups. Tea's health benefits are largely due to its high content of flavonoids, plant-derived antioxidant compounds. Green tea is the best food source of a group called catechins. In test tubes, catechins are more powerful than vitamins C and E in halting oxidative damage to cells and appear to have other disease-fighting properties. Studies have found an association between consuming green tea and a reduced risk for several cancers, including skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder. Additional benefits for regular consumers of green and black teas include a reduced risk for heart disease. The antioxidants in green, black, and oolong teas can help block the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, increase HDL (good) cholesterol and improve artery function. A Chinese study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed a 46%-65% reduction in hypertension risk in regular consumers of oolong or green tea, compared to nonconsumers of tea. Tips in the health watch publication for getting the most out of tea-drinking included drinking a cup of tea a few times a day to absorb antioxidants and other healthful plant compounds. In green-tea drinking cultures, the usual amount is 3 cups per day. Allow tea to steep for 3 to 5 minutes to bring out its catechins and drink it freshly brewed. Tea can impede the absorption of iron from fruits and vegetables, but adding lemon or milk or drinking tea between meals will counteract this problem. The Harvard Women's Health Watch is available from Harvard Health Publications. This article was prepared by Cancer Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Cancer Weekly via NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net. Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.