also aid in stopping the malignant transformation of cultured breast cells and may even help prevent cavities.  But, drinking too much green tea may pose the potential risk of dental fluorosis in children.  Tea is a great low calorie source of nutrients that may also help modulate brain activity.  Healthy herbal teas include tulsi, osmanthus, dandelion, and hibiscus, which may elevate antioxidant levels in the bloodstream within an hour, but some liquid supplements containing tropical fruit juices such as noni and mangosteen may be toxic to the liver.

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Cold water steeping of tea may lead to higher nutrient concentrations.  Matcha tea (made from powdered tea leaves) is an excellent option.  Avoid adding milk to tea to maximize nutrient absorption.  10 cups of tea a day is probably the safe upper limit.  Here are some other interesting comparisons: earl gray vs. black tea, green vs. white tea, coffee vs. tea, and bottled vs. tap water. 

 

Even light alcohol intake (up to a drink a day) is suspected to promote breast cancer. 

 

We may not be drinking enough fluids, evidenced by the fact that drinking water was found to boost children’s’ cognitive performance.  Women should drink four to seven cups of water a day and men should drink six to eleven.

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Coffee has also been shown to be relatively health promoting, though there are concerns about its effect on coronary artery function, although it may help prevent liver cancer.  Beet juice has been found to significantly Beet juice has been found to significantly improve athletic performance.  Soymilk positively influences timing of puberty in girls and appears equal to cow’s milk in terms of calcium absorption (as long as you shake it).  Drinks to minimize include kombucha tea, yerba mate, noni juice, dairy, commercial carrot juice, artificially sweetened beverages, and soda, which may contain sodium benzoate and caramel coloring which may contribute to cancer risk.  The media often bombards us with messages about what we should or shouldn’t eat or drink so awareness of the source of funding and how it impacts the results of scientific findings is important.

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Smoothies may maximize nutrient absorption without risking overly rapid sugar absorption.  As long as we drink them slowly, we don’t risk weight gain.

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Please click here to go to the original article at NutritionFacts.org

 

WATER

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The Beverage Guidance Panel, which included such heavyweights as Dr. Walter Willett, nutrition department chair at Harvard University School of Public Health, ranked beverage categories from best to worst. Soda ranked last, and whole milk was grouped with beer, with a recommendation for zero ounces a day. Tea and coffee—preferably without creamer or sweetener—tied as the number-two healthiest beverages, second only to water, the top-ranked drink.

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Not drinking enough water appears to be associated with such problems as falls and fractures, heat stroke, heart disease, lung disorders, kidney disease, kidney stones, bladder and colon cancers, urinary tract infections, cavities, decreased immune function, and cataract formation.

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A Harvard University study of nearly 48,000 men found that bladder cancer risk decreased by 7 percent for every extra daily cup of fluid consumed, and a high intake of water—say, eight cups daily—may reduce risk by about 50 percent, potentially saving thousands of lives.

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The original Adventist Health Study, involving 20,000 men and women, found that those who drank five or more glasses of water daily had about half the risk of dying from heart disease compared to those who drank two glasses or less. About half the cohort consisted of vegetarians, so they were getting extra water by eating more fruits and vegetables. As in the Harvard study, this protection appeared to remain even after controlling for factors such as diet and exercise, suggesting that water may play a causal role, perhaps by improving blood flow.

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Authorities from Europe, the U.S. Institute of Medicine, and the World Health Organization recommend about 8 to 11 cups of water a day for women and 10 to 15 cups for men. This includes water from all sources, not solely beverages. We get about 4 cups from the food we eat and the water our body produces on its own, so the guidelines roughly translate into a daily recommendation of drinking 4 to 7 cups of water for women and 6 to 11 cups for men (assuming only moderate physical activity at moderate ambient temperatures).

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Unless you have a condition like heart or kidney failure or your physician advises fluid intake restriction, I recommend drinking five glasses of tap water daily. I prefer tap not only because it’s less economically and environmentally costly but because it may have less chemical and microbial contamination than bottled water

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Please click here to go to the original article at NutritionFacts.org