The Seven Wonders of Green Tea

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:45:00 -0800

Whenever I read the benefits of green tea I always think to myself, "Why do I drink anything else?" There are seven wonderful things about green tea that you may or may not have known. Regardless, here are highlights:

Cut Your Cancer Risk: Several polyphenols - the potent antioxidants green tea's famous for - seem to help keep cancer cells from gaining a foothold in the body, by discouraging their growth and then squelching the creation of new blood vessels that tumors need to thrive.
Soothe Your Skin: Got a cut, scrape, or bite, and a little leftover green tea? Soak a cotton pad in it.
Protect Your Skin: In the lab, green tea applied directly to the skin (or consumed) helps block sun-triggered skin cancer, which is why you're seeing green tea in more and more sunscreens and moisturizers.

There are more so read more.

Steady Your Blood Pressure: People who sip just half a cup a day are almost 50 percent less likely to wind up with hypertension than nondrinkers. Credit goes to the polyphenols again (especially one known as ECGC). They help keep blood vessels from contracting and raising blood pressure.
Protect Your Memory or Your Mom's: Aging adults who drink at least two cups a day are half as likely to develop cognitive problems as those who drink less. Why? It appears that the tea's big dose of antioxidants fights the free-radical damage to brain nerves seen in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Stay Young: About 10 ounces a day, deters your body from absorbing artery-clogging fat and cholesterol.
Lose Weight: Turns out that green tea speeds up your body's calorie-burning process.

Are you drinking it? Tell me about it in the comments section below.

Source

Label Able: Xanthan Gum

FitSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 07:30:00 -0800

I'm a label reader and I like to know what I am putting in my body. I have been seeing "xanthan gum" listed as an ingredient in many different types of food, like this Annie's salad dressing. I finally decided to find out what it is exactly.

To find out read more

Xanthan gum is made by fermenting corn sugar with the Xanthomonas campestris bacterium (that's where it gets its name). This bacteria is the same one that causes black spots to form on broccoli or cauliflower. It's added to products as an emulsifier to help ingredients blend more effectively, and it's also used as a thickener. Xanthan gum is usually found in salad dressings and sauces, but you may also see it in frozen foods to prevent ice crystals from forming. It's also added to fat free foods to give them a smoother consistency. Some toothpastes contain this additive, and xanthan gum is also used in gluten-free baked goods to give the dough a sticky consistency.

Since it's made from corn sugar and added to foods in small amounts, it's not unhealthy for us. The only people who need to watch out are those who have a corn allergy.