Marcus Stout asked:


It was reportedly discovered by a Chinese emperor some 40 centuries ago. And, legend has it, the discovery was purely by accident. But that coincidental discovery has improved the health of people around the world, who have turned to green tea in particular to help soothe their pains, improve their digestion, alleviate their depression, boost their immune system, and perhaps even lengthen their lives.

But what is it that makes green tea so beneficial to human health?

The Ingredients of Success

Green tea is actually made up of a variety of ingredients. These include caffeine, vitamins, minerals, and oils. However, the most important ingredients are the polyphenols, especially one called EGCG, which is believed to improve health.

In fact, it is the polyphenols which make green tea so much more effective than other beverages in fighting disease and illness.

Green Tea and Cholesterol

There have been some intriguing studies indicating that green tea can be effective in the fight against high cholesterol. Specifically, the beverage reduces “bad” cholesterol and boosts “good” cholesterol, improving an individual’s overall cholesterol profile.

In addition, green tea appears to lower overall cholesterol levels, helping to reduce one’s risk of developing heart disease.

Similarly, green tea enhances cardiovascular health by improving the consistency of platelets in the blood.

Researchers have also found that green tea appears to protect against oxygen-induced damage to bad cholesterol.

Drinking green tea also seems to enhance antioxidant processes in the bloodstream.

Effect of Green Tea on Blood Fats

In recent years, much attention has been focused on blood fats and the effects of diet and exercise on their consistency. In an interesting study conducted at the Department of Public Health at the National Defense Medical College in Saitama, Japan, researchers S. Kono, K. Shinchi, N. Ikeda, F. Yanai, and K. Imanishi investigated the impact of green tea consumption on blood fats, also known as serum lipids.

The study was published in an article entitled, “Tea Consumption and Serum Lipid Profiles: a Cross-Sectional Study in Northern Kyushu, Japan.”

Specifically, the researchers examined the correlation between green tea use and the serum lipid concentrations of more than 1300 men who underwent retirement health exams at the Self-Defense Forces Fukuoka Hospital between 1986 and 1988.

The researchers factored out variables such as alcohol use, use of tobacco, exercise levels, body mass index, and rank.

They then discovered that the more green tea a patient drank, the lower his serum cholesterol levels. Men who drank nine or more cups of tea each day had total cholesterol levels that were eight mg/dl lower than those who drank two or fewer cups a day.

The serum cholesterol levels seemed to also decrease for men who ate a great deal of rice and soy beans, and increase for those who ate more Western foods.

However, adjusting for these additional diet variables did not seem to affect the correlation between green tea use and total cholesterol levels.

Additional Evidence from the Animal Kingdom

It’s been said that there is a definite link between diet and exercise and coronary heart disease. Therefore, anything in the diet that improves serum lipid profiles should reduce the incidence of heart problems.

It’s also known that green tea contains phytochemicals that work to decrease serum cholesterol as well as triglycerides.

In one animal study, 45 rats were subjected to a variety of treatments, including green tea. The study showed that consuming green tea improved the serum lipid profile by reducing total cholesterol, bad cholesterol, and trans fats. In addition, liver fat content decreased in rats that received a large amount of green tea.

Other Positive Effects of Green Tea Drinking

The polyphenols found in green tea may have some additional positive health effects. For instance, a number of animal and test tube studies indicate that these chemicals may have a substantial anti-cancer effect, especially in inhibiting the spread of melanoma, or skin cancer cells.

Green tea has also been linked to a reduction in oral cancers and dental cavities.

In addition, green tea may stimulate the production of immune system cells.

As a result, it can help the body fight bacteria, leading to improved overall health. In fact, one study showed that drinking ten or more cups of green tea each day could improve blood test results, protecting the body against liver damage.

How Much Green Tea is Enough?

Of course, you might be wondering how much green tea must be consumed in order to have a positive impact on health. In Asian nations, the typical tea drinker consumes about three cups each day-enough to provide as much as 320 mg of polyphenols.

Nevertheless, some studies indicate as many as ten cups each day are needed in order to really make a difference in cholesterol levels and overall health.

Possible Side Effects

It should be noted that there can be some negative side effects associated with green tea consumption. While green tea is a relatively healthy drink, those who consume several cups of it each day may experience anxiety and insomnia brought on by the caffeine found in the beverage.

Drinking green tea may also lead to iron deficiencies, since iron absorption in women may be reduced as much as 26 percent when green tea is consumed with a meal.

In addition, some drugs can interfere with green tea’s positive effects. Therefore, before switching to a diet rich in green tea, it may be best to check with a physician to determine if such a diet is right for you.

Looking to the Future

The forecast for green tea appears to be bright-as far as public health is concerned. Study after study seems to indicate that green tea can reduce cholesterol levels, combat cardiac disease, boost the immune system, and reduce the risk of cancer.

While additional study is needed in order to effectively harness all the benefits of green tea, it appears, for the moment, that simply adding a few cups of the brew to your daily diet can yield impressive health benefits.



Eva

Brandy asked:


We have a small kitchen so we do not want to go dark, and right now our cabinets are a light wood color but their is no contrast. We just installed new slate tile floor in the kitchen so now we are stuck with ugly cabinets. HELP?

Sue

Gael Greene asked:


zz/ Bloomingdale Road: First Tastings

Bloomingdale Road

The menu is designed for the table to share,” our waiter at the new Bloomingdale Road

announces.

I look at the list of “snacks” just above “small plates and sandwiches” and “soup and salads.” “How many smoked deviled eggs on the plate?” I ask.

“Three,” he says.

“But we’re four.”

“You can always get two orders,” he responds.

“I don’t need six eggs.”

“Well, they’re big and you can cut them in half.”

“But then I’ll have six halves. How about the suckling pig meatballs?”

“Three,” he says grinning. “I could just bring you four anyway.”

“Bring us four and charge for the extra meatball,” I instruct. “And we’ll have four chowder shots too.”

This is not just another lineup of comfort food. It’s playpen time. It’s the homey and weirdo hour. We have chicken lollipops-Buffalo with blue cheese fondue. Country ham is roasted with Coca-Cola. Everyday fries? Not here. Smoked fries, Old Bay fries and bone marrow fries. The tuna ribs are chili and honey glazed. Country-fried quail comes with biscuits and gravy. This unquenchable exuberance and desperate need to fry up something not yet invented might be inspired by how many restaurants are in countdown phase all over town (especially Fatty Crab and Tom Valenti’s West Branch, imminent not far away on Broadway – which was once called Bloomingdale Road).

I wouldn’t be going into all this today if I hadn’t actually liked some of Chef Ed Witt’s dishes since, I must confess, I accidentally barged into Bloomingdale Road on its first night, thinking it had opened a week earlier. And I wasn’t the only trigger happy Upper West Sider piling in the door as if starved. The duplex, bar and sidewalk tables are jammed with yuppies and yippies, seniors and younglings in startling juxtaposition.

If I’d hated every bite I would have left the place to expire of terminal silliness and possibly come back eventually if it rallied, just to be fair. But the fabulous chowder shooters (not exactly drinkable in their shot glass – we had to ask for spoons), the sensational smoked fries with not-too-much cheddar and the Road Food Warrior’s whole wheat fettuccine with spicy shrimp, grilled squash and marjoram actually live up to Witt’s resume – Rubicon in San Francisco, Restaurant Daniel, Il Buco and the ambitious but doomed Varietal.

We’re all wild about the brioche baked in a tin can – “Watch out,” says the waiter, leaving a small ramekin of herb-black-pepper-honey doused butter. “That’s really hot.” Yoicks! I discover he’s not kidding as I try to pull the puffed-up top free from its baking tin, a lawsuit in a can in this litigious town. “Want more bread?” the runner asks. Even devout carbophobes want more. A second pouf comes in a burning hot ramekin (easier to extract without injury). “I’ll leave this used butter because we’re running short,” says the runner, the same guy who assures us the chowder shots are “chicken.” On the first night it’s almost amusing. (Even Sarah was amusing for 24 hours.) And the ancho-dusted scallops with corn and wild mushrooms are small but good (at least our fussy friend is impressed and her husband attacks the trout on chunks of potato slathered with horseradish cream with unabashed gusto).

The teeny suckling pig meatballs are lost in a smother of chipotle tomato sauce and not worth saving anyway. Mac and cheese Witt style is witless – macaroni cheese soup. It comes with a tripartite dish alongside sporting the crunchiest croutons I’ve ever tasted, bits of bacon and minced jalapeno. “You can run your macaroni over the condiments,” we are instructed. No. No. No. Impossible. (But save the croutons. They’re marvelous.) I’m not sure if it was something my grass-fed cow ate but the barely chewable strip steak smells and tastes spoiled. Still, those fries. The kitchen has them mastered. Well, I hope. Who knows what day 2 will bring?

More crowds, says Proprietor Jeremy Wladis, who knows the neighborhood’s consuming fervor from his two other ventures, Nonna (Columbus and 85th) and Campo (Broadway at 112th Street). But even he is reeling with the demand, walk-ins and reservations, “We fed 200 last night. We’re completely booked for the weekend.” And yes, the menu is still evolving. “We’ve been tasting the food for two months,” he confides, “but it’s one thing to do cedar roasted sockeye salmon for five tasters and another when every table is jammed. Some of our dishes are controversial. One table hates it. The next table loves it. You don’t know what to do.”

At six o’clock on the house’s fourth night Wladis just got handed the sixth version of the menu. I hope they’ll realize how mean it is to the middle-aged among us to have type that small and palest gray. “Order whatever you want me to eat,” our friend Harvey pleaded. “I can’t read the menu.” My guy passed him the flashlight.

Syrupy sweet apricot and bourbon glaze on brioche does not mean “bread pudding” in my book. And I probably should not have ordered peanut butter and jelly tart with marshmallow ice cream, although, like Elvis, I was once addicted to peanut butter and bacon with banana. I guess I’ve tossed that monkey off my back. This is my neighborhood after all. We’ll be back.

2398 Broadway near 88th Street 212 674 7400

Apiary:

Like a privileged first child in an ambitious family with excellent connections, Apiary has a top of the line nursery – slick modern design by partner Ligne Rosset, starring whimsical trompe l’oeil sconces and the company’s own sleekly squared side chairs upholstered in deep jewel colors – garnet, amethyst, graphite, cat’s eye, or shall I say, beet, eggplant, braised veal and chocolate. Managing partner Jenny Moon left Korea at 15 for this destiny – an American education, a degree in finance from Cornell’s hotel and restaurant school, then risk arbitrage on Wall Street, and finally, following her real passion to Restaurant Daniel’s skybox as Boulud’s executive assistant, finally, a stop at Eighty One, even while hatching Apiary.

With Moon as managing partner, Neil Manacle, Bobby Flay’s sidekick of sixteen years, at the stove and Cellar consultant Nick Mautone lining up the bottles (heavy duty alternative action in New York state labels and micro brews), Apiary brings remarkably good bones to the creeping gentrification of Third Avenue below 10th Street.

Should you be a local newbie freeholder just strolling by, the illuminated metal twists in the front window - a designer light fixture suggesting radioactive tulips – would surely stop you. But tonight, on my first tasting with friends, I see fork-tongued foodie first nighters ganged up at the bare black tables have left few spots free for curious walkins. Chatter gets magnified under the low ceiling. It will be noisy when the nomadic screamers move in but tonight, we can lean in and hear at least half of what we’re saying.

Lining up slices of sensational heirloom tomatoes on a thick toasted crostini with feta and arugula doesn’t make for easy bites of crostini but all the parts are delicious, as is the saltiness of Serrano ham played against the sweetness of fresh roasted peaches with shaved goat cheese in a mustardy sherry vinaigrette. But calamari are lost in too thick breading. Summer slaw piled on crab cake distracts from the simplicity of perfect crab. Agreed, the cake looks good, like Sarah the Warrior, with its cabbagey updo. Steamed mussels with sausage in a citrus broth is classic. And there is an elegant purity in giant prawns and sea scallops with cannelloni beans in a tangy shellfish broth. I’m discounting the failure to send out sauce spoons to a serving crew still in boot camp. While we wait for silverware I can scoop up a bit of these citric pools with mussel shells.

I can’t say that quite juicy smoked paprika dusted pork tenderloin or the chimichurri marinated hanger steak are flawed. It’s just that we had sensationally feisty hanger steak the night before at Morandi and the memory makes this version seem quite ordinary. Of course, I’m not surprised that a chef come of age in Flay’s aura overdoes on sweetness. And after all, this is Apiary. Personally, I **** honey as well as fruit vinegars in my vinaigrette. And I’m not going to be happy with sweet’n’sour fruit sauce tainting my spice crusted lamb. A side of spicy eggplant comes cold. That’s a surprise.

Blueberry compote turns out to be sticky purple streaks alongside goat cheesecake with lavender honey (yes, I **** lavender too). But the chocolate cashew tart with cashew ice cream is a hit and the vanilla ice cream on the peach crisp is just perfect. Not sweet at all.

Now how did that happen?

Though I’m betting East Villagers will be thrown by prices that would seem blissful in midtown, I’m not going to judge a chef with these credentials on just one dinner. It’s never easy to leave home and a protected adolesence. I want to believe that the man who Flay thinks is good enough to run his kitchens will grow into his own.

60 Third Avenue between 9th and 10th Streets. 212 254 0888



Cory

Chocolover asked:


For my prom I am wearing a quite light blue/grey metalic dress. I would also like to dye my hair but i’m not sure on the colour. I’ve got light green eyes and my skin if very pale. Now my hair is a medium brown but I want to try something different but will look good.

Fred

bootlegger asked:


When I turn the tv on it starts to come on and then a click is heard and the screen goes dark but the green on light stays on. I took off the back and checked the voltages on the power board and they were ok. Any suggestions?

Bessie

Corwin Brown asked:


The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.

Green tea versus green tea extract. We believe there are many benefits to drinking green tea every day. It gives you all the benefits of green tea. It gets more water into your system. It makes your tummy feel full. It is a comforting ritual. However if you are not able to enjoy the actual green tea beverage, you may still get some of the benefits by taking green tea extract in supplement form.

Many varieties of green tea have been created in countries where it is grown that can differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, processing and harvesting time. Over the last few decades green tea has begun to be subjected to many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of its long-purported health benefits, with some evidence suggesting regular green tea drinkers may have lower chances of heart disease and developing certain types of cancer.

While green tea polyphenols have been shown to inhibit the growth of human lung cancer cells in test tubes, few studies have investigated the link between green tea consumption and lung cancer in people and even these studies have been conflicting. One population-based study found that Okinawan tea (similar to green tea but partially fermented) was associated with decreased lung cancer risk, particularly among women. A second study revealed that green tea and black tea significantly increased the risk of lung cancer. As with colon and esophageal cancers, further studies are needed before researchers can draw any conclusions about green tea and lung cancer.

When using green tea as a hot drink; you are advised to use it prior sleep when the metabolism is slowing down. Weight loss products containing this product can take some getting used too and often there may be some bowel irritation for a couple of days but it will pass. Some people are worried about this reaction but this is how green tea weight loss supplements work, by making adjustments to the body’s metabolic rate. Providing you stick to your diet which would include exercise, an increase in fluids and vegetables you will see benefits within seven days of starting your diet.

Disease-preventing function by preventing high blood pressure or diabetes, (3) disease-recovery function by inhibiting the rise of cholesterol.

Reduces high blood pressure. Drinking green tea represses angiotensin II which leads to high blood pressure.

Ordinary tea, as most people know it, comes from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. There are three main types of tea: green tea, oolong tea, and black tea, categorized according to their oxidation levels (called the fermentation process). Green tea is steamed, baked, or pan heated to prevent oxidation and thus the leaves remain green. Unlike green tea, oolong tea is partially fermented, and black tea is fully fermented.



Maria

Mike asked:


I just beat the elite four in leaf green version, specifically where do i go now??

Russell

hot lips asked:


I’m sure not many of you have thought to give your cat a green olive, but Im curious why do they go nuts over them like cat nip or their fav toy. I think maybe its the salt, but try it let me know its real cute….. PS we do not feed our cat human food furmey is only super curious about green olives!

Jim

Marcus Stout asked:


Cancer is a complex, devastating illness which is responsible for the deaths of millions of people each year. For decades, scientists have been attempting to uncover some of the secrets of cancer in order to find a cure. While, so far, a cure has been out of reach, there appear to be some natural remedies which can prevent or slow cancer growth. One of those remedies is a beverage which is commonplace in many Asian households-tea.

The History of an Anti-Cancer Tool

Tea has been a dietary staple for 500,000 years. People in India and China appear to be among the first to have enjoyed this beloved beverage. But it’s one variety in particular-Camellia sinensis-which appears to have a number of health benefits associated with it. That variety is also known as green tea.

What Makes Green Tea Special

Green tea is unique in that it is produced from unfermented leaves and it contains a high concentration of polyphenols, which are chemicals that can serve as antioxidants. Antioxidants are essentially on a search-and-destroy mission against free radicals, compounds which compromise DNA and destroy cells. Free radicals are often to blame for the development of cancer as well as heart disease. The antioxidants immobilize free radicals and inhibit the damage often associated with them.

Medicinal Uses of Green Tea

For years, Asians have used green tea to promote a healthy lifestyle. It helps to promote good digestion, improve concentration, and promote the excretion of urine. In addition, a number of studies in human beings, animals, and in laboratories suggest that green tea can be effective in combating a number of ailments.

Green Tea’s Effect on Cancer of the Pancreas and Colon

In an article entitled, “Green Tea Consumption and the Risk of Pancreatic and Colorectal Cancers,” researchers B.T. Ji, W.H. Chow, A.W. Hsing, J.K. McLaughlin, Q. Dai, Y.T. Gao, W.J. Blot, and J.F. Fraumeni, Jr. examined the question of green tea’s effectiveness as an antidote to certain types of cancers.

The Columbia University researchers conceded that the effect of green tea on cancer risk is uncertain, although a number of animal studies seem to indicate a positive effect.

In order to test the hypothesis that drinking green tea can, in fact, lessen cancer risk, the researchers conducted an extensive study in Shanghai, China in order to see whether green tea consumption had any impact on cancers of the colon, rectum, and pancreas.

The research team found that the greater the consumption of green tea, the lesser the risk of cancer. As a result, it appears that green tea may, in fact, lower the incidence of both colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Yet, it should be noted that other similar studies have produced conflicting results. As a result, scientists recommend additional research before a definitive statement can be made about green tea as a colorectal cancer prevention tool.

As far as pancreatic cancer is concerned, another study showed that those individuals who consumed the most green tea were far less likely to develop the disease. It appears that the reduced risk is most pronounced in women, who cut their pancreatic cancer rate in half by drinking large amounts of green tea.

In contrast, male green tea drinkers were 37 percent less likely to develop the disease. However, it should be noted that it is impossible to tell from this particular study whether green tea was solely responsible for cutting pancreatic cancer risk.

Green Tea and Other Cancers

But what about other cancers? How effective has green tea been in preventing other forms of the disease? To begin with, cancer rates are often lower in Japan and other nations where green tea consumption is high. Animal studies also indicate that the polyphenols in green tea are effective antioxidants which kill cancerous cells, stopping them in their tracks.

A study of bladder cancer patients found that those who consumed green tea had a much better five-year survival rate than cancer patients who did not drink the beverage. In addition, animal studies appear to confirm that the chemicals in green tea stop the growth of ****** cancer cells.

One study of nearly 500 women with ****** cancer found that those who drank green tea did not see their cancer spread as much as those who did not consume green tea. Yet, those who were in the later stages of ****** cancer who drank green tea saw little or no improvement in their condition.

Animal studies also indicate that green tea can prevent the growth of cancer cells in the esophagus. But studies in human beings have yielded mixed results. For instance, one study showed that green tea could help prevent esophageal cancer-especially in women, while another indicated that the tea could actually increase the incidence of such cancer.

Consequently, additional research is needed before scientists can determine conclusively whether green tea can act as a cancer preventative.

The effects of green tea on lung and prostate cancer remain unclear. However, the beverage does seem to prevent the onset of skin cancer. There is also some evidence to suggest that it can inhibit the growth of stomach cancer cells.

It appears that green tea may be effective in the fight against inflammatory bowel disease. This is significant because people who suffer from this disease are at a greater risk for colon cancer. Specifically, green tea appears to reduce the inflammation characteristic of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, two forms of inflammatory bowel disease.

Green Tea and Chemotherapy

There have been lab tests to indicate that green tea can improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs such as doxorubicin and tamoxifen. But the positive effect has not yet been demonstrated in studies of human beings. In fact, green tea and green tea extracts are not recommended for prostate cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy.

The Final Word

Although scientific studies at this point are not altogether conclusive, there is strong evidence to suggest that green tea can be effective in preventing cancer. That may be particularly true for colorectal and pancreatic cancers. At this point, a number of doctors agree that, for most people, the health benefits of drinking green tea far outweigh the risks.



Ramon