The health benefits of green tea

"It's the healthiest thing I can think of to drink," says Dr. Christopher Ochner. He is a nutrition research scientist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Of course, no food will protect you from diseases. Your health is made up of your lifestyle and your genes, so even if you drink green tea all day, you also need to take care of yourself in other ways, such as not smoking, being active, and eating healthy meals.

Green tea has been shown to improve blood flow and lower cholesterol. A 2013 review of several studies found that green tea helped prevent a range of heart-related problems, from high blood pressure to congestive heart failure.

Green tea appears to help keep blood sugar stable in people with diabetes. Ochner says that since catechins lower cholesterol and blood pressure, they can help protect against damage that a high-fat diet can cause.

How about losing weight?

Some evidence suggests that the active ingredient in green tea, may help you drop a few pounds, and other studies show no effect.

But green tea is a smart swap for sugary drinks.

"All things being equal, if you cut down 1-2 cups of green tea for one can of soda, over the next year, you'll save more than 50 calories," Ochner says. Just don't overdo it with honey or sugar!

Its effects on cancer?

Studies on the effect of green tea on cancer have been mixed. But green tea is known to help healthy cells in all stages of growth. There is some evidence that green tea may help destroy cancer cells, but this research is still in its early stages, so we should not rely on green tea to prevent cancer. In fact, the National Cancer Institute website says that it "does not recommend or does not use tea to reduce the risk of any type of cancer."

Perhaps the biggest benefit, which you get right away, is just taking a tea break. Here's how to make your cup:

Do not add green tea to boiling water. It's bad for the antioxidants, those healthy chemicals, in tea. Better: 160-170 degrees water.