Wednesday, November 30, 2005

The Great Green Tea Health Benefits Debate

Green tea prevents cancer.
Green tea doesn't prevent cancer.
Green tea cures cancer.
Green tea doesn't cure cancer.
Oh, what is the answer?

Okay, I'm not going to win any awards based on the merits of that particular heap of verse. But I wanted to chime in and point out that two of the nation's biggest newspapers weighed in this month with articles examining green tea's alleged health benefits. Coincidence? Hell if I know.

Yesterday the New York Times offered up a brief piece that concludes, pretty much, that green tea sort of maybe might help "lower the risk of cancer." Read it here.

Earlier this month the Los Angeles Times published a now much reprinted piece that takes a much more in-depth look at the whole green tea health benefits issue. Not surprisingly, this article - though more informative - doesn't really arrive at a firm conclusion either. Read it here or reprinted at Newsday here.

My conclusion - if you're a mouse, you're in luck. Of course, if you're reading this you're not probably not a mouse, so shut up and drink some tea already and stop worrying so much.

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