Supplement of the month: green tea

Men's Fitness, June-July, 2005 by Christopher R. Mohr

WHAT IT DOES

Green tea (and green-tea extracts) has been shown to speed metabolism and enhance weight loss, increase energy levels and brain power, and even act as a powerful antioxidant, killing cell-damaging free radicals in the body.

WHY YOU NEED MORE

After water, there is absolutely no better beverage than green tea. It's no exaggeration to say new studies on the benefits of green tea and green-tea extract are being published on an almost daily basis. And even if fat loss isn't your primary concern, researchers have linked green tea with a reduced risk of nearly every ailment known to man, including cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease--even premature aging. All you need is a couple of cups of green tea a day. The latest finding: According to a new Japanese study, men who took green-tea extract for 10 weeks were able to boost their endurance levels during exercise by 8%-24%!

WHERE TO GET IT

The tea-bag aisle of your local market, obviously. You can buy a liquid green-tea extract--like those available from pureinvenfions.com--which you add to water. Avoid, however, pre-made, bottled green teas, which can be loaded with sugar and may lack some of the most important disease-fighting nutrients.