The Chinese have used green tea to treat disease for many centuries. Today, Western culture is beginning to appreciate the benefits of green tea.

Recent research has revealed some of the health benefits of using green tea including the possible prevention of rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cataracts and even cancer.

Green tea aids weight loss programs. Studies have shown that drinking green tea helps you burn more calories.

One of the best benefits of green tea is its ability to fight bacteria. This gives your immune system a boost. It also helps kill bacteria that cause plaque and subsequent tooth decay. Green tea can help fight food poisoning, as well.

In addition, green tea can help lower blood sugar and cholesterol. It even helps slow the aging process!

Why is green tea so beneficial? It has to do with the way it is processed.

Black tea and oolong tea are fermented, but green tea is steamed. Fermenting oxidizes the antioxidants in the leaves and renders the antioxidant much less effective. Steaming the leaves keeps the antioxidants intact.

How much green tea do you need to reap all of the great benefits? Recommendations vary from 3 to 10 cups a day. One thing is certain: more is better, so drink as many cups as you like!

Even though green tea has lots of great benefits, many of us are not about to give up our morning cup of coffee. Guess what? No problem!

You will be glad to hear that new studies have shown there are some healthy benefits of coffee drinking.

Coffee seems to offset some of the damage caused by bad habits such as smoking or heavy drinking. Some smokers who also drink coffee have been shown to have less heart disease than other smokers. Some heavy drinkers who also drink coffee regularly have less incidence of liver damage than expected.

Besides the caffeine in coffee, there are other ingredients that are beneficial to our health.

Coffee contains antioxidants including quinines, chlorogenic acid and tocopherols as well as essential minerals such as magnesium. All of these aid glucose metabolism and may, as a result, reduce the risk of diabetes.

Animal studies published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry suggest coffee antioxidants boost the activity of enzymes which may protect against colon cancer.

Trigonelline is another beneficial ingredient in coffee which may help prevent tooth decay. Other benefits of coffee include reducing the risk of Parkinson's disease, helping relieve asthma symptoms and tension headaches, and inhibiting the formation of gallstones.

Now you can enjoy your morning brew with no sense of guilt!

About the author:

Lee Dobbins writes for Online Gourmet Foods where you can find out more about eating gourmet every day!