How about a Valentine’s Day tonic for your heart?

Whatever big Valentine’s Day surprise you’ve got planned for your better half (you did remember it’s today, didn’t you?), there’s one small gift you can still add that may be the most important one of all.

And it’s only a hop, skip, and a jump away at your nearest supermarket.

No, it’s not a big box of sugary chocolates, fancy truffles, or even a bouquet of flowers.

Instead, I’m talking about giving the object of your affection something that will help keep their heart healthy, their blood sugar well-balanced, and do wonders for their brain — and it’s none other than green tea.

But you don’t want to just grab the first box of it you find. There are some important things you need to know to make sure your valentine (and you) will be getting all of the benefits this traditional “health tonic” has to offer.

The power of green
I’m not sure that we needed any additional studies on green tea to tell us how healthy of a beverage it is, but now there’s even more good news. And this time, it’s about how it can help to regulate blood sugar.

A study out of the University of Golas in Brazil has found that compounds in green tea are more effective than the frontline diabetes med metformin when it comes to stabilizing blood sugar in woman at risk for diabetes — perhaps even preventing them from coming down with
type 2.

The Brazilian researchers also found that green tea can effectively lower cholesterol.

While this was a small study on just 120 women described as being “overweight,” the evidence of the amazing benefits of this beverage is growing by leaps and bounds all of the time. Just last summer, I told you about some research out of China that discovered how green tea is potent enough to counteract the harmful effects of some really bad dietary choices.

In that study, after feeding laboratory mice an extremely high-fat diet with added fructose, members of the group that also received a beneficial compound found in green tea didn’t pack on the pounds, and they were even resistant to insulin spikes from that damaging fructose.

So, what are the incredible ingredients in green tea that can work this kind of medicinal magic?

The one considered the most potent of the “catechins” found in these leaves has the tongue-twisting name epigallocatechin-3-gallate, more easily pronounced as EGCG.

EGCG can not only lower your blood pressure, and in turn, your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, but also boost your brain function and even ward off cancer!

Now, while green tea may tip the scales when it comes to a health-promoting brew, it does, like most all teas, contain fluoride from the soil. Conventionally grown teas (not organic) can also contain pesticides. In fact, a study done on some big brand names like Lipton and Tetley found that 8 in 10 contained chemical residues.

But there are three easy ways to get all of the health benefits that green tea has to offer while limiting those risks.

#1 Keep it loose: Instead of tea bags, look for a high-quality loose green tea to brew up in a teapot or strainer. Loose leaves are typically fresher and higher in antioxidants — and the fresher (or younger) the leaves are, the less fluoride they’ve absorbed.

#2 Go organic: The best way to be sure that your tea doesn’t contain pesticides or other chemical residues is to simply buy an organic brand, something easily found in most any supermarket these days.

#3 Check the country of origin: While tea is said to have originated in China eons ago, the soil in Japan (according to the World Health Organization) is lower in fluoride. Due to decades of heavy pollution in that country, Chinese tea has also been found to be the most contaminated.

So, why not toast your valentine this year with something that will be beneficial for both of your hearts?

“Green tea ‘can beat diabetes’ and help control blood sugar levels, scientists claim” Sarah Westcott, February 12, 2018, Express, express.co.uk