by Kelley Herring
If you frequently enjoy a splash of citrus in your green tea, you’re doing your body a favor.
New research shows that catechins—the primary antioxidants in green tea—are destroyed by digestion. In fact, less than 20 percent of these free-radical fighters remain by the time they’ve traversed your tract.
Researchers at Purdue University tested juices, creamers and other flavor enhancers added to fresh-brewed tea and then simulated gastric and small-intestinal digestion.
The study, published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, found that citrus juice boosted catechin levels by more than five times, while ascorbic acid boosted the concentration of the two most plentiful catechins. The most potent juice was lemon juice, causing 80 percent of tea's catechins to remain, followed by orange, lime and grapefruit juices.
So don’t let the healthy benefits of green tea go down the drain. Give your mug a squeeze of zesty lemon, sweet orange, fresh lime or tangy grapefruit. You’ll deliver pleasure to your senses and pack more potency into your tea.