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Amanda L. Chan
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Warm Up! The Health Benefits (And Pitfalls) Of 5 Fall Drinks

First Posted: 10/24/2011 8:36 am   Updated: 02/ 6/2012 3:01 pm

As the temperatures drop, there's nothing like curling up with a warm beverage.

And fortunately, many of our favorite fall drinks also have nutritional benefits, with possible powers to ward off cancer, defeat free radicals and even help provide the day's value of protein, says American Dietetic spokesperson Debbi Beauvais, a registered dietitian based in Rochester, N.Y.

Just be mindful of what you drink -- some beverages are innocuous at the heart, but can become calorie bombs when you add cream, sugar and flavorings, she said.

"Sugar and fat are what makes foods flavorful," Beauvais told HuffPost. "You really have to be mindful of nutrition that goes with that," or a drink can go from calorie-free to a calorie-laden treat.

Check out health benefits -- and potential nutritional pitfalls -- of five common warm drinks.

Green Tea
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Green tea, which is made of unfermented tea leaves, is healthy because it contains high amounts of antioxidants that are called polyphenols, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Antioxidants are known to take up compounds called "free radicals" -- which the body produces naturally and acquires through the environment -- that can cause cell damage.

Studies have shown that drinking three cups of green tea a day can decrease heart attack rate by 11 percent, and that it can also raise levels of "good" HDL cholesterol, UMMC reported. Other research has linked drinking green tea with lower levels of bladder, breast and colorectal cancer.

HuffPost blogger and integrative medicine expert Dr. Andrew Weil wrote in a blog entry last year:

"Studies either strongly suggest or confirm that the antioxidants in green tea can reduce LDL cholesterol, promote fat burning, reduce the risk of several forms of cancer and alleviate depression. But tea is much more than the healthful compounds in it. It is an experience, and for me, a personal story of discovery that continues to this day."
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As the temperatures drop, there's nothing like curling up with a warm beverage. And fortunately, many of our favorite fall drinks also have nutritional benefits, with possible powers to ward off c...
As the temperatures drop, there's nothing like curling up with a warm beverage. And fortunately, many of our favorite fall drinks also have nutritional benefits, with possible powers to ward off c...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
onwisconsin
Trust women; protect choice.
1617 Fans
04:10 PM on 10/26/2011
One of my all-time favorite drinks in the winter: hot chocolate with bailey's irish cream.

Hey -- at least I use skim milk.
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Good Days
103 Fans
 
02:34 PM on 10/26/2011
Coffee is a big favorite around the office, but we will have to try these others out. Our organization, Good Days from Chronic Disease Fund, is dedicated to helping chronic disease sufferers with their medical care. Please help these sufferers too, and support our organization! http://www.gooddaysfromcdf.org/
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NCproreader
0 Fans
05:51 PM on 10/25/2011
Before citing drinking coffee as a risk factor for lung cancer the author of this article may want to actually read the article this information was obtained from.

It was a meta-analysis from 1966 to 2009. Okay what did most people have with their coffee and might still have? Cigarettes! Guess what even the authors of the study said:

"Because the residual confounding effects of smoking or other factors may still exist, these results should be interpreted with caution."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19362749

Always look at your confounding variables when analyzing research and posting conclusions... Mr. or Ms. Editor and stop trying to scare the masses!

Hopefully the author of this article will add the approriate disclaimer, I am sure the researchers would appreciate not being misquoted.. ...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
lthrnck68
Reading IS
45 Fans
05:17 PM on 10/25/2011
Hey! Why should we care? Unless we drink gallons of the stuff, there's no reason to be concerned about how healthy these drinks are or are not. It's the warmth and flavor that counts. Unless you have a pre-existing medical condition that's affected by even one cup of any of the drinks mentioned.
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kcluvinit
0 Fans
03:52 PM on 10/25/2011
What about instant coffee?????
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brendaf031266
144 Fans
05:31 PM on 10/25/2011
Oh yeah! My mom used to drink "Sure Fine Instant Coffee" back in hte 70's and 80's. It was the store brand. And it was nasssstttyy! hahaha
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
george22552
27 Fans
03:50 PM on 10/25/2011
Ever O.D. on caffein ? I've FELT at times as if I HAVE ! ! I don't drink coffee - only tea ! I stop after two cups back to back - TWO ! Then I convert to de-caf tea 'cause if I DON'T change over it'll feel like my insides are RACIN ' ! If I had the opprtunity to check my blood pressure after one cup I'd do that but, of course, I can't ! Until I CAN I'm going to moniotr my caffein intake to only TWO consecutive cups of regular tea. If I happen to go over my caffein intake of 2 you'll be able to tell because THEN I'll BEtypingSOfastI'll NEEDtoUNDERLINEeveryOTHERword ! ! ! !

So, . . . slow. . . . me. . . . down. . . .after. . . . my. . . .second. . . .cup. . . . ! O. . . .K. . . ?
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joannamnt
0 Fans
08:23 PM on 10/25/2011
I tend to frequent a local loose-leaf tea shop, and the owner of the store taught me how to decaffeinate tea. She says that one of the first chemicals to be released by the boiling water is caffeine, and it happens very quickly. So, you have the tea bag in the mug/teapot, fill with water and then discard that water quickly. Then refill with fresh hot water and you have greatly reduced the amount of caffeine from your cup of tea, without sacrificing much in flavor (I have found that I like to let it steep an extra minute when I do this, but I also like my tea to be strong).
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gcoreyx
14 Fans
03:47 PM on 10/25/2011
Hot cocoa with marshmallows in front of the fire watching elf :) can't wait for the snow!
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ramirezali
0 Fans
03:02 PM on 10/25/2011
Reminder: Not everything you read is true, however there is truth that caffenine is in coffee and tea. The solution is to drink coffee and tea that is organic and healthy, if you are interested in finding out more, here is a great website with information http://www.castephens.organogold.com/biz. The best thing is to become educated and make the best choices that fit your lifestyle and taste...my best to all of you.
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liephman88
Drum roll please! And the truth is...........
132 Fans
02:33 PM on 10/25/2011
I like my coffee like my life, Dark and bitter.
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pisswilliepete
52 Fans
02:02 PM on 10/25/2011
Ya think! obviously too much of anything is not good for ya, but if I'm gonna sit here and worry myself sick over it, then it'll prolly kill me alot quicker than anything that I'm gonna put in my mouth.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
db025
100 Fans
11:43 AM on 10/25/2011
>"there such thing as too much caffeine from coffee?

There is, but you would have to drink an incredible amount of coffee to get the caffeine levels that are toxic, Beauvais said."<

That didn't stop government "experts" from interfering with companies and jobs by making laws regarding diet sodas and non-sugar sweeteners, non-smoke emitting, non-tobacco cigarettes, harmless school games (dodgeball, hide and seek, etc.).

"Experts are people who take the simple and make it confusing."
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biarritz84
26 Fans
11:01 AM on 10/25/2011
I'M MADDER THAN A MORMON IN A COFFEE HOUSE FULL OF CHAIN SMOKERS READING THIS LOL! I don't care who you are that's funny right there.... LET'S GET-R-DONE !! ROFL
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gizmoprof
1 Fans
10:55 AM on 10/25/2011
Oh come on! This is supposed to be news? Add cream and sugar to a drink, and it is no longer "healthy"? WTF. This may be quality journalism by Huffington Post standards, but by all other standards, this is just garbage. Where is the real "news"?
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freethinkergirl
No Teapublican will ever define who I am..
9217 Fans
03:39 PM on 10/25/2011
On the other threads...
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mermaid5
2 Fans
10:36 AM on 10/25/2011
One thing you must be careful of is the fact that most apples are loaded with toxins from pesticides and unless the cider is organic, it too, will be contaminated.
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CapsFan1988
77 Fans
02:29 PM on 10/25/2011
the amish make really good Cider, that is organic... some supermarkets sell it (and it says organic, but it is also a lot more expensive), but i forget the name.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
onwisconsin
Trust women; protect choice.
1617 Fans
04:08 PM on 10/26/2011
You can buy organic cider in season. You just have to pay more for it.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Still kickin
life should be Little House meets the Jetsons :)
67 Fans
10:31 AM on 10/25/2011
You could make hot cocoa the way the original natives in SA did.....as a spicy drink, with cayenne/hot pepper, instead of sugar. Water, not milk. Quite an interesting taste.....though my tastebuds keep screaming for sugar.....
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CapsFan1988
77 Fans
02:32 PM on 10/25/2011
exactly. I am not a big sweets person, and the only type of chocolate i really like is the bars that are made with cayenne and other peppers... i must try this Aztec HOT chocolate drink!
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