WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- With thoughts of the toll Thanksgiving can take on diet and portion control, how many people were delighted this weekend to open one national Sunday newspaper and read the full page ad for Enviga?
This canned green tea drink is the joint production of Nestlé and Coca Cola. And its advertising pitch is that drinking it will burn off calories.
Apparently, if you swallow three of the 12-ounce cans a day -- more won't work -- your body will burn 60 to 100 extra calories.
Coca-Cola's chief scientist Dr. Rhona Applebaum says in a company news release, "Enviga contains the optimum blend of green tea extracts (EGCG), caffeine and naturally active plant micronutrients designed to work with your body to increase calorie burning, thus creating a negative calorie effect."
Wow! There never were such days, as my father-in-law would say.
Study conducted at the Nestlé Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, is behind the companies' assertion that "the equivalent of three Enviga beverages over the course of the day resulted in a noticeable increase in calorie burning."
If that's not persuasive enough, John Hackett, senior vice president of Coca-Cola North America Marketing, says, "Enviga is a great tasting beverage that invigorates your metabolism to gently burn calories, and it's a positive step people can take as part of a balanced lifestyle -- like taking the stairs."
So we can stop taking even that modest amount of exercise.
It's not clear how many people took part in the research -- one blog maintains it was as low as 35. But John Sicher, editor of New York's Beverage Digest, told the BBC that it was unlikely Coca-Cola and Nestlé would make claims that they could not stand up.
In any event, a loss of 60 to 100 calories is not great for an investment of between $1.29 and $1.49 per can. A person weighing 150 pounds can lose 100 calories in one hour just doing the ironing.
No doubt it's bound to be good for the two food industry megaliths. With so many calorific products on their inventories, they can be seen to be doing something with a view to regulating people's weight. And if the drink takes off, not only will it boost their reputations as innovators in the drinks market, it will also benefit their bottom lines. Currently Enviga is only being marketed in the North East but it is scheduled for roll-out nationally in January.
Just don't believe that this is the solution to your problems of obesity or overweight. Eating well, eating less, exercising more is still the most positive action to take.
Green tea and white tea are being heavily promoted for their health properties. A prime focus is the belief that their antioxidants may delay the onset of cancer. Scientists at the Saitama Cancer Research Institute in Japan found that early-stage breast cancer spreads less rapidly in women who have a history of drinking five or more cups of green tea a day.
Whether this is the case, teas drunk clear and without sweeteners are as effective as water in curbing appetite and making you feel full. And brewing your own cup makes for a far healthier bank balance.
The flavor and strength of tea is defined by its fermentation. Black tea is completely fermented and oxidized, so has the fullest flavor and body. Oolong is part-fermented, so has a milder flavor. Green tea, the subject of all these latest health claims, is not fermented at all, but steamed.
It was the Portuguese who introduced tea to Europe, shipping it back from Macao. When Charles II of England married Catherine of Braganza in 1662, she brought it with her to court. Suddenly tea salons and tea gardens were the thing. Mid-afternoon became the time to call, and drop the newly-invented calling cards if the lady of the house was herself paying a visit elsewhere.
Tea in China has been drunk clear for more than 2,500 years. It was the English who added lemon or milk and sugar. And came up with the little sandwiches, cakes and pastries that turned the whole ceremony into an occasion for an exchange of gossip.
This is how to make a good brew of Japanese green tea for 4.
-- 1 teapot, warmed with hot water and drained
-- 4 cups or mugs, warmed with hot water and drained
-- 5 tbsp green tea leaves
-- 4 cups of very hot (190 F) water (it must not boil -- this ruins the leaves)
-- Place the loose tea leaves into the warmed teapot.
-- Add water and steep for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how deeply flavored you like the taste.
-- Pour into warmed cups through a strainer and drink.
