I have read about the benefits of drinking green tea, but I have also read that caffeine robs the body of needed minerals

I have read about the benefits of drinking green tea, but I have also read that caffeine robs the body of needed minerals. I do not enjoy the decaffeinated version of green tea and have been told that the decaffeination process introduces chemicals into the tea. My question is: Am I doing myself morn harm than good by drinking one to two cups of caffeinated green lea per day?

Cliff Sowa

Colorado Springs, Colorado

There are two answers to your question. The first is that the emerging evidence supporting green tea seems to indicate that its health benefits far outweigh any potential drawbacks. In fact, there is some evidence--as we pointed out in our April 2004 issue ("Tea in a Pill," p. 30)--that the caffeine in tea may even have antioxidant properties.

That being said, if you're interested in cutting Caffeine out of your diet, you do have some alternatives to green tea. Red tea--which is made from rooibus. a South African bush--naturally contains no caffeine but has many of the same antioxidant properties as green tea. The same is true for white tea. In fact, because this Chinese tea goes through very little processing, it actually contains higher levels of antioxidants than most other teas. The only drawback is that white tea is very rare--and very expensive.

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