Drinks

 Approximately 70% of fresh water is consumed by agriculture.

Water can disolve many different substances thus giving it different tastes and odours.  It also absorbs toxins which are harmful to the body i.e. throught plastic bottles.  Trends are now changing and most people now prefer to drink tap water or filtered tap water rather than "spring bottled water" 

Coffee and Teas are natural plant products. Coffee being produced from roasted seeds and tea, from steeping plant leaves, buds or twigs.

Many studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumption and certain medical conditions whether the effects of coffee are positive or negative is still disputed.

There are 4 basic types of true tea; black tea, oolong tea, green tea and white tea. Herbal tea usually refers to infusions of fruit or herbs made from anything other than the leaves of the tea bush. My favourites, at the moment, are blueberry or blackcurrant tea..they are very refreshing. Herbal Teas are often consumed for their physical or medicinal effects, especially for their stimulant, relaxant and sedative properties. Herbal tea can also have different effects from person to person.

Over the last few decades Green Tea has been subjected to many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of it's long-purported health benefits with some evidence suggesting regular Green Tea drinkers may have lower chances of heart disease and developing certain types of cancer. Green Tea has also been claimed useful for weight loss management.

Beer is the world's oldest and most popular alcoholic beverage. Beer is made by brewing...the fermentation of sugars derived from starch-based materials like barley, wheat, corn and rice. Brewer's yeast is also known to be a rich source of nutrients therefore, as expected, beer contains significant amounts of nutrients. However, the primary health benefit from beer comes from the alcohol it contains.

Wine is made from the fermentation of grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids and other nutrients. Both red wine and red grape juice are full of hundreds of antioxidants that work together to help keep blood vessels in great shape and your blood pressure in check. High blood pressure is know as the 'silent killer' because there are no obvious synmptoms, yet it can trigger a stroke.

Alcohol beverages contain ethanol which has a depressant effect on the body. These should be taken in  moderation although their consumption has significant health benefits.

Soft Drinks contain high fructose corn syrup and have been criticised for having many detrimental effects on human health. Many soft drinks contain food additives, such as, colouring, flavourings and preservatives. Ask PG does not recommend drinking these. The healthy option is to drink water, milk, yoghurt drinks or natural fruit juices.

All phyto drinks are good for your body as long as you limit your consumption to a moderate amount.