I’ve decided to stick with the smoothie theme this week.

A team at Georgia Health Sciences University is conducting some interesting research on green tea and Sjogren’s Syndrome.  Green tea seems to be everyone’s favorite anti-inflammatory cure-all, but I’m still sifting my way through the hyperbolic claims in search of hard, scientific data supporting green tea’s claims to fame.  Here are some interesting online articles if you’re interested in reading more about green tea’s beneficial effects for autoimmune disorders:

Green Tea and EGCG May Help Prevent Autoimmune Diseases (2007)

Green Tea, Cancer, and Autoimmune Disease (2009)

Green Tea Helps Fight Autoimmune Disease (2011)

Mechanism Discovered for Health Benefit of Green Tea, New Approach to Autoimmune Disease (2011)

Green Tea Polyphenols Shown to Prevent Fatal Autoimmune Disease (2011)

I drink green tea because I like how it tastes, with fingers crossed for the additional health benefits.  If you’re not a fan of green tea’s slightly astringent flavor (and even if you are),  blending your green tea into a fruit smoothie gives you all of green tea’s health benefits in a yummy treat.  Combining green tea with anti-inflammatory pineapple and strawberries creates a particularly potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant cocktail.  The Gent and I both find this a refreshing reward after a steamy afternoon of gardening and yard work in the Iowa sunshine.  (It’s even more of a reward when sipped while lounging in a hammock under a shady tree…)

Strawberry-Pineapple Green Tea Smoothie

1 cup brewed green tea (I use bancha or sencha), chilled

1/2 cup fresh (not canned) pineapple

1 cup frozen or fresh strawberries

2-3 ice cubes

Brew the green tea with either a cold-brew or hot-brew method:

To cold-brew the tea: Mix 1 tsp green tea per 8 oz. cold water in a glass bottle or pitcher and leaving to steep for 1 to 2 hours.  Strain out the tea leaves and store the unused tea in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.  After that, its antioxidant oomph may start to wane.

To hot-brew the tea: Make sure not to pour boiling water on the leaves, which will bring out bitterness in the tea.  Brew the hot tea at around 180 F for 1 to 2 minutes, and then strain out tea leaves.  Chill the tea in the refrigerator.

Combine the chilled green tea, strawberries, pineapple, and ice in a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Garnish with mint, if desired, and enjoy!  Makes one 16-oz. serving.