Tea is Good for Your Health

T ea is one of the most popular drinks ever. In fact around the world, it is the most commonly consumed beverage after water. The simple tea leaf has conquered the world and has become a beloved drink that billions of people enjoy. However, tea is not just an ordinary beverage. This delicately flavored drink offers numerous important health benefits.

Tea is a caffeine-containing beverage made by steeping the dried leaves and buds of the shrub Camellia Sinensis in hot water for a few minutes. The origin and history of tea and tea drinking is unclear but the use of tea as a beverage drunk on special occasions, dates from the Tang Dynasty in China. The first Europeans may have encountered tea while journeying through Asia. Soon, tea became very popular in Europe, especially among the wealthy.

The main varieties of tea are black, green and red (oolong) tea. All of these tea variants offer many health benefits. Studies have found out that tea contains polyphenols. This gives tea its antioxidant and cancer-fighting properties. A number of studies have proven the anti-cancer properties of polyphenols. This antioxidant help protect cells from the normal, but damaging physiological process known as "oxidative stress". Oxygen, in spite of its being a very vital component of life, is also incorporated in substances called free radicals. These substances damage the cells in the body and is said to cause heart disease and cancer.

The polyphenols in tea can reduce gastric, esophageal and skin cancers. Polyphenols can also help prevent blood clotting and lower cholesterol levels. All types of tea contain polyphenols, regardless of the processing method, whether black, green or oolong. Herbal teas, on the other hand, are not derived from the Camellia Sinensis and do not have the same health-promoting properties. Most herbal teas are only infusions made with herbs, flowers, roots and spices.

Another health benefit of tea is that it has virtually no calories. Tea is a perfect beverage for people who are trying to reduce weight. It is also a preferred alternative to coffee as it has less caffeine. A cup of tea contains half the amount of caffeine in an equally-sized cup of coffee. A cup of tea contains 40mg of caffeine compared to 85mg in a cup of brewed coffee. Iced teas have the same antioxidant power. It is not known yet whether decaffeinated tea has the same polyphenols.

Tea also contains fluoride for strong teeth. Inevitably, tea ranks high in the ORAC score than other fruits and vegetables. The ORAC score measures antioxidant potential in plant-based food. Studies are still being conducted on the health benefits of tea and more discoveries are being made. Much remains to be learned of the many health benefits of tea. Green tea also seems to help protect the body from autoimmune disorders.

There is a Chinese proverb that says "Better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one". This speaks of the beneficial effects that the ancient Chinese have discovered in tea. For thousands of years, the culture of drinking tea has not diminished. Not only does tea offer a soothing and relaxing drink, it boosts the energy as well. You do not need a medical study to know that tea can relieve a scratchy throat or ease a headache. So, when enjoying a cup of tea, smile and think of the numerous health benefits of tea: it fights heart disease, lowers cholesterol and prevents several types of cancer while protecting skin and strengthening bones and teeth.

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Information on Green Tea Diet

F or centuries now, the benefits of green tea diets have been the subject of countless writings and scientific investigations.

More than four thousand years ago, green tea diet has become a staple beverage for most Asians because of its countless health and medicinal benefits. It is said that the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung was the first one to have discovered green tea diet. Emperor Shen Nung was reported to have been boiling water when some leaves of a nearby plant fell into his pot. The leaves actually came from Camellia sinensis, the herb from which green tea diet is extracted.

Having a green tea diet is associated with several health benefits. One of the benefits of having a green tea diet is providing a potential cure for cancer. According to some studies, certain substances in green tea diet can destroy cancel cells without harming any neighboring healthy tissues. This substance in green tea diets is called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

The results of the study on the cancer benefit of green tea diets were astounding and it led to further more researches that investigate other aspects of green tea diet. In a study conducted by American and Swiss scientists in the University of Geneva, it has been found that the EGCG found in green tea diets can increase the 24-hour energy expenditure of the body. They concluded that this is due to the ability of antioxidants present in green tea diet to stimulate thermogenesis, otherwise known as fat metabolism. According to their findings, people who were on a green tea diet exhibited a significant four percent increase in their normal metabolic rates. This led the scientists to conclude that green tea diet has a major contributing factor in weight loss.

Another study conducted in China was designed to investigate further on green tea diet’s weight loss benefit. They decided that since green tea diet can significantly increase fat metabolism, then green tea diet probably would help lowering down cholesterol levels as well. Their hypothesis was proven when they introduced green tea diet on 240 people with mild to extremely high cholesterol levels. After only twelve weeks, they observed that those on a green tea diet dropped sixteen percent in their cholesterol levels.

Based on the above study, it can also be hypothesized that green tea diet can cure obesity. Green tea diet’s catechin polyphenols can delay the reaction of gastric and pancreatic lipases in the body. These enzymes are the ones responsible for storing calories into fats in the body. By delaying these enzymes, green tea diets can therefore lessen fat concentration and prevent obesity in people.

A truly remarkable beverage, green tea diet is used to improve the body’s health in many ways. Further studies were made on the benefits of green tea diets. The latest ones were able to prove that green tea diet can effectively protect the skin from damage due to ultraviolet light radiation. Green tea diet is also widely recognized as a substance that can protect against many different cancers such as stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, cancer of the colon, oral cancer, prostate cancer, and breast and cervical cancers.



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Ten Facts You Probably Did Not Know about Tea

L egend has it that a Chinese emperor was the first to discover Tea when some leaves were blown by chance into a bowl contain some boiling hot water. The tea we drink today is exactly the same and the brewing process has never been interfered with.

It is now known that men who drink black tea which contains catechins are 50% less likely to die of ischemic heart disease. This happens when our arteries become clogged and are unable to function as they should due to constriction.

We now know that drinking between a half and two cups of tea each and every day may promote fertility by inhibiting abnormalities in our chromosomes. In a recent test two hundred and fifty women drank as little as half a cup of tea per day and their pregnancy rates were double those who did not.

To get rid of puffy eyes lie on your bed or wherever and place either a moist teabag or tea compress over both of your eyes and leave for about 20 minutes. Swelling around the eyes will disappear and your eyes will return to their former glory.

One way to rid your refrigerator of unpleasant smells is to place one or two used tea bags somewhere within the fridge.

The next day any bad smell will be gone!
Use tea to kill warts. The tannic acid found in tea is said to be just as effective in killing warts as many wart removers that you can purchase over the counter at the local drug store! Soak a black tea bag in hot water, and then place the damp bag on the wart itself for fifteen minutes a couple of times each day. Slowly the wart will shrink and soon disappear.

Medical researchers have known for many years that men in Asian countries who consume green tea have very low instances of prostate cancer. Many prominent researchers are convinced that this is due to green tea containing many powerful antioxidants and preventative anti-cancer agents.

In recent Australian studies CSIRO scientists found that the occurrence of skin cancer in laboratory mice was greatly reduced when they were given black tea. It is thought that polyphenols which are very strong antioxidants and are contained in the tea are the most likely reason for this phenomenon.

The most expensive teabag in the world was made for the 75'th anniversary of the PG TIPS tea company. The bag was filled with two hundred and eighty diamonds and expensive limited edition tea leaves. The bag cost 7,500 pounds and was sold at auction in aid of a Children's hospital in the United Kingdom.

Did you know that Turkey is a nation of mainly Tea drinker?
In fact Turkey is now the worlds number one nation when it comes to tea drinking. Many Turks drink a staggering twenty to thirty cups per day each and tea is now practically.

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