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Your
Health
In Mind |
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Tea |
For several years it
has been suspected that drinking tea might help protect against heart
disease. One way in which tea could be protective is through the effects
of 'antioxidants' - chemicals in tea that help protect blood cholesterol
(among other blood components) from being oxidised. Oxidation of
cholesterol turns it into a form that is strongly associated with
increased risk of heart disease. This antioxidant effect of tea may also
be helpful in reducing the risk of some cancers. There are other ways in
which tea may be beneficial to health, too. For example, the same
chemicals that appear to protect blood cholesterol also reduce the
likelihood that blood will clot in the arteries of the heart (the
immediate cause of most heart attacks).
Tea has half
the amount of caffeine than coffee and far less than coke, nevertheless,
too much of a good thing CAN cause insomnia and nervousness. Note that
out of the three main types of tea, green tea contains the least
caffeine.
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Black Tea |
Benefits |
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Black
teas are the most consumed of the four types of teas. They are the
highest in caffeine, but still have antioxidant properties, just not
quite as much as others. They may lower
the risk of cancer due to high levels of antioxidants that prevent
the oxidation that damages DNA and turns normal cells cancerous.
Antioxidants such as flavonoids reduce cholesterol that clogs up
your blood vessels and prevents blood from reaching the heart.
Studies show that heart patients who drink four cups of black tea a
day for a month have greatly improved blood circulation. Compounds
found in black tea leaves fight cavities and can reduce plaque. |
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Green Tea |
Benefits |
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Green
tea, is seen by many to be the healthiest tea on the market. This is
because the antioxidant, epigalloctechin-3 gallate (or EGCG) that is
lost during the fermentation process of black and oolong teas, is
preserved in green tea. Green tea
may slow down the ageing process due to its high antioxidant
properties. It can help lower
blood cholesterol, and inhibits
the increase of blood pressure. It reduces
levels of oxidative stress, especially in smokers and is rich
in antioxidants.
Green tea is better than vitamin E at shielding cells from damage
that causes cancer and heart disease. The skin protection function
of green tea makes it a key ingredient in many skin products. |
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Oolong Tea |
Benefits |
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Oolong
tea, has large amounts of polyphenols which help remove free
radicals. Therefore helps prevents
skin damage such as dark pigmentation and liver spots that are
caused by free radicals. The
Polyphenols enhance the function of enzymes
and help to control obesity by
activating the enzyme responsible for dissolving triglyceride (fatty
deposits) and enhancing the function of fat metabolism. Some
believe that oolong tea is highly
effective in improving symptoms that are associated with weak kidney
and spleen energy. Polyphenol
helps reduce and prevents tooth decay. |
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White Tea |
Benefits |
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White
Tea, is the least common of the four types of teas (white,
green,
oolong, and
black). White
teas are the least processed of any tea and therefore taste the most
like fresh leaves or grass. They also have the lowest amount of
caffeine and most likely have the highest antioxidant properties. |
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Herbal Teas |
Herbal teas do not contain tea leaves from the Camellia sinensis
plant and therefore cannot be technically classified as a tea. This
does not mean that herbal teas do not have health benefits, they
have many, but these perhaps differ from those of real tea.
Herbal
teas are made from flowering plants without woody stems. Herbal
infusions can include flowers, herbs, fruit and spices. These
infusions are caffeine-free unlike all other types of tea.
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