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IT’S ALL IN
A CUP OF TEA
Article by herbalist Dave
Hawkins, MH, CNC
As the weather
turns cooler, a warm, steaming mug in our hands brings us
both refreshment and comfort. Instead
of heading for the coffee pot this winter, try a cup of hot
tea instead. Your body will thank you;
the health benefits of tea are coming to light in the
United States with studies showing links to better heart
health, reduced cancer risk, and better skin, just to name a few.
Recent research
exploring the potential health attributes of tea
is leading
many scientists to agree that tea, both black and green,
may contribute positively to a healthy lifestyle.
Fruits,
vegetables and tea all contain important antioxidants.
Research suggests these phytonutrients
may contribute substantially to the promotion of health and
the prevention of chronic disease.
Recent research studies
reveal the antioxidants in tea may inhibit the growth of
cancer cells, support dental health, increase bone density
and strengthen cardiovascular health”, stated Jeffrey
Blumberg, Ph.D., Human
Nutrition
Research
Center
on Aging at
Tufts
University.
Which tea to
choose?
A rainbow of color choices:
black, green, white and red are available, each offering
unique health boosters. Both green and
black teas come from the same plant, Camellia
sinensis.
Black tea undergoes a fermenting process that produces
the darker color, while green tea is steamed and dried.
Green tea that has undergone minimal handling
processes is referred to as white tea.
A newcomer to the publicity surrounding the health benefits
of tea is red in hue and is not really a tea at all.
Red tea, or rooibos, is
an herbal brew, or tisane, from a South African plant that
has a citrus flavor.
Flavonoids,
a type of plant nutrient found in tea, are reportedly
responsible for the amazing health benefits of the
beverage. Thousands of flavonoids
are distributed throughout the plant world
and many have
antioxidant functions. This means they are
capable of
mopping up and deactivating potentially harmful free
radicals when, if left to roam the body, may spark chronic
health problems such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer,
cataracts, inflammation, arthritis and even Alzheimer's
disease.
For example, evidence from a study in
Holland has indicated that people
with a measurably higher flavonoid
intake have a reduced risk of heart disease compared with
those who consume less. One cup of tea
provides nearly 200mg of flavonoids,
most of which are released in the first minute of brewing.
Upping your tea consumption to three cups a day will
boost your flavonoid levels by
25% over just two weeks.
One
Boston area study has concluded that
folks drinking five to six cups of tea per day can also
boost the body’s first line of defense against infection.
"We found that certain molecules were shared by
bacteria, parasites, and vegetables - and one of the
vegetables was tea," says study author Dr. Jack F.
Bukowski, an assistant
professor of medicine at
Harvard
Medical
School
and staff rheumatologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
"These molecules could activate a certain component
of the immune system called gamma delta T lymphocytes,
which are very important as the first line of defense
against infection and tumors," he says.
In animal
research, tea has been shown to reduce cancer risk by about
two-thirds. Both clinical and large-population studies
suggest black or green tea reduces the risk of a host of
cancers, in particular, stomach and colorectal. "There's a
lot of evidence that oxidative stress is what damages DNA,
causing it to mutate and become cancer," explains Blumberg.
"Catechins seem to promote
something we call programmed cell death: when an injured
cell can't repair itself, it commits suicide instead of
becoming cancerous."
Consumption of
about three large cups per day should provide significant
cancer protection. Good examples of
these benefits are populations in
Japan and
China, where tea
consumption is highest and cancer rates are significantly
lower than the Western world.
Tea helps
prevent sunburn and even skin cancer. At the
University
of Arizona,
researchers found that drinking hot black tea appears to
protect against squamous-cell
carcinoma.
The polyphenols in
tea interfere with the cell reproduction that leads to
these cancers. Wearing tea may be just as useful;
studies
show that green-tea compounds in skin lotions may protect
against, and even reverse, sun damage.
Increased bone
density is also reported among tea drinkers, possibly due
to the fluoride in tea, coupled with the
catechins. Tea, especially
oolong, has been shown to suppress bacterial growth in the
mouth, and it helps to prevent cavities.
Natural chemicals found in tea can also inhibit the
growth of bacteria that cause bad breath.
The health
benefits listed above all refer to properties of green,
black and white teas. The new kid on
the block in the West, red tea, is reported to have similar
effects. Indigenous to the
Cedarberg mountain region of
South Africa, the
rooibos plant produces a
mild-tasting tea that has no caffeine and high levels of
polyphenol antioxidants.
Recent studies cite protection from cancer, stroke
and heart disease among the benefits of red tea.
Though not backed by scientific study, there are
anecdotal reports dating back several decades indicating a
decrease allergy symptoms, headaches, sleep problems, and
even infant colic from drinking
rooibos.
So, warm up the
healthy way this winter. Enjoy a hot
cup of your favorite tea, whether it is green, black,
white, or red. For maximum health
benefits, drink three to five cups daily.
Be sure to steep for at least one minute - when it
comes to steeping, the longer the better.
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