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Health Benefits |
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Drink to Your Health! “As a survivor of Breast Cancer, Hepatitis C and a chronic heart condition, I have found tea drinking to be very beneficial to my health and overall well being. I feel that tea is an important health enhancement for everyone, and hope that I can help you to embrace the tea drinking experience as a way of life.” Introduction Black, green, oolong and white teas contain numerous active ingredients, including polyphenols and flavonoids, which are potent antioxidants. Antioxidants work to neutralize free radicals, which scientists believe, over time, damage elements in the body, such as genetic material and lipids, and contribute to chronic disease. “I'm a big fan of green tea, which has been shown to protect against both heart disease and cancer. The polyphenols in green tea help protect the body from cancer by destroying free radicals, and protect your heart by lowering cholesterol and improving lipid metabolism. If you're a coffee drinker, you'll do your body good by switching to green tea.”…Andrew Weil, MD Cancer The American Institute for Cancer Research says that: “Tea is the best source of catechins in the human diet, and studies have suggested that three to six cups of tea a day could play a role in lowering your cancer risk as part of other healthy eating and lifestyle habits. Green tea contains about three times the catechin content of black tea, so it might take fewer cups of this brew to derive benefits, but black tea supplies other flavonoids. In laboratory studies, substances from tea have been shown to slow or prevent cancer development in colon, liver, breast and prostate cells…Other studies involving green tea have shown similar protective effects in tissues of the lung, skin and digestive tract…Studies that track the diets of human subjects over several years – particularly studies conducted in Asia, where green tea consumption is common – have associated regular usage of green tea with lower risk for bladder, colon, stomach, pancreatic and esophageal cancers…Very recently, human clinical studies have begun to explore consumption of green tea among cancer survivors. Preliminary results suggest that regular consumption (3 or more cups/day) of green tea is associated with reduced recurrence of early (Stage I) breast cancer.” The National Cancer Institute (NCI) says that: “The antioxidants found in tea may selectively inhibit the growth of cancer. In laboratory studies using animals, catechins scavenged oxidants before cell damage occurred, reduced the number and size of tumors and inhibited the growth of cancer cells…One study showed steeping either green or black tea for about 5 minutes released over 80% of its catechins. Instant iced tea, on the other hand, contains negligible amounts of catechins…Two studies in China, one involving 18,000 men found tea drinkers were about half as likely to develop stomach or esophageal cancer as men who drank little tea, even after adjusting for other health and diet factors.” The American Cancer Society reports that hot black tea may lower risk of squamous cell skin cancers, citing a study by University of Arizona . They also reported that green tea may lower stomach cancer risk and the risk of chronic gastritis, which was published in the International Journal of Cancer (Vol. 92). Researchers at the Institute for Cancer Prevention have found that drinking green tea may reduce the risk of mouth cancer in smokers. Using human subjects, they found that five cups of green tea daily over a four week period, significantly reduced DNA damage in the mouth cells of smokers, reducing their likelihood of developing precancerous lesions and ultimately cancer. Researchers at Rutgers University found that a compound in black tea, called TF-2 caused colorectal cancer cells to “commit suicide” while normal cells were unaffected. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Medical Center provide further evidence that drinking green tea may help prevent prostate cancer. Animal studies showed that the equivalent of 6 cups of green tea daily showed significant inhibition of prostate cancer development and its spread. Diabetes Tea can be an effective weapon in the fight against diabetes because it boosts insulin activity in the body by more than 15-fold, scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. "This is just one of the many well-established benefits that tea may have," researcher Richard Anderson, a biochemist at the USDA's Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Maryland said. The scientists found black, green and oolong teas boosted insulin activity. This effect was seen with both caffeinated and non-caffeinated teas (not herbal teas). Tea's insulin-boosting activity also might explain why tea seems to help prevent heart disease and high blood pressure, Anderson said. Medical investigators think high blood sugar damages blood vessels, and increasing insulin activity lowers blood sugar levels. Published by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, reported by UPI. Heart Disease Many studies, including one published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that regular drinkers of green, oolong and black tea had reduced risk for heart disease. The antioxidants helped block the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, increased HDL (good) cholesterol, improved artery function and reduced hypertension risk by 46 to 65 percent. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and The University of California have also performed studies showing the reduction of LDL cholesterol and elevation of HDL cholesterol in tea drinkers. Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine conducted studies showing that tea drinking improved the function of blood vessels and platelets and may therefore reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. A large, 10 year study in the Netherlands found that the amount of catechins found in three cups of black tea given to men were 50% less likely to die of ischemic heart disease, caused by clogged arteries, than were men who consumed the catechins in half a cup of tea. A cup or more of black tea daily was found to lower risk of repeated heart attacks by 44%, compared to non tea drinkers in those who had previously suffered heart attacks. The study was done by Brigham and Young, Harvard Medical School who theorized that the flavonoids in tea improved the lining of blood vessels, accounting for the decrease. Immune System Investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital showed in human studies that drinking 5 or 6 cups of black tea daily significantly boosts the part of the immune system that functions as a first line of defense against infection. Studies conducted by Pace University's Dyson College of Arts & Sciences showed that the polyphenols in green tea appear in even greater concentrations in white tea and aids in destroying bacteria and other organisms that cause disease. Inflammation and Arthritis Researchers at Case Western Reserve University found that arthritis-prone mice given the equivalent of 4 cups of green tea daily halved their risk for developing arthritis. Rutgers University found that the gene that triggers inflammation is suppressed by the TF-2 compound in black tea. That's the same way the drugs Vioxx and Celbrex work. Bone Density and Osteoporosis Prevention Results of a Chinese study published in the May 2002 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that men and women who are long-time tea drinkers have an advantage in terms of bone mineral density over those who don't habitually drink tea. The findings held true no matter what the type of tea – black, green or oolong. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that tea drinking women had higher bone mineral density measurements than non tea drinkers, especially in those who had been habitual tea drinkers for at least 6 years. Oral Health Researchers at New York University Dental Center found that regular drinking of black tea significantly reduced tooth decay, even when sugar is consumed. The American Dental Institution say that studies show the tannin and fluoride in tea prevents tooth decay. Flavonoids in green tea inhibit the growth of bacteria that causes bad breath, according to the American Society for Microbiology. Weight Control Green tea's antioxidant, EGCG, was found to have stimulated the body to burn calories in a Swiss study at University of Geneva . The equivalent of 2 to 3 cups of green tea daily, caused men to burn 4% more energy at about 80 extra calories per day. The tea did not increase their heart rate. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that studies showed ingestion of green tea extract resulted in increased energy expenditure (metabolism) and had a significant effect on fat oxidation. A few words about Herbal “Teas” Since herbal tisanes do not come from the camellia sinensis plant, they are not true teas, however many herbs have their own beneficial health qualities. Just a few are mentioned here. The world renowned complimentary medicine expert, Dr. Andrew Weil says that: “ Chamomile tea is an excellent home remedy for an upset stomach. Its mild relaxant and sedative properties also make a cup of chamomile a gentle choice for relieving irritability in children and mild insomnia.” “ Peppermint tea can help relieve upset stomach and indigestion caused by overeating, perhaps by relaxing intestinal muscles. If you have GERD however, peppermint should be avoided.” Rooibos – Red Bush Tea Watch for more exciting discoveries about Rooibos as it rapidly becomes an increasingly popular drink in the U.S.
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