Everyone Must Know, Here Are the Benefits of Tea
30.4.19
Everyone MustKnow, Here Are the Benefits of Tea - Company and solitude besides, a teapot
is surely a storehouse of many valuable treasures that are beneficial to human
health. The fact that Tea is the most widely and also commonly consumed
beverage in the world gives rise to a lot of speculation about the benefits of
tea.
Even though most of us who enjoy a cup of tea every
morning do not bother much about the medical, or other, benefits of tea except
the fact that it rejuvenates us, tea is a beverage that has many benefits.
People drink tea for different reasons. Most of us,
as mentioned above, drink tea for the sense of rejuvenation that it imparts
after a long sleep.
Many others enjoy a cup of tea for its taste, the
warmth it provides during the winters and for the pleasure of company, while
others may just drink a few cups of tea at different times of the day out of
habit.
Whatever the reasons for the consumption of tea, it
is a fact that almost all tea drinkers are immensely benefited by the
consumption of this beverage.
Most people believe that it is only the green tea
that is beneficial for health, while other varieties of tea may actually cause
damage, if consumed in higher quantities. This is a misconception. Almost all
varieties of tea, whether it is green, black or red, contain polyphenols that
impart to tea its antioxidant properties.
The difference in the color of the different
varieties of tea is based on how long the tea is processed. The longer a tea is
processed, the darker the color of the tea. The processing time, and
subsequently the color of the tea has no impact on the content of the
polyphenols in the tea.
Polyphenols are most commonly renowned for their
anti-cancer properties. It is therefore obvious that the consumption of tea
will save you from skin, gastric, ovarian and esophageal cancers.
The other benefits of polyphenols include the
lowering of cholesterol level and prevention of blood coagulation. The content
of polyphenols in tea gives tea the status of a nutritive beverage that can be
compared in terms of its nutritive value to fruits and vegetables.
GREEN OR
BLACK! DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
It is widely believed that the medical benefits
attributed to tea can only be associated with Green tea. Even though
researchers have proved that all teas, black, green or red contain the
invaluable polyphenols who impart tea its cancer-fighting properties, it is a
fact that Green Tea has been acclaimed much more than the other teas for its
health benefits.
It was the Chinese who discovered the medicinal
properties of green tea about 4000 years ago. In fact, green tea was considered
a panacea by the Chinese; a cure for all ailments from a minor headache to life
threatening tumors.
Various other researches conducted both in Asia and
the west have revealed crucial health benefits of drinking green tea such as
the prevention of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol, various
infections and cardiovascular diseases.
THE DIFFERENCE
LIES IN THE 'KIND' OF POLYPHENOLS
Perhaps what make green tea more special than the
other teas is the presence of catechin polyphenols; and particularly the
presence of a potent anti-oxidant known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).
The importance of this category of polyphenols lies
in the fact that they are instrumental in not only inhibiting cancer but also
in destroying the cancer cells. Since green tea is only steamed and not
processed like the other varieties of teas, the invaluable polyphenpols remain
intact in the green tea.
In the other varieties of tea, the processing which
involves fermentation converts the polyphenols into other compounds, thus
reducing their potency of the polyphenol compounds to a great extent.
Certain studies have also proved that green tea is
beneficial to dieters. Green tea has also been found to be beneficial in cases
of tooth decay and many companies have started using green tea as an ingredient
in skin care preparations, such as lotions and creams, and even deodorants
RAISE A TOAST
TO YOUR HEALTH-WITH A CUP OF TEA!
So, next time you raise your morning cup of tea to
your lips, don't forget to think of all the healthy compounds that you are
drinking along with this cup of tea. Ideally, tea should be brewed for at least
3-5 minutes to extract the full benefits of polyphenols. You should also
restrict the intake of tea to 3-4 cups in a day.
Certain additions, such as thyme, ginger, cardamom,
fennel, anise, to a cup of tea can impart distinctive properties to tea. For
instance, Thyme tea has antiseptic properties and soothes and even heals sinus,
Ginger tea works miracles in curing digestive ailments, Cardamom tea has
antispasmodic properties, tea made from rose hips removes wrinkles and hydrates
the skin and oatstraw tea helps in losing weight and also boosts immunity.
There still remains a lot to be discovered about the
health benefits of drinking tea. What is established, as of now, is that tea is
surely a recommended beverage to be consumed 3-4 times in a day. It fights
cancer, lowers cholesterol and shrinks tumors.
The recommended varieties of teas are the ones that
are brewed from black, green or red tea leaves. It is not necessary that you
should restrict yourself to 'hot' tea. Iced teas are as beneficial to health as
a cup of hot tea.
Also, contrary to popular belief, milk in no way damages
the antioxidant properties of tea. So, go ahead and add a generous portion of
calcium rich milk.
Of course, like anything, excess of tea has its
drawbacks. Having a cup of tea immediately after meals can hamper iron
absorption. Also, avoid taking any medication with a cup of tea as it may
sometimes cause an adverse reaction.
