Health Benefits of Tea
White Tea Green Tea Oolong Tea Black Tea Pu-erh Tea Rooibos Tea
Black Tea Research
Black tea is one of the most common teas known to mankind. The black tea family includes teas like Darjeeling, orange pekoe, PG tips, Earl Grey and other similar breakfast teas. All teas come from the same plant, but each variety is processed differently. The tea plant is actually a tree and grows only in certain climates. The world's major tea growing areas are in the higher elevations of China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka and East Africa. After the evergreen shoots of black tea are picked, they are withered, rolled, fermented and dried.
Cardiovascular Health
A recent study published in the journal Circulation found that drinking more than two cups of tea a day decreased the risk of death following a heart attack by 44 percent. While consuming just two cups a day decreased the risk of death by almost a third.
Tea is a rich source of the flavonoids quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin, and research shows that high dietary intake of these compounds is associated with a reduced risk of fatal heart attacks. In one study, people who drank about a cup and a half of tea per day were almost 40% less likely to suffer a heart attack compared to tea abstainers.
In one study, at Cornell Medical School, researchers found that women age 55 or older who drank as little as a cup or two of black tea a day, were 54 percent less likely to have severe atherosclerosis, which can lead to heart attack or stroke, than those who did not. The more tea they drank, the less their risk, according to a study published in the October 11, 1999 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
That could be because the antioxidants work by preventing "bad" (LDL, low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol from promoting the plaque build-up that clogs arteries, researchers speculate. And by preventing atherosclerosis, tea antioxidants can help the arteries supply nourishing blood to the heart and the rest of the body.
A long-term study by the Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and the Environment found a correlation between regular consumption of black tea and reduced risk of stroke. The study looked at 552 men over a 15 year period. Researchers concluded that the flavonoids such as theophylline, in black tea helped reduce the production of LDL - the "bad" cholesterol that can lead to stroke and heart attacks. Furthermore, men who drank over four cups of black tea per day had a significantly lower risk of stroke than men who drank only two to three cups per day.
Dr. Joseph Vita at Boston's School of Medicine conducted a study for four months, in which sixty-six men drank four cups of either black tea or a placebo daily. Dr. Vita concluded that drinking black tea can help reverse an abnormal functioning of the blood vessels that can contribute to stroke or heart attack. Furthermore, improvement in the functioning of the blood vessels was visible within two hours of drinking just one cup of black tea.
In a study of over 3,000 adults in Saudi Arabia - where black tea is favored over green – Drs. found that regular consumption of the dark brew can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by fifty percent.
Unlike high levels of caffeine found in coffee, the low amount in black tea promotes blood flow in the brain without over stimulating the heart.
In addition to improving circulation, two cups of black tea for three weeks every day opens blood flow in the capillaries and helps maintain normal blood pressure.
Anti-Cancer Properties
The American Cancer Society reports that hot black tea may lower risk of squamous cell skin cancers, citing a study by University of Arizona.
Mental
The caffeine in black tea sharpens mental focus and concentration.
According to Dr. Andrew Steptoe, of the University College of London, in an article in Psychopharmacology, reported that the amino-acid L-Theanine stimulates the production of serotonin and dopamine. This is the reason tea drinkers are more laid back than coffee drinkers. It also gets your body to convert the caffeine in a different way than coffee so it is released slowly and does not overwhelm the body.
In a double-blind placebo-controlled study, Dr Steptoe reported, tea drinkers had lower levels of cortisol following a stress challenge, felt more relaxed, and had reduced platelet activation than placebo drinkers.
Diabetes Prevention
Theaflavin and thearubigin, ingredients found in black tea could act as an insulin substitute and might help prevent type 2 diabetes, according to a study by researchers at Dundee University in Scotland, because they mimic the action of insulin.
Dental Health
Dental plaque contains more than 300 species of bacteria that adhere to tooth surfaces and produce cavity-causing acid. Plaque is also a leading cause of gum disease.
According to Christine Wu, professor of periodontics at the University of Illinois, black tea infusion can inhibit or suppress the growth of bacteria that promotes cavities and affect their ability to attach to tooth surfaces.
Other Benefits
The tea has a therapeutic effect on gastric and intestinal illnesses because of its tannins, which decrease intestinal activity and exerts an antidiarrheal effect. To get the maximum benefit for diarrhea, let the tea steep for a full 15 minutes. This releases a good amount of tannins which shows soothing anti-inflammatory effects on the digestive tract. For therapeutic effect, drink it unsweetened.
Tea has been known to expand the airways, making breathing easier for asthmatics.
In a recent study, in the New England Journal of Medicine, people who gargled with a black tea extract solution twice per day showed a higher immunity to flu virus compared to the people who did not gargle with black tea.
Pu-erh Tea Research
The restorative and medical properties associated with Pu-erh tea is truly astonishing. Often referred to as the "Wonder Tonic" and the "Medicinal Tea", Pu-erh tea has been hugely popular in China for over 1700 years. For centuries it was given as a tribute to the Emperor and high ranking officials within the Imperial Courts of China. Accounts on the health benefits and medical use of Pu-erh tea has been documented in various ancient scripts and famous books throughout Chinese history. It is also widely used in Auyvedic medicine.
It is a "living" tea teeming with healthy microbes during its manufacturing and storage process like yogurt or grape wine. Generally speaking, its flavor is the older the better but depending on the storage conditions (humid or dry). It's very hard to find a piece of Pu-Erh tea more than 50 years old and kept in good condition in today's market.
Pu-erh Teas are low in tannins and have a rich, unique earthy flavor and handles multiple steeping without losing flavor.
Digestion & Weight Loss
Pu-erh Tea is the perfect tea after a heavy meal, it helps relieve any indigestion and aids in the digestion of fatty foods.
It has since been shown to help reduce body weight by increasing the metabolism. Many report that drinking it after meals relieves any overstuffed feelings and aids digestion.
Cardiovascular Health
Pu-erh Tea cleanses the blood, lowers cholesterol and triglycerides.
More recent studies indicate powerful cholesterol lowering effects, blood cleansing properties.
The most eye opening of these studies was conducted in France several years ago. A blind study was conducted with 500 hyperlipidemia patients (individuals with advanced cholesterol conditions, usually controlled with medication). Half of the controlled group consumed 3-4 cups of Pu-erh daily, while the rest of the participants were given something else. After a 30-day period the results showed that drinking Pu'erh on a regular basis could significantly lower cholesterol and further research confirmed that Pu'erh was as effective as the most advanced cholesterol lowering medications available.
In the 1970's Chinese doctors in Kunming reported clinical experiments in which drinking pu-erh was shown to lower cholesterol levels in the blood stream.
French researchers at St. Antoine Hospital in Paris duplicated these results and found that three cups of pu-erh a day for a month brought lipids down 25 percent in 20 hyperlipidemia patients, while those on other teas showed no change.
Other Benefits
The Chinese claim that pu-erh also can lower blood alcohol after drinking, prevent dysentery, and stimulate secretions from the spleen and other organs.
Pu-erh tea is strongly believed to have wide ranging health benefits from anti aging, prevention of heart disease and cancer, diabetic control, removal of toxins to curing dysentery, inflammation, aiding digestion and weight loss.
According to physicians at Bejing Medical University drinking oolong can improve the eyesight.
Pu-erh tea made from wild old tea trees are reputed to be more potent, containing strong Qi (translated as "life energy" or "life force") that boosts the blood flow and helps the body's circulation. This as a result aids the removal of toxins and can cure minor aches and pains.
After a heavy meal drinking Pu-erh tea is said to help clean the intestines and stomach.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the tea is believed to invigorate the spleen and inhibit "dampness." In the stomach, it is believed to reduce heat and "descends qi".
Rooibos Tea Research
Rooibos tea only grows in a small area in South Africa. It is pronounced "roy-boss" and means "red bush" in Afrikaans. The Rooibos plant is not part of the camellia sinensis family but it part of the legume family.
Rooibos shows anti-mutagenic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral activity.
Rooibos is totally pure and natural. It contains no colorants or preservatives. It is naturally caffeine free and has double the anti-oxidants of green tea.
Japanese scientists believe it helps delay the aging process in part because it contains a mimic of the enzyme Super Oxide Dismutase (S.O.D.), an antioxidant which attacks free radicals and limits their damaging effects.
Rooibos helps to relieve stomach ulcers, nausea, constipation, and heartburn.
Rooibos has been found to help with insomnia, disturbed sleeping patterns and headaches. It contains no caffeine and has a relaxing effect on the central nervous system.
Rooibos helps to give you strong bones and teeth because of its calcium, manganese and fluoride content.
Rooibos helps pacify infants with colic, stomach cramps and sleeping problems.
Rooibos contains alpha hydroxy acid and zinc for healthy, smooth skin. This wonder tea is especially useful when applied to skin irritations like itchy skin, eczema, sunburns, diaper rash and acne. It is used in many skin creams.
Rooibos contains magnesium which is necessary for a healthy nervous system, and it increases the absorption of iron in the body.
Rooibos contains potassium and copper minerals that are necessary for several metabolic functions.
Rooibos is often prescribed for nervous tension and mild depression as it makes a relaxing sedative.
Rooibos contains no oxalic acid and can therefore be enjoyed by persons suffering from kidney stones.
Rooibos helps to control your appetite thus can be beneficial in weight loss.
Rooibos helps you recoup after a hangover.
Rooibos makes a great thirst-quencher and sport drink. Because of its mineral content of iron, potassium, zinc, manganese and sodium, it restores the body's equilibrium after strenuous exercise.
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