Health Benefits of Tea
I’ve had a few requests to provide some information about the health benefits of Tea. After all, you see it everywhere these days; claims made about Tea are all over the place promising amazing things. So I thought I’d put an article together summarizing the wonderful things that drinking Tea can do. No problem right? Imagine my dismay when I began my research and discovered all of the big words, chemistry diagrams and scientific jargon involved. Huh? This is just a little article for a Tea Company newsletter written by a Land Surveyor who just happens to co-own a Tea Store, not a grad student writing a thesis for a PhD. So after ruminating on it for a few weeks, perhaps hoping it would be forgotten, I decided I’d give it shot. That said, let me remind you that I am not a doctor, herbalist, spiritual adviser, or life coach. I just hope to give you a little information about the potential benefits of drinking good Tea.
Why is Tea Good for You?
OK, let’s dive right in. Does everyone have their dictionaries? Just kidding. Aside from the soothing qualities that drinking a nice cup of Tea can provide, antioxidants are what studies are pointing to as the key beneficial component of Tea. Antioxidants are all the rage right now in health, and Tea has its share. Antioxidants do what that say; they are molecules that can inhibit oxidation in other molecules. Oxidation produces ‘free radicals’ which can in turn oxidize other molecules creating a chain reaction that can damage cells.[1] Don’t think however that oxidation is always a bad thing. On the contrary, oxidation is a necessary chemical reaction, and is crucial for life.
Antioxidants are polyphenols, some of which are flavonoids and catechins. Tea is an example of a plant which has a high polyphenol content. Explaining much further than this would require chemical diagrams, very long words and much more education than I possess. If you would like to learn more about this, there are a lot of articles you can read online (Wikipedia is great), or you can get a biochemistry degree in four short years. It’s a toss-up which would take longer.
Can Tea Help Me Lose Weight?
Let’s start with this one, as it is usually the first thing people think of when wondering about the benefits of Tea. Preliminary studies involving Green Tea extract suggests that it can have a positive effect on energy levels and fat loss. Drinking 3 to 5 cups of Green Tea has been shown to help increase the metabolic rate, curb appetites and help regulate blood sugar levels.[2] As good as Tea is, it’s not magic; washing down a box of Twinkies or a pizza with Green Tea isn’t going to help much. As much as we’d like to think otherwise (myself included), the best way to lose weight is diet and exercise (with your doctor’s approval of course). Think of it as a pill you have to take 3 to 5 times a week that takes 30 minutes to swallow. Wash it down with a nice glass of Tea, it’ll make you feel better.
Can Tea Lower Cholesterol?
Studies conducted by the USDA have indicated that 5 cups of Black Tea per day had a positive effect of lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol by 11.1% and total cholesterol by 6.5% in adults with mildly high cholesterol.[3] While these are encouraging results, always consult your doctor to manage your cholesterol.
Tea and Cancer
This is one I didn’t really want to address. Cancer is still one of the most feared words in the English language, and making any claims regarding treatment or prevention is daunting. As always, your doctor should be your number one source of information regarding any treatments or even preventative measures.
Preliminary research has indicated that flavonoids in Tea could possibly be a component in human cancer risk reduction by combating free radical damage, inhibiting uncontrolled cell growth and by promoting programmed cell death. Studies and trials are being carried out worldwide by leading scientists studying these effects. More evidence must be collected before any definitive statements can be made.
Did I Really Learn Anything Here?
There are a lot of good things about drinking Tea and a plethora of information is available with a little digging. Hopefully this will give you a basic starting point to ask some more questions and do some more fact finding on your own. I can’t say this enough; Consult your doctor before making any change that concerns your health. Potential health benefits aside, drinking Tea can be a simple and soothing addition to your daily life and certainly a step in the right direction to a healthier lifestyle.
Sources:
[1] Wikipedia “Antioxidants”
[2] Dulloo AG, Duret C, Rohrer D, Girardier L, Mensi N, Fathi M, Chantre P, Vandermander J. Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Dec;70(6):1040-5.
[3] Davies MJ, Judd JT, Baer DJ, Clevidence BA, Paul DR, Edwards AJ, Wiseman SA, Muesing RA, Chen SC. Black tea consumption reduces total and LDL cholesterol in mildly hypercholesterolemic adults. J Nutr. 2003 Oct;133(10):3298S-3302S.
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