Tea

Tea is the world’s second most popular drink, behind the number one – water. Most Americans and Europeans drink it only as a mild stimulant, but this is changing as people learn more about tea’s many antioxidant benefits. The fact is, a few cups of tea – specifically, green tea – a day can help prevent many serious conditions associated with aging including cancer and heart disease.

There are three types of tea: green, black and oolong. Green tea is the most medicinally beneficial variety. Black tea comes from leaves that are dried and then fermented, which gives it its darker color and richer flavor. Oolong tea is semi-fermented.

Tea Medicinal Uses

Green tea’s antioxidants give it its healing power. Like all antioxidants, these compounds help prevent and repair the cell damage that sets the stage for heart disease, most cancers, and many other degenerative conditions associated with aging including cataracts and macular degeneration.

Green tea was shown to prevent cancer in animals in the late 1980s. Shortly thereafter, in 1988, the first human study with the same results was published. Since then, green tea has been shown to reduce the risk of several other cancers, including esophageal, colorectal, pancreatic, lung, and breast cancer. The greatest prevention came with at least 8-10 cups of tea each day.

The antioxidants in green tea help prevent heart disease. University of Kansas researchers have found that some of the antioxidants in green tea are 25 times as powerful as vitamin E. A Dutch study concluded that compared with people who drink no tea, those who drink 1 to 2 cups a day have significantly less narrowing of the arteries, the underlying cause of heart disease and strokes.

The stimulants in tea ease breathing by opening the bronchial passages. Tea can help almost any respiratory problems including asthma.

The tannins in tea have binding actions relieving diarrhea. To most people’s surprise, tea is a good source of fluoride, which helps prevent tooth decay. Both green and black teas contain more fluoride than fluoridated water. The tannins in tea may also help fight the bacteria that cause tooth decay.

Tea Dosages

Through laboratory studies, researchers have found that black tea has 1/10 to 1/100 the antioxidant power of green tea. So if you are drinking tea to prevent heart disease or cancer, you’d better stick with the green tea.

You only need to steep green tea for a few minutes as the potent antioxidants are released quickly and steeping longer doesn’t increase the antioxidant level in the tea. 5 to 10 cups of tea is recommended for medicinal purposes, but please note that 10 cups of green tea has about the same amount of caffeine as 4 cups of coffee.

Tea Safety Precautions

Caffeine is a classically addictive drug that causes nervousness, restlessness, insomnia, and many other effects. Caffeine has also been linked to an increased risk of birth defects so pregnant women should not drink tea. Large amounts of tea can cause stomach upset and it is also a diuretic.