Tea drinking for your health
What does tea-time have got to do with your health?
Well, according to numerous study: many!
The health benefits from tea-drinking has often been lauded. Researchers found that by drinking tea (the second most popular drink) people can have lower bad cholesterol (LDL) level. Studies have found an association between consuming green tea and a
reduced risk for several cancers, including, skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder.Additional benefits for regular consumers of green and black teas include a reduced risk for heart disease.
A study done by Vanderbilt University Medical Center, after double-blind, randomized 12 week trial,concluded that the effect of tea is substantial to reduction of LDL level. The 375 mg capsule used in this study is an extract made up of 75 mg of theaflavins (flavonoids from black tea), 150 mg of catechins (flavonoids from green tea) and 150 mg of other tea polyphenols. It is equivalent to 7 cups of high-quality black tea or 35 cups of green tea.The dosage can reduce the
LDL up to 16%.
The flavonoids is the content of tea, an antioxidant, that is the primary source of the benefits. The antioxidant is good for cancer prevention and heart health, in addition to lowering low density lipoproteins and raising high density lipoproteins. In particular, green tea is the best food source of a group called catechins. According to lab experiments, catechins are more powerful than vitamins C and E in halting oxidative damage to cells and appear to have other disease-fighting properties.
To harvest the benefit of tea the most, here are a couple of tips from Medical News Today:
- Drinking a cup of tea a few times a day to absorb antioxidants and other healthful plant compounds. In green-tea drinking cultures, the usual amount is three cups per day.
- Allow tea to steep for three to five minutes to bring out its catechins.
- The best way to get the catechins and other flavonoids in tea is to drink it freshly brewed. Decaffeinated, bottled ready-to-drink tea preparations, and instant teas have less of these compounds.
- Tea can impede the absorption of iron from fruits and vegetables. Adding lemon or milk or drinking tea between meals will counteract this problem.
Happy tea-drinking !
