Tea Health Benefits

The health benefits of tea have been touted for centuries. It have probably been utilized, drunk, eaten, pickled by mountain tribes since time immemorial. Chinese legend claims that tea consumption goes back as far as as 2737 BC.

At that time, the Chinese people have been using tea as treatment for everything from headaches to depression.

The basis for all the buzz about tea's healthy properties are polyphenols. Phenols are basically a chemical compound that are found in many plants, including tea. Get a whole bunch of phenols together, and you've got polyphenols.

The thing that makes polyphenols so healthy is that they are thought to be powerful antioxidants. Polyphenols are best known for being effective antioxidants, and the polyphenol in tea are no exception.

Teas that are least oxidized (mainly green and whites) retain more polyphenols than those that are fully oxidized.

Antioxidants are basically chemicals that reduce oxidative damage to cells. Medical researchers have found a high correlation between oxidative damage and the occurrence of disease.

Their research suggests that consumption of antioxidant-rich foods reduces damage to cells and biochemical from free radicals. That's something that most scientists agree upon.

In particular, green and white teas contain high amounts of the polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate, which has potent anti-inflammatory properties and is thought to boost the body’s ability to use fat as an energy source.

This particular polyphenol inhibits the enzymes urokinase, which plays an important role in the growth of malignant cells.

Tea has soventlike properties that break down fats, and when consumed after meals rich in fats, it reduces the risk of arterial disease.

Tea also contains theophylline, a close relative of the theobromine found in cocoa. Theophylline stimulates the heart and dilates the airways; it can help improve breathing in those suffering from congestion such as asthma.

Scientists also believe that the caffeine in tea is good for the body’s heart and circulatory system, which may help prevent heart disease and stroke. Te is believed to help clean toxins, or poisonous substances from the body.

Tea prevent dental decay by inhibiting the growth of Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria responsible for plaque formation.

When the modern researchers finally studied tea, they confirmed what the Chineses had said for centuries: that tea holds within it a special health-preserving and revitalizing power.
Tea Health Benefits