| |
| |
|
Nutrition Information |
|
|
|
Just The Tea FAQs: Health Benefits (Part III)
The wonders of modern science continue to amaze us with new cures and essential information on healthy living: what to eat, what to drink, what do to; and, of course, what not to eat, drink, and do. All of this is quite wonderful. Well, most of the time. Occasionally (just occasionally), some nice, innocent foods, drinks, and things-to-do get painted with the wrong health brush, and it's only through a re-examination of scientific research data combined with a rather passionate public relations effort that these blameless foods, drinks, and activities are redeemed. Chocolate is a good example of how a food can get, well, steamrolled by the healthy eating train. Wine is another example. And of course, lest we forget the noble avocado, which many dieters (and even non dieters) have kept at bay with almost superstitious fervor. Now, thankfully, we bring to light another dietary item that the North American stomach has been rudely banished in the caffeine-free craze of the last decade or so: tea! The simple truth is that tea is one of the earth's most generous sources of smart nutrition. In fact, by the time we're done looking at the major benefits of tea, you'll never be able to look at another cup the same way. Tea Contains Antioxidants (the good guys) The best known health benefit of tea - regardless of the color (and we'll chat about that further below in this article) - is its antioxidant properties. These antioxidants derive from chemicals called polyphenols, which are present in the leaves. The thing is, when the body digests food, something rather unhealthy is created in that process; something called "free radicals". (And no, they don't run around your body with picket signs calling for anarchy and setting off pipe bombs). Free radicals are rather dangerous, and if left to roam freely in your body, lead to a menu of pretty terrifying health conditions, including: cancer, heart disease, stroke, ocular/vision problems, and even dementia. Thankfully, however, antioxidants - which are plentiful in tea - come to the rescue and help ward off the damage that free radicals would otherwise do if left to roam and damage freely. Antioxidants from tea are thus the "good guys" that come to the rescue when the free radicals want to do their damage. Tea Helps Your Smile Let's jump from one of tea's best known benefits to one of its least known benefits: it contains fluoride, which is great for tea and bone health. Fluoride is the stuff that dentists (at least 4 out of 5, apparently) add to toothpaste and water treatment systems to help ward off cavities, and to promote overall dental health. Furthermore, some teas, such as oolong tea, can help kill unhealthy bacteria in the mouth. Tea Keeps you Beautiful Here's a business idea: go to the beach, and instead of selling sunbathers ice cream or lemonade, sell them a nice steaming cup of tea. And when they begin to yell at you for selling something so unwanted on a hot day, show them this article (particularly the part in the next paragraph). Researchers at the University of Arizona (they'd know a lot about the sun, right? It's sunny in Arizona?) have found that drinking tea - particularly black tea - can protect the skin against squamous-cell carcinoma (this is the second most common form of skin cancer in the US, affecting more than 200,000 people each year). There is also some research evidence pointing to tea's skin-care value as a topical lotion. Know what that means? Yup: instead of selling suntan lotion next to your black tea stand at the beach, you can just as happily sell black tea lotion. (You can even sell them bundled at a 10% discount!) Tea is Hearty We briefly touched upon tea's antioxidant properties; which is a fancy way of saying that tea helps deal with those evil free radicals that can lead to heart disease and stroke. Yet even though we've mentioned how tea "helps your heart", it's worth another mention because, well, it's good to have a healthy heart. Tea has been shown to lower "bad" cholesterol (a.k.a. LDL cholesterol), which can help stave off the myriad of extremely serious problems associated with high "bad" cholesterol, including the aforementioned stroke and heart disease. Vitamin Tea? We're not all that accustomed to enjoying vitamins from beverages that don't come from fruits and vegetables. But really, all we're "accustomed to" is accessing our vitamins from things that grow; and tea is certainly a thing that grows. In this light, it shouldn't come as a big surprise (though it often is surprising to learn) that tea is loaded with vitamins, including: Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6. "But that's not all" -- there's also a good dose of two very helpful minerals: potassium and manganese. Together, these vitamins and minerals help the body maintain a healthy heart, healthy nerves, healthy bones, and healthy digestion (among other healthy functions). Future Health Research on Tea As tea is being vigorously analyzed by scientists everywhere (you know how they like to analyze things), there are some very promising health research trends that involve tea. At the top of this list is cancer. Some studies suggest that both green and black tea help cells avoid becoming cancerous. While this does not cure the cancer, it can potentially help cancer from spreading, and enable the successful intervention of other treatments. Other research points to any tea deriving from the evergreen called "Camellia sinensis" as having cancer-fighting properties A Tea by Any Other Color? As promised: as you know, there are different kinds of tea available. Generally, they fall into categories based on color: green, tea, and red. Very simply, the amount of processing that the tea leave undergoes is what determines its color; with green tea being the least processed. This fact typically makes green tea the healthiest of the teas, and also typically means that green tea contains less caffeine than black tea. However, in some cases, the caffeine content can be the same; it all depends on the process. All teas, however, contain the wildly wonderful antioxidant properties that we've noted above. Gary W. Griffin, Ph.D. is a researcher and an entrepreneur. He is also an avid tea drinker. This article is brought to you by Tea FAQS. If you're searching for information on tea, visit us at http://www.teafaqs.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Nutrition - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Ins and Outs of Proper Nutrition Secretly we all want just a few things in life, none the least of which is to live a life that is healthy and energetic. One way to accomplish this is to eat a well balanced diet that fuels the body to take on life's challenges. The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup High Fructose Corn SyrupBefore we get to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), we will take a look at two other frequently used sweeteners, dextrose and maltodextrin.DextroseDextrose is more or less an industry term for glucose. Fluoride Damages Childrens Bones, Study Says White-spotted or yellow splotched teeth may reveal more than needed expensive cosmetic dentistry.Children with fluoride-discolored teeth (dental fluorosis) are more likely to have bone damage, according to a study published in the journal "Fluoride. Eating Outside Your Box One way to combat the boredom many people complain accompanies eating healthy is to "eat outside your box," by experimenting with new foods and cuisines and by challenging your long held notions about what to eat and when. Iceberg is not the only kind of lettuce, apples and oranges aren't the only fruits and there is no law that says you can't eat mushroom lasagna for breakfast and a southwestern omelet for dinner. The Meat You Eat: How Corporate Farming Has Endangered Americas Food Supply Factory FarmingThe big names in American agriculture would like you to believe that your strip steak, salmon filet, scrambled eggs and bacon came from healthy, happy animals raised on good, old-fashioned family farms. But, as more Americans are coming to realize, behind those perfectly cellophane-wrapped meats, bright white eggs and plastic milk gallons are tales so gruesome and downright shocking that it's a surprise Hollywood has yet to make it a movie about it. Healthy Eating Myths Destroyed Some of the things you think you know that just ain't so (these myths are not true):Eating Cholesterol does not increase your cholesterol levels Salt does NOT cause High Blood Pressure Eating Fat does NOT make you fat All refined carbohydrates are hazardous to you Artificial sweeteners of all kinds are not good for you All vitamins and supplements are NOT created equalEating Cholesterol does not increase your cholesterol levelsThe Medical professions current way of thinking about cholesterol. They look and see lots of cholesterol in the blood. Sugar Consumption Itself Has Become a Disease Looking into statistics, we can see the average American consumes an astounding 2-3 pounds of sugar each week. This might surprise you if not considering that highly refined sugars in the forms of sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (corn sugar), and high-fructose corn syrup are being processed into so many foods such as bread, breakfast cereal, mayonnaise, peanut butter, ketchup, spaghetti sauce, and a plethora of microwave meals. Unhealthy Foods: Five Sneaky Foods Revealed With the array of different diets and diet foods available to help with weight loss and health, it's sometimes hard to figure out what's healthy and what's not. Of course, part of the problem is that people have different health needs: for example, while fruit juice is often a good source of vitamins and other nutrients, some people with diabetes may find that some fruit juices have more sugar than they can tolerate. Healthy Aging - The Clean-Meat Connection It is shocking how many people are not taking advantage of the lessons from 21st Century research on cellular health. The syntax of disease is known by many researchers; and many of them are telling you what you can do to protect yourself. Death, Aging, Rejuvenation (Part 1) I would like to raise a question: Is Rejuvenation possible and how to approach it? This is just my own opinion about possible procedures. I used certain techniques based on a theory. Post Workout Nutrition: Secrets to a Hard, Lean Body As you've probably heard before, your post-workout meal may very well be your most important meal of the day. The reason is that when you're finished with an intense workout, you're entering a catabolic state where your muscle glycogen is depleted and increased cortisol levels are beginning to excessively break down muscle tissue. Is Vitamin E Beneficial Or Harmful? Cutting Through The Clutter Of Different Scientific Opinions Numerous reports have recently appeared in both the lay and medical press questioning the value of vitamin E supplementation and suggesting that there are risks associated with its use even at doses previously thought to have been "safe". What do we do with the hundreds of studies and extensive clinical research that has been published in the medical literature suggesting benefit in cardiovascular disease, alzheimers, diabetes and other degenerative diseases? A search of the National Library of Medicine yields over 25,000 citations, many funded or sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other prestigious medical and scientific organizations. The History of the Acai Berry The acai (ah-sigh-ee) berry has been around for thousands of years and not until the 1990's was it introduced to the western world. The acai berry was found to possess tremendous health properties. Train Your Self To Eat Healthy For some people it is really hard to give up the junk food and sweets and eat a better, more nutritious diet. So let's use the example of eating the 5 to 9 fruits and vegetables we need daily. Herbs that Heal Naturally The word herb is used to refer to any part of a plant used for flavoring or medicine. Herbs for relaxation so sleep will come, and relieving pain or water retention have the welcome plus of being void of the side effects that come with chemical medications. The Myths Associated with Human Growth Hormone I would like to dispel some of the myths and worries associated with Human Growth Hormone Therapy, or HGH.First of all, a large number of people do not know what kind of treatment is involved with this therapy. A Consumers Guide to Soy Terms Although you may have heard about soy and all of its health benefits, you may not have figured out how to incorporate it into your diet, yet. There are so many products available; figuring out exactly what they are may seem overwhelming. Optimize Your Diet For Maximum Growth The best weight training and cardio workouts will do very little if your diet is off. Make sure you have your diet optimized to build quality lean muscle, have the energy to power you through those tough workouts and drop that excess body fat. Green Tea and Your Health Green tea has been used as for medical remedies in China since ancient times. It was said to have many health benefits and be a remedy for many ailments. Is Organic Really Better for You? I had finally come to a place in my life where I was concerned about my health and that of my family. After all, it's not the quantity, but the quality of life right? And if you can increase both, all the better! We started exercising, eating healthier and taking vitamins.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
