Showing posts with label polyphenols. Show all posts
Showing posts with label polyphenols. Show all posts

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Green Tea: An Effective Weight Loss Solution

Did you know that Green Tea is one of the most effective weight loss supplements that you can consume to help you lose weight?
According to recent studies, when combined with sensible lifestyle changes green tea can help dieters lose weight, burn fat, increase metabolic rate and suppress their appetites. Well, it is.
Unlike black tea which is highly processed and fermented, green tea is made by slightly steaming the freshly gathered leaves, which prevents them from becoming fermented or changing color. After steaming, the leaves are dried by lightly pan frying them in a wok, baking them in an oven or heating them with hot air until they are crispy. The resulting beverage is a greenish-yellow tea with a slightly astringent flavor.
More and more often you'll find extracts of green tea being included in a lot of popular weight loss products today.
One of the main reasons for this is because of one of green tea's chief ingredients. Polyphenols, which are responsible for the color of the leaves of some plants, are a group of substances found in green tea. These polyphenols benefit weight loss by helping the body to burn fat naturally by increasing body heat and energy expenditure.
Green tea also causes carbohydrates to be released slowly, preventing sharp increases in blood-insulin levels. This promotes the burning of fat.
Another of the main ingredients in green tea is antioxidants. Antioxidants are organic substances, like vitamins A, E and C which are thought to be effective in helping protect the body against the harmful effects of free radicals - which cause the destruction of living cells, cancer, stroke and heart disease.
One of the most extraordinary characteristics about green tea is that studies have shown it is about 200 times more potent an antioxidant than Vitamin A, Vitamin C, E or curcumin in some instances. Additionally, just one cup of green tea has more antioxidant effect than a serving of strawberries, spinach or carrots.
in 8 ounces of coffee. in 8 ounces of tea, compared to more than 100 mg. in 8 ounces of tea, compared to more than 100 mg.

in 8 ounces of tea, compared to more than 100 mg. of caffeine in 8 ounces of tea, compared to more than 100 mg. There are approximately 30 to 60 mg. Green tea contains less caffeine than coffee. Caffeine is another component in green tea which scientists think plays an important role in green tea's ability to help people lose weight.
Combined with Polyphenol compounds, caffeine in green tea acts as a stimulant to the body to help promote fat loss. In a recent study, participants taking green tea extract and still following normal diet experienced a significant increase in their energy expenditure.
The researchers concluded that participants using green tea extract had increased fat oxidation beyond what could be attributed to the caffeine they consumed.
This indicates that green tea may be an excellent alternative to many stimulant-based diet aids.
If helping people to lose weight was not enough, green tea provides additional health benefits far and beyond weight loss, including:
Protects against Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's
Fights cavities and helps stop tooth decay and gum disease
Prevents osteoporosis
Protects against ovarian cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer and prostate cancer
Lowers cholesterol
Helps the body to fight viruses
Controls high blood pressure
Normalizes healthy bacteria in the intestines
Helps prevent heart disease
Thus far, no harmful side effects have been found in drinking green tea or taking green tea extract capsules. This makes green tea one of the best health supplements available for weight loss and overall health.
Patricia has been interested in health and fitness since the early 70's and knows how to seperate hype from fact.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Benefit of Green Tea

Introduction
There has been an influx of media coverage about the health benefits of green tea. Most green tea enthusiasts may base their opinions on green tea around their own experiences of the beverage. The Chinese have been drinking green tea for thousands of years due to its miracle working abilities. Green tea has been used by the Chinese for treating minor headaches to much larger matters such as preventing cancer. Many health studies are beginning to shine some light on the facets and benefits of green tea. What are the benefits from green tea that can affect your life? The following are five major benefits of green tea that may substantially change your life.
First Health of Green Tea - Weight Loss
The high concentration of polyphenols in green tea helps to oxidize fat and encourage thermogenesis. Thermogenesis in the body is the rate which the body burns calories. Green tea results in an increase of energy which raises the metabolism, therefore, more weight is lost than normal. As a morning beverage, green tea has a small amount of calories compared to most other beverages that Americans drink in the morning. The constant barrage of coffee as most peoples' morning beverage results in a higher amount of daily calories compared to green tea as a beverage in the morning. A substitution of green tea instead of reaching for a cup of joe will make a big difference in the size of your waistline.
Second Benefit of Green Tea - Prevention of Cancer
The polyphenols in green tea prevent the birth This oxidation damages healthy cells of the body and have been linked to illnesses like cancer, heart disease, and even strokes. The polyphenols of green tea constantly search for free radicals and they prevent the formation of unstable oxygen molecules in a process known as oxidation. These free radicals cause aging and cancer.

The polyphenols in green tea eliminate free radicals that plague the body. This oxidation damages healthy cells of the body and have been linked to illnesses like cancer, heart disease, and even strokes. The polyphenols of green tea constantly search for free radicals and they prevent the formation of unstable oxygen molecules in a process known as oxidation. These free radicals cause aging and cancer.

The polyphenols in green tea eliminate free radicals that plague the body. This oxidation damages healthy cells of the body and have been linked to illnesses like cancer, heart disease, and even strokes. The polyphenols of green tea constantly search for free radicals and they prevent the formation of unstable oxygen molecules in a process known as oxidation. These free radicals cause aging and cancer.

The antioxidants in green tea eliminate free radicals that plague the body.
Third Benefit of Green Tea - Healthy Teeth
The oral health of teeth can be vastly improved with the consumption of green tea. This cannot be about coffee which stains the teeth with an ugly yellow tinge. This helps to prevent general tooth decay inside of the mouth.

Also, fluoride helps to maintain healthy, cavity-free teeth. The fluoride kills the bacteria in the mouth that causes plaque. Green tea is well known for keeping teeth clean because of one of its ingredients, fluoride.
Fourth Benefit of Green Tea - Lowers Cholesterol
Also, the catechins help to maintain a healthy good cholesterol to bad cholesterol ratio improving the overall health of the body. The catechins in green tea help to decrease the amount of bad cholesterol. The LDL cholesterol flows through the liver and cells forming heavy deposits on artery walls. Green tea lowers the bad cholesterol's levels, LDL cholesterol and prevents the occurrence of blood clots in the body.

Drinking green tea could possibly lower this stunning high risk. Heart attacks are one of the most common problems associated with bad cholesterol. Green tea may be a possible solution for all those suffering from conditions of high cholesterol.
Benefit of Green Tea Conclusion
So, we hope that you begin a daily green tea regimen tomorrow! Green tea can be taken in a pill form with all the benefits of normal green tea. This problem has been addressed through the usage of green tea extract.

The only side effect that has been clearly recognized is the daily overdose of caffeine. A couple of cups of tea in addition to your normal daily beverage will greatly decrease the risk of any bad conditions. If weight loss, the prevention of cancer, healthy teeth, and the idea of low cholesterol does not give you an idea that green tea is a miracle worker, you must be working with some pretty powerful magic.
Learn more about the
Benefit of Green Tea

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

The Perfect Pot of Tea

There is, in fact, an art form and a science to bringing the brew to perfection. The perfect pot of tea is far more than just pouring boiling water over some leaves.
The first step is to fill your tea kettle with cold water. Always use fresh water, and don't rely on old water that has stayed in the kettle from the last time. Turn the kettle on to boil. Make sure your kettle is a stainless steel, non-reactive vessel.
While the kettle is heating, fill your clean teapot with hot water. (Since the polyphenols in tea can go rancid if they are left in the pot, making your tea taste bitter, it's important to wash your teapot thoroughly after each use….unless, of course, you're using a Yixing teapot!)
Essentially, you are pre-heating the teapot, a process which helps keep the tea warm and allows the leaves to open fully. Dry the teapot out after it has been warmed with the hot water.
Pick your pleasure and select the tea leaves you are going to use. In general, use 1 teaspoon of loose tea for each cup, placing the leaves into your infuser. If you're making tea for more than six people, add one extra teaspoon of leaves for the pot.
Bring the teapot to the kettle so that heat is not lost, and then pour the boiling water over the tea leaves in the pot. Use the teapot's lid to hold in the steam and properly steep the tea. For black teas, the proper steeping is three to five minutes.
Allowing the tea leaves to steep for more than five minutes, or pressing or squeezing the wet tea leaves can result in a bitter taste because too many of the polyphenols are released. Stick to the time-honored formula of a teaspoon per cup. You can't make a perfect pot of tea by using poor quality leaves and increasing the amount of time it steeps, or by using more tea and steeping it less time.
Herbal tisanes and green teas require five to ten minutes of steeping.
In England, and for many tea lovers, making tea by the cup instead of in the pot - is improper and taboo.
While you may never earn a perfect 10.0 at the Olympics, or find the absolute perfect match-made-in-heaven, it's easy to make the perfect pot of tea.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lady Dawnya Sasse, is author of the world's first online tea business programs entitled "Start a Tea Business" and "Start A Children's Tea Party Business." To learn more about her online classes and to sign up for her FREE Tea Radio Broadcasts visit her site at
http://www.TeaEvents.com
.
This article may be distributed freely on your website, as long as this entire article, including links and this resource box are unchanged.
Copyright 2005 Dawnya Sasse All Rights Reserved. Tea Events

http://www.TeaEvents.com

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Oolong Tea - A Healthy Refreshing Drink

Green tea is often touted as a wonder drink providing all sorts of health benefits. Studies have shown that green tea can prevent cancer, lower blood pressure, boost the immune system and reduce hypertension. Although green tea gets the spotlight, many of these same health benefits can be attributed to all sorts of tea including oolong.
Tea is, after all, tea. The only difference between green, oolong, and black tea is the way it has been processed after harvesting. White tea is a little bit different because of the way it is grown, but all tea is from the same plant - Camelia sinensis. And this plant has naturally occurring antioxidants that are beneficial to human health.
Antioxidants are also present in other types of food such as nuts, fruits, vegetables, and wines. They are good for disease prevention by combating free radicals - substances in the body linked to cancer, Parkinson's disease, senile and drug-induced deafness, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's.
There are several components in tea that act as antioxidants including catechins, flavanoids, and polyphenols.
White, Green or Oolong?
Oolong tea is produced by allowing the tea leaves to oxidize for a short time after picking. Oxidation is the process which makes the leaves turn dark on exposure to oxygen. Oolong is semi-oxidized; black tea is fully oxidized; and green tea is un-oxidized.
Fresh tea leaves are high in catechins. Processing the tea reduces these levels, so the more the tea is oxidized the lower the catechin levels. This means that white tea has the highest levels of catechins closely followed by green tea.
Catechins are the media darling of green tea promoters and usually receive the most coverage when discussing the health benefits of tea. There is one point, however, which is often overlooked: As the levels of catechins decrease during oxidation, the levels of theaflavins and thearubigins increase.
These two substances are found in higher concentrations in oolong and black tea than in green tea and have anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. A 2001 Chinese study indicated that the antioxidant properties of green tea and black tea are equal.
So it appears that oxidation does not eliminate the health properties of tea, but simply reduces one type of antioxidant while increasing other health-promoting compounds.
So is Oolong Good for You?
It is safe to say that all tea is good for you, but since we are particularly interested in oolong, let's see what the medical literature has to say.
Diabetes - Oolong tea may be an effective adjunct to oral hypoglycemic agents in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Eczema - Japanese researchers reported that patients with a form of eczema improved after drinking a liter of oolong tea daily.
Allergies - Two catechin derivatives (C-1 and C-2) with potent antiallergic activity were isolated from Taiwanese oolong tea.
Bacterial infections - Oolong tea polyphenols strongly inhibited the enzyme activities of some types of streptococci.
Cavities - Oolong tea polyphenolic compounds could be useful for controlling dental caries.
Obesity - Consumption of oolong tea stimulates both EE and fat oxidation in normal weight men.
Cancer - Oolong tea extract has a chemopreventive action against hepatocarcinogenesis.
Great stuff! Drinking oolong tea will make you healthier, live longer, be more beautiful and have great teeth!
The Bottom Line
Drink oolong tea for your health, but don't lose sight of this simple fact - people have been drinking tea for thousands of years because it is a great tasting beverage. Sit back, relax, and savour the sensations as you sip this wonderful drink. It's good for the soul, and what's good for the soul is certainly good for the body.
__________________________________
References:
J. Agric. Food Chem., 47 (5), 1906 -1910, 1999. 10.1021/jf981114l S0021-8561(98)01114-5
Archives of Dermatology, January 2001
Diabetes Care 26:1714-1718, 2003
Appl Environ Microbiol. 1993 April; 59(4): 968-973.
131:2848-2852, November 2001 Nutr. The American Society for Nutritional Sciences J.
Caries Res. 1993;27(2):124-9.
Jpn J Cancer Res. 1996 Oct;87(10):1034-8.
Journal of Nutrition. 2001;131:2248-2251.
Copyright © 2006 by Ross MacIver
TeaFromTaiwan.com
This article may be redistributed freely on the Internet or in ezines as long as the resource box and hyperlinks remain intact.
Ross MacIver is the webmaster of
Tea From Taiwan
, a Taiwan-based merchant of high-quality oolong tea. Taiwan produces the best oolong tea in the world. All the tea carried by
Tea From Taiwan
is hand picked and hand processed. The tea is shipped worldwide by Taiwan air post.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Reduce Heart Disease, Strokes, and Cancer by Drinking Oolong Tea

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There is a Chinese proverb - A daily cup of tea or more, keeps you out of the pharmacy. As you will shortly see, there is a lot of truth in this proverb. So, what is oolong tea? It is related to green tea and black tea -- they are all produced from the same plant. Green tea is made from the dried leaves, whereas black tea is made by fermentation of the leaves. Oolong tea is made by partly fermenting the leaves prior to drying.
There is also evidence that they may decrease the blood's tendency to form thrombi, or unwanted blood clots. It is thought that the polyphenols in tea inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract, thus decreasing the cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. Studies in several countries have found many kinds of tea have some effect in reducing cholesterol in blood fats, though oolong seems to get the best results. This can lead to several problems including coronary thrombosis (a heart attack) and strokes, so high cholesterol levels are not a good thing.

These are essential for many things in your body but cholesterol also builds up on the wall of the arteries, causing them to narrow and restrict blood flow. Triglycerides and cholesterol are two important fatty substances in the bloodstream.
Obesity is an increasing problem these days, it is well documented that overweight people are more likely to suffer heart problems. In the hustle-bustle of modern living, it is easy to resort to a junk diet. This is bad news for your body because it hangs on to the extra fat and lacks many of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are vital for your well-being. The Chinese claim that tea can actually help reduce the amount of fat in the tissues. Oolong tea seems to get the most publicity here, although any tea probably has some benefits. Chinese sources cite numerous cases of people who have lost weight while regularly drinking two or three cups of oolong a day. Oolong mixed with other herbal ingredients is the basis for a number of teas marketed especially for slimming. A Chinese ad for Slimming Tea claims that drinking it for three months can help you drop up to 15 pounds off your weight. I am not convinced that tea alone can achieve this but it seems that it can contribute as tactic in your weight-loss strategy.
Much research is being carried out on the role of tea drinking in preventing cancer. For example, out of 25 papers related to health presented at the Hangzhou Symposium, almost one third reported on cancer research. Research has found that oolong has some effect against cancer because it inhibits the formation or action of cancer-causing substances. It seems to be the epigallo catechin gallate (EGCC) that reduces the occurrence of uncontrolled DNA replication. Vitamin E is regarded as an excellent antioxidant; EGCC is supposedly 200 times more effective for neutralizing free radicals in the body. Another way oolong tea may help fight cancer is through preventing cell mutation. The antioxidant properties of the polyphenols in oolong tea may inhibit mutation of the DNA in healthy cells, which can cause them to become cancer cells.
Cured meats often contain nitrates which can be converted to nitrosamines in the digestive process. Nitrosamines are known to be carcinogenic. Tea may block the action of nitrosamines which can cause cancer, said Dr. Han Chi, an associate professor at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene under the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine. In a test of 145 types of tea, she and her colleagues rated green tea highest, with a blocking rate of 90 percent. Oolong and black tea followed in that order as the fermentation process destroys the EGCC. The partial fermentation of the leaves during the production of oolong tea reduces the EGCC level by approximately fifteen percent.
The fluoride in tea can strengthen bones and help ward off osteoporosis in the same way that it strengthens dental enamel. While it is no magic fountain of youth, some of its benefits can be said to contribute to longevity (stimulation of bodily functions, strengthening the immune system, reducing the chance of heart disease and improving stomach functions). Still today, perhaps as an echo of those beliefs, claims are made that tea drinking helps one to live to a ripe old age.

Long ago in China, tea was an ingredient in immortality potions favored by the Taoists.
When pregnant or nursing only small amounts of oolong tea should be used, it can also interfere with MAO inhibitors and blood thinning medication. Also the consumption of oolong tea may interfere with the absorption of medicines. This article is intended to be for information about the nutritional benefits of oolong tea only and should not be regarded as medical advice in its own right. You should seek the assistance of a qualified physician if you require medical advice on any condition mentioned in this article.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The Health Benefits of Green Tea

Now recent medical studies in both asia and the west are providing a scientific basis for the claim that drinking green tea has very significant health benefits. Green tea became part of the Chinese diet and many important health benefits were attributed to it. Some tea leaves accidentally fell into boiling water, and he tried it and found it invigorating.

According to legend, tea was discovered by a Chinese emperor called Shen Nung. The Chinese have known about Green tea as a powerful medication for at least 4000 years.
Thus green and black teas have different chemical properties. Black teas on the other hand are made from fermented leaves and as a result have less nutritional and enzyme content as the green tea. In this way the leaves remain green and the active substances within the leaves retain their qualities.

Green tea is unfermented tea meaning that the leaves used for green tea are steamed soon after been plucked in order to prevent the oxidation of the leaves. The difference between the three main types of tea is the way that they are produced. Green tea, like black tea is made from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis.
Antioxidants help your body fight against free radicals which cause damage to cells and tisuues in your body. One study concluded that consuming three cups of tea a day produced a similar amount of antioxidants as eating six apples. The antioxidant activity of tea has been compared to that of fruit and vegetables in a number of studies.

Modern science has in recent times been able to demonstrate that green tea is beneficial to one's health and this is mainly due to the fact that tea contains high levels of antioxidants called polyphenols or flavonoids.
Recent medical studies suggest green tea to be beneficial in many areas including the following: While all tea is healthy to drink, it is green tea that contains the highest level of flavonoids.
-Digestive and respiratory health.
-Lowers cholesterol levels
-Boosts your immune system
-Reduces high blood pressure
-Arthritis - anti-inflammatory effect.
-Oral hygiene - due to antibacterial properties.
-Skin conditions such as acne
-Lowers blood sugar
Much more research needs to be conducted in this area but the signs are certainly very encouraging. It was discovered that those men who were given green tea extract burned more calories per day than those who were not given the extract. A study was conducted of ten healthy men over a period of 6 weeks. Recently published research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that an extract from green tea may speed up fat oxidation.

Weight loss is another area that is attracting huge attention.
Anyone for tea!
Lorraine Bevere is the owner and operator of
FOG Tea
which is
a premier source of information about tea. For questions or
comments about this article, please visit:

http://fogtea.com

Friday, September 19, 2008

Anti-Aging Benefits of Green Tea

If you want to look and feel younger without prescription drugs or surgery something as simple as adding green tea to your diet may be an effective option. This very simple yet effective and tasty drink may very well reverse some of the more visible signs of aging!
Studies have indicated that green tea's powerful combination of biological compounds, called polyphenols which has a subgroup called "catechins" are extremely effective at destroying free radicals which can help reverse the aging process.
The most powerful of these catechins is a compound called EGCG. This is a natural antioxidant found in green tea or green tea extract which has 25-100 times the potency of vitamin C or E.
Here is one very interesting example. There is strong evidence supporting the notion that drinking green tea may reduce the risk of neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's.
Healthy cells exposed to "amlyoid", a protein highly linked to Alzheimer's, rapidly died ( a condition called "cell death" ) due to the high toxicity of this protein. On the other hand, cells exposed to amlyoid and then exposed to green tea extracts containing catechins survived.
These amazing findings are too powerful to be ignored and give strong support to the notion that consuming green tea or green tea extract may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
There are many other anti-aging benefits related to drinking green tea such as: Reducing age spots, clarifying the skin, protecting against the suns UV rays, lowering LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol)…
Green tea does contain caffine, which could be related to insomnia, anxiety, or other symptoms caused by the caffeine content naturally present in green tea. There is no real downside to moderate sensible tea consumption. More good news!
One cup beverage contains about 50-100 mg of polyphenols, depending on the quantity and quality of tea leaves used. A recommended dosage would be 300-400 mg of polyphenols daily to fully realize the anti-aging properties of green tea or green tea extract.
With every enjoyable cup you're doing your mind and body a favor - slowing the aging process the easy way! Compared to most artificially sweetend, overly processed and overpriced beverages out there today, you can't find a more healthy substance to put into your body than green tea.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

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.
And of course, lest we forget the noble avocado, which many dieters (and even non dieters) have kept at bay with almost superstitious fervor. Wine is another example. Chocolate is a good example of how a food can get, well, steamrolled by the healthy eating train. 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 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 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 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.
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
Furthermore, some teas, such as oolong tea, can help kill unhealthy bacteria in the mouth. 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. 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.
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).
(You can even sell them bundled at a 10% discount!) Yup: instead of selling suntan lotion next to your black tea stand at the beach, you can just as happily sell black tea lotion. Know what that means? There is also some research evidence pointing to tea's skin-care value as a topical lotion.

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). Researchers at the University of Arizona (they'd know a lot about the sun, right?
Tea is Hearty
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. Tea has been shown to lower "bad" cholesterol (a.k.a. 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.

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.
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.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Green Tea And Some Of Its Benefits

Three to five cups of green tea a day can do you a lot of good.
Tea, especially green tea has long been known for its medicinal benefits. It helps digestion, boost metabolism and even wards off cancer and heart disease.
According to whether it is fermented or not, tea can be divided into 3 types:
green tea - not fermented;
oolong tea - partially fermented;
black tea - fermented.
While people may prefer black tea or oolong tea, green tea has more healthy benefits. As it's dried straight after picking, it keeps most of its valuable polyphenols while its cousins - black tea and oolong tea lose most of theirs in the process of fermentation. Green tea has a lot more polyphenols than black tea or oolong tea. What's the deal of those polyphenols things, you may wonder? They are known as powerful antioxidants, which remove free radicals from the body. Free radicals in the body's cells are very bad. They very unstable and tend to react negatively with other important molecules like DNA, causing malfunctions and injury on the cellular level. They produce destruction that may therefore pave the way for diseases like heart disease and cancer. Green tea contains rich polyphenols that play an active role in removing the free radicals from the body.
Studies show green tea drinkers have 50% lower risk of developing stomach or esophageal compared to non green tea drinkers. As a result, that can help lower blood pressure and reduce stress on the heart. Antioxidants in tea are also known to prevent death from second heart attack by helping blood vessels relax, thus blood can flow through more easily.
One final benefit of green tea drinking can help lose some weight. It's believed some of its polyphenols and caffeine work together to boost the body's metabolism, thus boost our energy burning system.
Generally, three to five cups a day is fairly enough for us to get its medical benefits. How much tea shall we drink?
Shall we have a cup of tea now?
Then drop by Interested in more information about healthy diet food?
http://helthydietfood.info/

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Benefits of Green Tea

Through the course of time, the benefits of green tea are not only solely confined to the improvement of health. The benefits of green tea extend as well into the field of beauty.
Beauty Benefits
It is naturally rich in antioxidants, which provide gentle exfoliation, thus giving the skin a healthy natural glow. Green tea extract can be applied to the skin as one would do with lotion or makeup.
Health Benefits
The fountain of youth; that is green tea. Green tea is recognized to provide a larger quantity of polyphenols and theanine, which provide a much greater amount of antioxidant activity compared to the servings of broccoli, carrots, strawberries, or spinach. Undoubtedly, green tea is good for the body in a number of ways. Its profound power in the prevention of diseases and other health complications covers a wide arena.
1. Green tea enhances health. It has the ability to lengthen one's life and prevent the onset of varied diseases.
Tannin and catechin are two of the main ingredients present in green tea that both actively combat against this dreaded disease. Cancer comes in all sorts of forms. Green tea prevents cancer.

2.
The catechin found in green tea can restrict excessive accumulation of cholesterol that may vigorously lead to heart problems. Green tea regulates blood cholesterol. 3.
4. Green tea lowers the risk of high blood pressure, which is the main culprit of serious cardiovascular troubles.
Green tea lowers the blood sugar. 5.
A buildup of lipid peroxide mixed up with oxygen increases aging in a fast pace; this is, in turn, combated by the green tea. Green tea suppresses fast aging. 6.
Green tea refreshes the body as the muscles are soothed and the blood is properly circulated. 7.
8. Green tea fights off food poisoning. This kind of tea is known to sterilize every food intake, thus possessing the knack to destroy bacteria which may be the main cause of food poisoning.
9. Green tea is a good remedy for skin diseases. The application of green tea extract proves to be a good cure for athlete's foot, bedsore, and all sorts of skin diseases.
Green tea hinders the formation of cavities. 10.
Green tea scraps the presence of all types of viruses that aim to harm the human body. 11.
Hence, they are able to live life with less complications and health problems. It is noted that green tea drinkers and users enjoy numerous benefits derived from it.
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Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Green Tea - Towards a Healthier Lifestyle

Research indicates that tea may work against heart attacks, stroke, and thrombosis. Tea contributes to this in several ways. It does so in a general way through its role as gentle stimulant to the heart and circulatory system. Secondly, it appears to keep the blood vessel walls soft. Thirdly, there is evidence that the phenols in tea inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract, which could help decrease the cholesterol in the bloodstream. Fourthly, it may decrease the blood's tendency to form thrombi, or unwanted clots. Often several of these functions operate together against stroke or heart attack. Strokes and thrombosis often occur because the blood vessels have lost their elasticity. Rutin, found in green tea, has long been prescribed to keep these walls soft.
Polyphenols tend to reduce the formation of plaque, while fluoride strengthens tooth enamel so that it can resist decay. Green tea has turned out to be a double-barrelled threat to tooth decay because of the natural polyphenols (tannin) and the fluoride it contains.
Considerable research is being carried out on the role of tea drinking in preventing cancer. Out of 25 papers related to health presented at the Hangzhou Symposium, seven reported on research on cancer and tumors. Green tea seems to get the best results, with Lung Ching Preferred. Stomach cancer, the number one cause of death in Japan, is at its lowest rate in Shizuoka prefecture along the coast southwest of Tokyo. One explanation is that Shizuoka is a tea-growing district and its inhabitants drink large amounts of green tea.
Researchers believe that green tea has an effect against cancer because it inhibits the formation or action of cancer-causing substances. Green tea may block the action of nitrosamines which can cause cancer, said Dr. Han Chi, and associate professor at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene under the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine. In a test of 145 types of tea, she and her colleagues rated green tea highest, with a blocking rate of 90 percent. Brick, Jasmine, oolong, and black tea followed in that order.
Tea also contains vitamins B1, B2, K and bioflavonoids plus niacin, folic acid, and manganese, but in such small amounts as to be negligible. Eighty-five percent of the vitamin C is released in one five minute infusion at 176 degrees Fahrenheit (80 degrees centigrade). According to Chinese calculations, typical green tea made with three grams of dry leaves to a cup should yield about six milligrams of vitamin C in three infusions in water at 158 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit (70 to 100 degrees centigrade).

However, recent tests in China have found that heat destruction of vitamin C contained in green tea varies greatly depending on growing conditions, the age of the leaves at picking, and how long they have been stored. Since this vitamin is destroyed by heat and tea is made in hot water, this statement seems somewhat contradictory. In China it is widely stated that green tea is a source of vitamin C.
Another way tea may help fight cancer is through preventing cell mutation. The antioxidant actions of the polyphenols in green tea inhibit mutation of the DNA in healthy cells, which can cause them to become cancer cells. In rats injected with a cancer-causing substance and fed green tea, cancer did not develop, but it did in the control group without tea.
It seems to be the epigallo catechin gallate (EGCC) that reduces the occurence of aberrant DNA replication in epithelial cells. In similar tests in Fujian province, green tea markedly decreased the incidence of Lung cancer in rats. An antioxidant made from green tea applied to the skin significantly inhibited growth of induced skin cancer in mice.
in treating bacillary dysentery, amoebic dysentery, acute gastroenteritis (inflammation of stomach and intestine), and enteritis (inflammation of the intestine)." They are effective against any types of bacteria, including those that cause dysentery, diphtheria, and cholera... "Green teas have stronger effects than black teas. Leung in Chinese Herbal Remedies. Albert Y.

"The antibacterial effects of tea have been well documented in Chinese scientific literature," writes Dr. Some researchers claim tea acts as a mild germicide in the digestive tract to help prevent food poisoning and diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery.
When pregnant or nursing only small amounts of green tea should be used, it may also interfere with the action of MAO inhibitors and blood thinning medication. Also the consumption of green tea may interfere with the absorption of medicines. This article is intended to be for information about the nutritional benefits of green tea only and should not be regarded as medical advice in its own right. You should seek the assistance of a qualified physician if you require medical advice on any condition mentioned in this article.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Health Benefits of Green Tea

In Asian countries tea has long played an important cultural role. Tea also plays a very important part in social rituals of Japan. These two countries were the earliest users of tea.

Historical evidence suggests that tea leaves boiled in water were consumed as far back as 5,000 years ago in India and China.
Tea is derived from leaves of a plant called Camellia sinensis. The plant is grown in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Green tea is prepared from leaves that are not fermented; oolong tea is prepared from leaves that are not fermented; oolong tea is prepared from leaves that are not fermented; oolong tea is prepared from leaves that are not fermented; oolong tea is prepared from leaves that are not fermented; oolong tea is prepared from leaves that are not fermented; oolong tea is prepared from partially fermented leaves, while black tea is preferred in United States. All of these are derived from Camellia sinensis, the difference lying in the way the leaves are processed. There are three types of tea - Green, black and oolong.
In recent periods green tea has attracted a lost of attention due to many health benefits attributed to it. Many studies have been conducted which explore the link between consumption of green tea and incidence of certain diseases in the population. It has been observed that green tea is helpful in:
- preventing cancer,
- improving the ratio of 'good' (HDL) cholesterol to 'bad' cholesterol,
- cognition,
- treating flatulence,
- regulating blood sugar,
- regulating body temperature,
- improving digestion.
This may be compared to the lower incidence of heart diseases in Japanese population, 75% of which are heavy smokers. In some studies it was suggested that the lower incidence of heart related diseases in the French population in spite of the consumption of a fat rich diet is related to the drinking of large quantities of green tea by them.
The medicinal properties of green tea are attributed to the presence of polyphenols, which act as antioxidants. Antioxidants help prevent the damage caused by free radicals present in body. Free radicals occur naturally, but they grow in numbers due to some environmental conditions like pollution, ultra-violet light, cigarette smoke etc. Green tea contains 30% to 40% polyphenols, while black tea contains up to 10% polyphenols.
3 to 4 cups of green tea is recommended for an adult.
Green tea has been found to be beneficial in following conditions :
One study conducted in animals suggests that polyphenols may help inhibit the absorption of cholesterol by intestines thus helping in the excretion of cholesterol from body. (1) People who drink green tea are found to have lower LDL cholesterol levels and higher HDL cholesterol levels.
(2) Though it has not yet been conclusively proved that drinking of green tea is related to the lower incidence of caner in Japan, yet some studies conducted in animals indicate that polyphenols that act as antioxidants may be responsible for killing the cancer cells.
Green tea can be helpful in regulating levels of glucose in the blood in such cases. The body stops producing insulin in Type 1 diabetes. The body stops producing insulin in Type 1 diabetes. (3) It was found in certain studies that polyphenols help control Type 1 diabetes.
(4) Green tea has also been found to be beneficial for the liver. It helps control the damaging effect of alcohol on it. People who drink green tea are found to have lower incidence of liver diseases.
Though not conclusively proved, weight reducing properties of polyphenols have been noted in some studies. (5) Green tea may also be helpful in reducing weight in obese people.
In some cases, however, certain precautions need to be taken while taking green tea.
People with stomach ulcers, heart problems, hyperthyroidism and psychological disorders should not take green tea. Pregnant women should also avoid it. Green tea should also be avoided if one is taking any of the following medications: anti-biotics, Benzodiazepines, Beta blockers, blood thinning medicines, chemotherapy, oral contraceptives and lithium.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Why Aren't You Using Green Tea Capsules?

Green tea capsules and tablets represent a simple, excellent, and effective way to get the benefits of green tea.
Although drinking green tea is very enjoyable and soothing to some people, many others don't like the bitter taste. Moreover, some people are realistic enough to know that the more trouble they have to go through to get the benefits of something, the less likely they are to do it.
Everyone now knows that drinking green tea is healthy just like they know that juicing vegetables and fruits is healthy too. But not many of us have the time to juice vegetables and fruits everyday, just like we don't have the time to brew green tea and sip it.
That's why green tea capsules are a fantasic way to get the health benefits of this ancient drink in the few seconds a day it takes to swallow them.
Moreover, if you are taking a quality green tea supplement, you could get more of its potent antioxidants than you could if you drank 4 to 5 cups of the tea a day because of its concentrated nature.
Green tea has a history as colorful as it is flavorful.
Legend has it that almost 5,000 years ago a Chinese emperor was sipping hot water whilst relaxing under a tea shrub when some of the leaves accidently blew off the shrub and landed in his cup.
He took a sip, liked what he tasted, and since then green tea became the health drink of choice in Asia, and is now spreading to the Western world rapidly.
What's really amazing is that it wasn't until recently that research has discovered just how incredibly powerful the health benefits of green tea are.
What Green Tea Contains
Green tea has many beneficial substances, like catechins, tannins, fluoride but, most important of all, powerful antioxidants called polyphenols.
One of these polyphenols in particular, which is referred to as EGCG, has been shown in studies to have potent anticancer properties. Indeed, EGCG is now thought to be one of the most powerful anticancer compounds discovered to date.
For the health savvy people who have heard about EGCG, it is the primary reason they drink green tea or use green tea capsules and supplements.
In one large study with chinese participants, it was discovered that the men and women who drank green tea had lower rates of: rectal, pancreatic, and colon cancer.
Other studies conducted here in the United States revealed that EGCG may be able to get cancer cells to stop reproducing.
Amazingly, it may accomplish this by somehow signalling the cancer cells to die, which in scientific terms is called apotosis.
Even more remarkable is that EGCG doesn't appear to hurt the healthy, non-cancerous cells of our body, so it seems to work selectively. This study was conducted at Case Western Reserve University, located in Ohio.
Other studies are now showing that green tea may be able to help mitigate the damage from LDL cholesterol -- otherwise known as the "bad cholesterol" that is a key marker in heart disease.
In fact, its possible role in lowering cholesterol is another of the biggest reasons people are now turning to green tea capsules and supplements.
Despite all of the potential health benefits of green tea, some people avoid drinking it because it does naturally contain caffeine, which makes some people jittery and nervous.
The good news is that green tea used in green tea capsules and tablets often contains much less caffeine than a cup of green tea itself. A cup of green tea contains about 40 mg of caffeine whereas a daily typical serving of green tea capsules might only contain 5 mg of caffeine.
Importantly, the typical serving of green tea capsules or supplements will have the same concentration of the polyphenols and powerful antioxidants as the green tea.
Even better for some people is that green tea can be decaffeinated and used in green tea capsules so that you can get all the benefits with none of the caffeine.
So there you have it. If you aren't already using green tea capsules for your health, it's time to give it some serious consideration as part of your supplement regimen.

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