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.
Some of the earliest mentions of tea in Chinese literature refer to it as a remedy for a diverse range of complaints, from headaches to depression.
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| Camellia sinensis |
Camellia sinensis
Probably the single factor that has most contributed to the growing popularity tea is its healthful reputation.
The basis for all the buzz about tea's healthy properties are polyphenols. The tea plant contains many kinds of polyphenols, catechin being particularly prolific.
Many researchers suggest that consumption of antioxidant-rich foods reduces damage to cells and biochemical from free radicals.
Using epidemiological techniques and comparing tea drinkers with non-drinker in cohort studies over a long period of time, it was found that tea reduces the risk of several major premature killing diseases many of which are related to luxurious lifestyles and polluted environment.
These include cancer, arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, neural and obesity problems, diabetes, disease of the kidney and liver, pulmonary ailments, flu, SARS and even AIDS.
Tea contains tannins, fluoride, selenium, zinc, flavonoids, polyphenol, beta-carotene, and vitamins C and E. It also has an alkaline effect within the body.
This alkalinity makes it useful in the treatment of ulcers, or for those who eat too many foods that have an acid-forming reaction in the body, such as meats and diary product.
The amazing health benefits of tea
