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The Power of
Tea
Move over coffee, make room for something healthier. The touted advantages
from drinking tea promises a myriad of health benefits including the prevention
of certain cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis and heart disease. The root
behind the evil fighting ability of tea? Antioxidants.
Free radicals are molecules that are found in the environment and are also naturally
produced by the body. These free radicals can damage cells which contribute to the
development of many chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants
work to protect the body against free radicals.
The camellia tea plant, also known as camellia sinensis, is rich in polyphenols
which is a type of antioxidant. Polyphenols are also believed to have anti-cancer,
anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Green tea, black tea and oolong tea all
come from this same plant, but makes its distinction based on the process in which
they are fermented. Green tea and black tea are rich in a specific kind of antioxidant
called flavonoids. Flavonoids work by detoxifying cells and protecting them against
free radicals.
Green or Black?
Both green tea and black tea have high antioxidant levels and research hasn’t found
the clear winner. Some studies suggest green tea to be a potent cancer fighter while
other studies found that black tea is more heart healthy.
Just how much antioxidants are in tea? Surprisingly, one cup of tea contains more
antioxidants than a serving of any fruit of vegetable. Whether the tea is brewed,
powdered, bottled or decaffeinated, they all contain as much antioxidants as fruit,
with brewed tea containing the most.
In order to reap any possible benefits, a person may have to consume several cups
per day. The amount of antioxidants that your body actually absorbs is not known.
Although many promising studies have been conducted on animals and cells in laboratories,
nothing
has yet been proven on humans.
It is also important to note that the FDA
does not approve the use of the claim that tea can prevent cancer.
The bottom line: If you’re drinking tea, you’re not drinking soda. That’s one definite
health benefit.
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