DRINKING TEA IS HEALTHY
Drinking a cup or two of tea a day may improve your health. Tea leaves come from the Camellia sinensis plant. Tea leaves contain antioxidants that counter free radicals, which can damage cells. Antioxidants may reduce or help prevent some of this damage.
IS THERE A DIFFERENT BETWEEN GREEN, BLACK & OOLONG TEAS?
The difference between the three main varieties of tea (green, black, and Oolong) is the process used to make them. Black tea is exposed to air or fermented, which darkens the leaves and gives them flavor. Green tea is made by heating or quickly steaming the leaves. Oolong tea leaves are partially fermented.
Blended teas such as English breakfast are made with teas of different origins, combined to achieve a certain flavor. For example, English Breakfast tea traditionally was a blend of China Keemums tea, but the blend now includes Ceylon and India teas as well.
TEA & PROBIOTICS
Tea contains polyphenols which may promote beneficial bacteria in the gut. A study from the National University of Singapore showed evidence that the phenolics found in tea exhibits prebiotic behavior which is likely to help regulate bacteria including probiotics.
Green tea contains between 30 and 40% of water-extractable polyphenols, black tea contains between 3 and 10%. Because Oolong is semi-fermented it has somewhere in between.
DRINKING TEA CAN REDUCE HEALTH RISKS
There’s no hard evidence that drinking tea can prevent cancer in people in general; many factors affect cancer risk. However, several studies have linked drinking tea to a lower risk of cancer for some people. More research is needed to define those groups.
Some studies show that drinking green tea may help curb a few heart disease risk factors, including body weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol absorption. However, the FDA denied a petition filed by a green tea maker that wanted to put heart-health claims on its product’s label, ruling that there wasn’t credible scientific evidence to support the claims. See Judgment in Favor of Accurate Health Information.
TEA MAY HELP CONTROL BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS
There is some evidence that green tea may help control glucose (or blood sugar) levels, however, that hasn’t been widely tested in people. More research is needed to learn how much green tea would be needed and whether green tea also helps curb body weight and body fat.
DRINKING TEA WITH A MEAL HELPS A BODY ABSORB IRON
A Swiss study found that drinking black tea with a meal reduced iron absorption by 79% to 94% when compared with drinking water. People with an iron deficiency might consider drinking tea only between meals.
SHOULD WOMEN WHO ARE BREASTFEEDING OR PREGNANT DRINK TEA?
Green tea contains caffeine, so pregnant women or those who are breastfeeding shouldn’t drink more than one or two servings of green tea per day, according to the American Dietetic Association.
CONTRAINDICATIONS FOR TEA DRINKING
People with irregular heartbeats or anxiety disorders also should be cautious about how much caffeine they get, from green tea or other sources.
CHILDREN AND TEA DRINKING
Little is known about the effects of green tea on children because the research on green tea has been done on adults.
THE HEALTHY BENEFITS OF TEA DOES NOT EXTEND TO HERBAL TEAS
Herbal teas are not made from the Camellia sinensis plant and are not really teas at all. Herbal teas are an infusion of leaves, roots, bark, seeds, or flowers from other types of plants. Common herbal teas include chamomile and mint. While they may have their own health benefits, hey are not associated with the potential health benefits of green, black, or Oolong tea.
FRESHLY BREWED TEA IS BEST
The most antioxidants are found in freshly brewed tea. Those compounds are reduced in instant tea, decaffeinated tea, and bottled tea.
Iced tea often contains low to negligible amounts of catechins compared with the high concentrations found in a cup of hot tea, because adding water to brewed tea dilutes the concentration. However, iced tea and hot tea could contain approximately the same level of antioxidants if, when preparing iced tea, you use 50% more tea than when preparing a similar amount of hot tea to allow for dilution. About 85% of the tea drunk in the U.S. is iced tea.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BREW A CUP OF TEA?
Fresh brewing is the way to get the most antioxidants from your tea, so knowing how long to steep the tea is an important part of the process. Three to five minutes is the recommended amount of time for maximizing the benefits.
HOW MANY CUPS OF TEA SHOULD ONE DRINK?
Researchers have not determined how many cups of freshly brewed green tea are recommended each day, but people in Asia typically drink at least three cups daily.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF TEA
Take WebMD Tea Quiz
SOURCES
WebMD, LLC, April 22, 2011
H.C. Lee, A.M. Jenner, C.S. Low, Y. K. Lee. Effect of tea phenolics and their aromatic fecal bacterial metabolites on intestinal microbiota. Research in Microbiology 2006, Volume 157, Pages 876-884.
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WHY CHOOSE METABOLIC BALANCE?
Metabolic balance® is not a standardized diet plan, but rather a holistic approach to putting your body’s metabolism into a healthy balance and reaching your ideal body weight. Meal plans include natural teas.
Insulin, the pancreatic hormone, plays a central role in this process. It “opens the doors” to our body’s cells, allowing blood sugar to enter and supply the body with energy. Being overweight has a strong effect on the delicate balance between blood sugar and insulin levels and is thus the root of many common illnesses and disorders.
Healthy nutrition, as recommended by metabolic balance®, will stabilize your body’s insulin level, maintain the natural feeling of fullness after a meal and balance your body’s metabolism. The cornerstone of metabolic balance® program is a personalized nutritional “road map” based on your body’s biochemistry. If you are interested in finding out more about metabolic balance,®. Sign up for monthly news & tips. Contact Myra for more information. You can also visit MetabolicBalance.
Myra Nissen, CCH
Copyright © 2013 –, Myra Nissen.
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This article was brought to you by Myra Nissen, CCH, RSHom(NA), Board Certified Classical Homeopath. Myra teaches women how to recognize their body’s unique needs and cues and uses Homeopathy to help empower women to take control of their bodies, health and well-being. Find out more, visit her blog www.myranissen.com/blog.