Tea anyone.......should be Tea Everyone in my eyes.
Once again another study highlights the vast nature of Tea's potential protective quality, especially Green, White Tea, however some forms of black, yellow and oolong tea all share the potential affect on long-term health.
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| Tea all round. Hurrah! |
A team of research Scientists at Newcastle University, UK, led by Dr Ed Okello wanted to see if the protective properties of green tea -- which have previously been shown to be present in the undigested, freshly brewed form of the drink -- were still active once the tea had been digested:
"Digestion is a vital process which provides our bodies with the nutrients we need to survive. But it also means that just because the food we put into our mouths is generally accepted to contain health-boosting properties, we can't assume these compounds will ever be absorbed by the body."
From resulting digestion and activation by enzymes in the gut the key chemical in green tea were thus able to prove more affective against triggers associated not only with Alzheimer's and the development of other forms of dementia, but also potentially a role in protection against cancer when consumed along with a well balanced diet and lifestyle: Dr Okello:-
"In addition to this, we also found the digested compounds had anti-cancer properties, significantly slowing down the growth of the tumour cells which we were using in our experiments."
Green Tea, white tea and Yellow tea are particularly rich in Flavonoids such as Catechins that maybe the significant element that makes these beverages potentially important for Health.Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG)is the most abundant Catechin in green Tea and thought to be the significant element in the tea's antioxidant effect and potential benefit to health such as with various Cancers.
One cup of green tea for example can potentially supply 20-30mg of EGCG providing the largest single quantity of antioxidant properties of all the tea's catechins.
The Polyhenols that exist in tea, black, green white and yellow have been shown in previous studies to be protective against potential damage to brain cells hence the possible benefits against the development of neurological problems such as Alzheimer's.
During research Dr Okello and his team exposed cells to varying concentrations of the different toxins and the digested green tea compounds, explaining that:
"The digested chemicals protected the cells, preventing the toxins from destroying the cells." Adding..."We also saw them affecting the cancer cells, significantly slowing down their growth."
As the good doctor and his team point out, just drinking tea of this nature is not a prerequisite to protection against destructive degenerative disease and illness such Alzheimer's, dementia and many forms of cancer. Their are many factors that influence disease, as their are many factors that potentially have a positive protective effect against such illness, well balanced diet, exercise and lifestyle influences that help reduce stress and create a positive outlook on life being part of that influence.
Journal Reference:
- E.J. Okello, G.J. McDougall, S. Kumar, C.J. Seal. In vitro protective effects of colon-available extract of Camellia sinensis (tea) against hydrogen peroxide and beta-amyloid (Aβ(1–42)) induced cytotoxicity in differentiated PC12 cells. Phytomedicine, 2010; DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2010.11.004
With these supportive and positive influences in place, the consumption of tea as discussed in these studies could potentially have an influence on illness and disease such as:
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Cancer, especially cancer of the Brain, prostate, cervix and bladder
- Stroke
- Osteoporosis
- Teeth Health
- Type 2 Diabetes
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| In a well Balanced diet, Tea could be King! |
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My Favourite quality tea suppliers Jing, (http://jingtea.com) a supplier of fine Green, white, yellow and black teas such as oolong, from a vast variety of teas, produced commissioned tests on the antioxidant levels of their supplied tea's to look more closely at the Catechin/flavonoid (Polyphenols) levels (EGCG) and to provide the general buying public interested in the health benefits of such tea consumption as part of a balanced diet, more insight into which tea's may provide greater benefit.
Using a serving of mg/250ml serving,results with the total antioxidant levels for each tea were:
(Taken from http://jingtea.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/jing-tea-testing-our-teas-for-antioxidants)
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| Pre-Rain Dragon Well Supreme Green Tea - Very High in antioxidant EGCG levels. |
More Than Just Tea
For many cultures around the world, the kind of high quality tea with the potential to provide health benefits when drunk as part of a well balanced diet as l and other researchers have been discussing also acts a pivotal point to life in general, or should that be a way of life.
In parts of India, Tibet, the Himalayas, Bhutan, but especially in China and Japan, tea, it's growing, it's farming, it's processing, it's drinking is as important as religion, and the rituals of the the Chinese or Japanese Tea ceremony especially have been an important influence to millions of people since ancient and medieval times.
Whether it is the use of ancient tea lines, species, growing area, sets of spiritual or religious rituals, ancient tools or tea wear, eqipment and mannerisms, the one overriding aspect in all Tea ceremony's is how and why certain tea's are picked, and how when loking to get the full allround benefit of the tea, how it is made.
When researching yourself and deciding on a quality tea to buy and use, take note of how the best way to prepare and make tea to best get the benefits it offers.
And why?
Well one aspect of Antioxidant quantity and quality found in green, white, black, yellow teas is that excess heat can destroy the amounts of active Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), so be mindful when making these kind of tea's......OVERHEATED WATER MAY DESTROY THE ANTIOXIDANTS!Always good to know these things and listen to advice that has been passed on for thousand's of years!
Toodle pip!
Nutrition Advice
For more benefits of a well balanced diet, healthier lifestyle and the potential of tea drinking, come and visit me at my clinic and see what positive changes maybe suitable for you.
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