Enjoying the Benefits of Tea



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 Are you one of the very smartest of us, a consistent tea drinker?  If so, research says you have chosen the right drink.  Not only does it soothe the soul, but it also protects the body at the same time.

Ok, so that's nice, but you say it's not enough to push you away from the coffee drinker crowd and into the teabag and boiling water population?  Laura Ungar of the Louisville, KY Courier-Journal (Dec. 30, 3012) explains that multiple "studies indicate that tea can help block cholesterol, prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer and burn calories."


Unger tells us that there are several kinds of tea-"black, white, green, oolong and puerh," and they all work to lessen the effect of those dreaded free radicals.

 Are you watching those cholesterol numbers?
  Unger quotes Todd Porter, University of KY researcher, as saying that " tea appears to decrease the absorption of cholesterol in the system"  and he points out that it is black tea, not green tea, that appears most effective. Wow!  For those of us committed to green tea, that's a shocker!
Many studies have examined tea's role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Unger cites an Italian study on the benefit of black tea:  It actually lowered the blood pressure in the study's subjects and "counteracted the detrimental effects of high-fat meals in people with high blood pressure."   

That's just one study, right?  Well, no.  The Italian study added evidence to several prior studies that showed the three-cup-a-day tea drinkers enjoyed less danger of heart attacks-"11 percent lower." 


Those among us not concerned with high cholesterol or blood pressure numbers  that are so worrisome to our doctors might want to know that other aspects of our well being can be improved by drinking tea.  Tea contains both caffeine and L-theanine-both of which may "improve mental cognition and clarity, as well as work performance."

And green-tea drinkers, take heart.  Many benefits accrue from drinking green tea daily.

Although great strides have been made in the fight against all cancers, the possibility of that cancer diagnosis still scares all of us.  The Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Onclology is cited by Unger as reporting " that consuming  cups of green tea each day helps prevent several cancers and protect against the recurrence of colorectal cancer."

Additionally, benefits for older people include a "significantly lower risk of functional disability such as stroke, osteoporosis and cognitive impairment."

A Japanese study published this year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that elderly subjects who drank more tea had a significantly lower risk of functional disability such as stroke, osteoporosis and cognitive impairment. And guess what?  Regular green-tea drinkers benefit from losing weight as well.

If we know that drinking green tea will help us to age at a slower rate while it helps in the reduction of inflammation and also strengthens bone, why not add tea to our daily beverage intake?

Is coffee beneficial, too?  Absolutely.  Although it hasn't been shown to decrease cancer risk, it does decrease "death rates from heart and respiratory diseases, injuries and accidents, diabetes and infections."

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So, what's the difference?  Coffee doesn't have the "lipid-lowering benefits" of tea. And if you feel jittery after two cups of coffee, remember that tea contains only half the caffeine of coffee, so drink up!


(Access Unger's complete article at  http://usat.ly/W83dIk .)


Our thanks to Dick for sending this report to us.