Monday, January 07, 2008
Posted by Miss Neddy at 08:30 AM |
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Tea Related
Tea is widely acknowledged to be a beverage that is good for the health. It is a pick-me-up for many people in the mornings, a soothing cuppa after a stressful day, and the aroma is akin to aromatherapy. But there are many tangible benefits to drinking tea.
Tea contains high amounts of an antioxidant called polyphenols, which is also found in red wine, apples and onions, among other foods. Polyphenols remove free radicals, which damage cells and enzymes in the body, even altering the DNA (thus causing cancerous cells). In green tea especially, there are high quantities of polyphenols, less in wulongs and least of all in black teas.
Tea is also commonly used in weight loss, as it is very low in calories (almost none, in fact), and there is some evidence that tea helps to emulsify fats in the stomach, thus reducing the amount of fats absorbed by the body. Low levels of caffeine help to stimulate the mind and body, but because it is much lower in caffeine than coffee, there is less of the roller-coaster effect of a caffeine boost and the subsequent “crash” when the caffeine wears off. However, for those who are sensitive to caffeine, it is still not advisable to drink more than 6 to 7 cups of tea a day, and it is best to space the cups out through the day, and preferably do not drink any caffeinated beverage less than five hours before your bedtime, especially if you are prone to insomnia. That said, I have anecdotal evidence that white tea, containing very minute amounts of caffeine, does not adversely affect the ability to sleep, and in fact seems to aid restful sleep.
Fresh tea leaves are also highly nutritious, containing Vitamin C to boost the immune system and Vitamin E to delay aging. This is why tea leaves are best used as soon as possible, and one should not keep good tea leaves for longer than six months to at most a year. Keeping tea leaves for too long not only reduces the flavour and fragrance of the tea, but also the nutritional value.
All in all, tea has many benefits, and only a few caveats: do not drink tea on an empty stomach, nor if you have gastric pains; tea aids in digestion, and will make the stomach acids stronger. Do not steep tea for too long, or it will contain too much caffeine and tannin; drink tea sparingly or not at all in the evenings, especially if you are sensitive to caffeine.
