The tea drink daily in Japan is now touted as one of the healthiest drinks in the world.
Tea's active ingredients are caffeine in combination with the tannin that gives it its pungency and much of its aroma and flavor which essential oils also enhance.
Caffeine component in tea, helps to dispel drowsiness and lassitude. One cup of tea drunk during work will clear the head and refresh both body and mind.
The scientists' tests showed a cup of tea gives both an immediate and a delayed lift without secondary depressing effects later on. They agreed tea is a good agent for relieving fatigue and aids clearness of thought and digestion alike.
Common green tea and black tea leaves consist about 25-30% flavonoids, while the primary sources of polyphenols in green tea are catechins and flavones.
These flavonoids are produced via the shikimic and acetate-malonate biosynthetic pathways, characterized by their C6-C3-C6 skeletal structure corresponding to 2-phenyl-substitued benzypyrans and pyrones.
Flavonoids are natural vitamin-like compounds. They make blood cells called platelets less prone to clotting, and act as antioxidants, countering the artery-damaging potential of highly reactive free radical chemicals. Catechins reduce ‘bad cholesterol’ or low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) in the blood, thereby preventing hardening of the arteries and the formation of blood clots.
In one study, men with a high flavonoids intake had a 73 percent lower risk of stroke during 15 years of follow-up, compared with men with a low intake of flavonoids. The men in the study got about 70 percent of their flavonoids from drinking black tea.
Other research shows that tea bolsters the heart’s resistance to cardiovascular disease, prevents dental cavities, lengthens a tea drinkers’ life span, detoxifies the body and boosts immune function.
Tea also helps prevent tooth decay in several ways. It contains a solid dose of fluoride and works better than the antibiotic tetracycline. According to researchers at the Tokyo Dental College, it fights the kinds of bacteria in the mouth that cause gum disease and the eventual loss of the teeth. It also kills the greatest cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth, Streptococcus mutans.
Some of the most exciting research involves the link between tea and the prevention of cancer. Additionally, green tea eases the adverse effects of cancer therapies, such as radiation and chemotherapy.
Properties in green and black tea called antioxidants are thought to be active agents against skin cancer. In the past 10 to 15 years, a growing body of research has shown that foods and vitamins with a strong anti-oxidant effect may reduce the risk of many diseases, including cancer and aging.
The rich presence of catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG is the reason why green tea has so much health benefits. A powerful antioxidant, EGCG can not only inhibit cancer causing agents in cell growth but can also destroy them without harming healthy cells.
Health benefits of Tea
