Benefits And Risks Of Tea

Tea is known as nature's 'wonder drug'. The ability of tea to promote good health has long been believed in many countries, especially Japan, China, India, and even England.

 Benefits

 Anti-cancer properties
 green tea protects against a range of cancers, including lung, prostate and breast cancer. The reason cited is the kind of antioxidant it has.
 White tea has been claimed to be even more effective.
 Topical applications of green tea extracts have protective effects on UVA- and UVB-induced skin damage.

 Increases metabolic rate
 green tea raises metabolic rates, speeds up fat oxidation and improves insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance.
 There is also a suggestion that it can increase endurance in exercise by improving fat metabolism.

 Boosts immune system
 theanine may help the body's immune system response when fighting infection, by boosting the disease-fighting capacity. The study included a four-week trial with 11 coffee drinkers and 10 tea drinkers, who consumed 600ml of coffee or black tea daily. Blood sample analysis found that the production of anti-bacterial proteins was up to five times higher in the tea-drinkers, an indicator of a stronger immune response.

 Lowers stress hormone levels
 drinking black tea lowers stress hormone levels. Just 50 minutes after a high stress event, tea drinkers, had a 20% greater drop in cortisol than the placebo group. blood clotting and the risk of heart attacks was also lower for tea drinkers.

 Effects associated with caffeine
 A cup of green tea contains a little amount of caffeine. Certain benefits are associated with caffeine consumption, such as a reduction of Parkinson's disease and a temporary increase in short term memory.

 Possible risks:

 Effects of fluoride
 All tea leaves contain fluoride; however, mature leaves contain higher fluoride levels than young leaves from the same plant. White tea contains less fluoride than green tea and black tea, because it is made of young leaves only.
 The fluoride content of tea depends directly on the fluoride content of the soil in which it is grown; tea plants absorbs this element at a greater rate than other plants. Care in the choice of the location where the plant is grown may reduce the risk.

 Cosmetic
 Like coffee, tea causes staining of the teeth.

 Hot drinking temperature
 Hot tea consumption has been linked to a higher risk for esophageal cancer. Risk was also significantly increased for drinking tea less than 3 minutes after pouring against drinking tea at least 4 minutes after being poured.