Antioxidant Teas; Does Tea Assist Weight Loss? Green Tea & Oolong Tea Lower BP?
Antioxidant and polyphenols in Tea; Does Tea Assist Weight Loss? Do Green Tea & Oolong Tea Lower BP?
Antioxidant Teas; Does Tea Assist Weight Loss? Do Green Tea & Oolong Tea Lower BP?
All teas are said to have a wide range of health benefits, which may be due to their antioxidants and polyphenols.
Teas are all considered to be thermogenic; which means to say that they
increase energy expenditure, or metabolism, and that this can help with
the metabolic slow-down sometimes associated with weight loss, and can
help to regulate body fat in general, although exactly how they do this
hasn't been explained in detail.
The catechins, vitamins and minerals in tea operate synergistically, giving us more than fragrance and distinctive flavor.
Flavor
is the deciding factor on which one we use, so it is worth trying a few
different ones, and even making them differently, and have a go at
drinking them with out milk or sweetener, or drinking them iced.
It is no surprise that Tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world after water.
The
health benefits of green tea are widely known, but recent studies
suggest that any tea may contribute to an overall reduction in the risk
of cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer, as well as
promoting oral health and lowering blood pressure and helping to
increase metabolism which influences overall body weight control.
These
antioxidant teas are considered to be antibacterial and to have
antiviral actions, solar ultraviolet protection; bone mineral density
increase, anti-fibrotic properties [blood clotting], and
neuroprotective power which may help with some areas like dementia, and
even Alzheimers disease!
Black tea has been fully fermented during processing, and green
has not been fermented at all. Oolong is somewhere in the middle.
So what is 'white tea'?
Well, this doesn't mean milk added!
Just
like the other teas, white tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant
and the leaves are picked before the leaves open fully, when the buds
are still covered by fine white hair.
There are many varieties of white antioxidant teas, with
poetic names such as: white peony, golden moon, silver needle and white
cloud.
China and Japan are the main produceers of these but the Darjeeling region of India also produces some fine white teas.
White
and green tea are similar in that they have undergone very little
processing and no fermentation. But there is a noticeable difference in
taste. Most green teas have a distinctive 'grassy' taste to them, but
the white one does not.
If
you are drinking this beverage for your health, you may want to
consider the white tea. There is also considerably less caffeine in
white tea than the other varieties (15mg per serving, compared to 40mg
for black, and 20mg for green). Some studies have also shown that white
tea contains more active cancer-fighting antioxidants than green.
So we can see that the health benefits cover a wide range of body
systems, from helping balance metabolism and weight control, heart
disease, cancer, thinking processes as in dementia and Alzheimer’s
disease, osteoporosis, blood clotting problems, high blood pressure,
and anti-bacterial and even anti-viral properties!
So how much Tea do we need to drink?
According
to research published on Pubmed,drinking one to six cups per day, to a
maximum of eight cups per day would minimize any risk relating to
excess caffeine consumption.
What if I like milk in my tea?
The
studies show that casein in milk destroys the ability to protect
against heart disease, by reducing the concentration of catechism in
our cups, so it looks like no milk is the best way to go!
So
which cup is best? It looks like which ever type you may choose has
great health benefits, so if you choose a good quality Antioxidant Tea
grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, and don't add milk
you can't go far wrong!