We all drink tea, especially when the weather is cold. Wet seasons are usually boom period for tea sale, as it’s one of the beverages that can keep you warm.
Employers sometimes provide tea in offices, especially for those who work in factories where the air conditioners are left running round the clock in order to keep the machines in even temperature, so that they can keep warm.
At board meetings, power breakfasts and other early
morning formal gatherings, cups of tea are consumed as if they were lubricants of some sorts.
Over the years, tea has evolved from the types served with spoon from sealed tin containers to exotic blends that come in alluring packages and blends. These days, we have teas made from chamomile and blossom flowers; others are flavoured with real spices, lemon and peppermint.
Again, unlike the teas of yore that were mainly brown, we now have black and green teas, as well as chai tea, which is a blend of black tea and Indian herbs and spices. Teas also come in caffeinated and decaffeinated blend, providing the consumer with healthy choices.
Nutritionists regard tea as a healthy drink that can make an important contribution to fluid intakes, in addition to other advantages. For instance, tea is said to contain less caffeine than coffee, as an average cup of black tea contains about a third of the caffeine of a filter coffee.
Better still, tea cools you down. Physicians say as you warm up inside, blood vessels on the surface of the skin dilate, which increases blood flow to your extremities, and you give off heat.
Studies reveal that tea consumption hydrates the body, which doctors say is really important for brain performance. A scientist from the British Nutrition Foundation, Bridget Aisbitt, says because tea is 99.5 per cent water, it hydrates and can count in the recommended daily intake of six to eight glasses of fluid (1.2 litres). She says it is particularly important for older people to keep drinking tea because of this.
Some studies published in scientific journals such as the Journal of the American College of Nutrition claim that there is strong evidence that tea helps to keep the heart healthy. “In studies across Europe, drinking three or more cups a day has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, probably because of its flavonoids content,” the journal deposes.
Also found in fruits such as apples, apricots, blueberries, pears, raspberries, strawberries, black beans, cabbage, onions, parsley, pinto beans, and tomatoes, flavonoids are antioxidants, anti-allergies, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral.
Epidemiologists claim that flavonoids such as quercetin have the ability to relieve hay fever, eczema, sinusitis and asthma; while it also lowers the risk of developing atherosclerosis.
Black tea
In terms of statistics, black tea reportedly makes up about 78 per cent of the global tea market, perhaps because it is beneficial for people with diabetes. Indeed, researchers from King’s College, London and the University of Central Lancashire say black tea appears to stimulate insulin response and reduce blood sugar levels.
The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database reports that black tea contains about two-four per cent caffeine, which affects thinking and alertness, increases urine output, and may reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. It also contains antioxidants and other substances that might help protect the heart and blood vessels.
Green tea
For those who wish to burn belly fat with dietary pleasure, green tea is it, scientists say, especially because it boosts metabolism and helps burn fat.
Researchers from the University of Maryland Medical Centre think the health-giving properties of green tea are mostly due to polyphenols — chemicals with potent antioxidant properties. In fact, they say, the antioxidant effects of polyphenols seem to be greater than vitamin C!
Green tea contains catechins — a type of antioxidant that protects against glaucoma and other eye diseases. Scientists say as you drink green tea, the ingredients travel from your digestive system into the tissues of your eyes such as the lens and the retina anywhere from 30 minutes to 12 hours after consumption.
The UMMC scientists say the compounds and nutrients in green tea seem to have near limitless health potential, which include prevention of chronic diseases such as cancers of the bladder, breast, colon, rectum, ovary, oesophagus, lung, pancreas, prostate, skin, and stomach.
It also shields the body from liver and inflammatory bowel diseases, researchers say.
Downside of green tea
With all these benefits, would you believe that green tea does have some disadvantages? Sure it does! The UMMC researchers say green tea is an herb and must therefore be taken with caution.
They warn people who have problems with their heart, kidneys or liver to stay off the beverage. Ditto those who have high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, and psychological disorders such as anxiety. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are also advised to avoid green tea.
Again, people with anaemia, diabetes, glaucoma, or osteoporosis are counselled to ask their doctors before going for green tea.
Moreover, when taken for long period of time, the scientists say, caffeine from green tea can lead to irritability, insomnia, heart palpitations, and dizziness.
“Caffeine overdose can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, and loss of appetite. If you are drinking a lot of tea and start to vomit or have abdominal spasms, you may have caffeine poisoning. If your symptoms are severe, lower your caffeine intake and see your doctor,” they warn.
Nutritionists advise that if you decide to drink tea, make sure that you simply drink it straight, without sugar, milk or other unhealthy additions. They warn against the consumption of so-called tea energy drinks, “which are nothing more than chemical cocktails.”
Green tea is also said to interact with certain medications, leading to deadly side effects. As such, those on sedatives, chemotherapy, birth control pills, certain pain medications like Tylenol, antibiotics, cough and cold medications, as well as weight loss products are told to keep off green tea.
The researchers also say you should not mix green tea and aspirin because they both prevent blood from clotting. “Using the two together may increase your risk of bleeding,” they say.
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