Drinking Tea. Why not?

Drinking tea has existed for thousands years, and yet this practice still continues today. There are many kinds of tea, but in this blog I would like to talk about three main types: white, green, and black. Different teas have different health benefits. People should drink a specific type of tea according to their own specific needs.

White tea is the least oxidized of all types of tea; this makes it possible to drink in large quantity without getting the jitters, fast heartbeat, and stomach upset that coffee usually causes (Edgar, n.d.). In humans, bone growth starts to decrease with age, so it is a good idea to start drinking white tea to help strengthening the bones. White tea has a high level of calcium and fluoride, so “people who drank white tea regularly shown to have a greater bone density and strength compared to non-drinker” ("Health Benefits of White Tea”, n.d). The fluoride in white tea may help people maintain healthy teeth and gums. For many women, wrinkles come with aging. Drinking white tea also helps slow down the aging process. According to Professor Declan Naughton, many researches have showed that white tea had anti-ageing potential and prevented activities of the enzymes which breakdown elastin and collagen. Elastin supports the body’s natural elasticity which helps skin from sagging while collagen is important for skin, strength and elasticity (“White Tea Could Keep You Healthy and Looking Young”, 2009). 

Green tea is made from un-oxidized leaves and is the least processed type of tea and therefore contains the most antioxidants and beneficial polyphenols. When green tea is brewed without adding any additives, it contains no calories (Nordqvist, 2014). According to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, green tea appears to help control glucose and insulin and keep the gastrointestinal system well running (Ungar, 2013). Even though all teas come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, green tea has the most catechins, and therefore, green tea should be consumed if one needs help with weight loss. Green tea is also effective against eliminating free radicals. “The anti-oxidants in green tea helps protect against damage cause by ultraviolet UVB radiation” (Ungar, 2013). In 2006 study published in Journal of the American Medical association concluded that green tea consumption is associated with reduced morality due to all causes, including cardiovascular. The study followed over 40,000 Japanese participants starting in 1994. The participants who drank at least 5 cups of green tea per day had a significantly lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who drank less than one cup of tea per day (Ungar, 2013). 

Besides white tea and green tea, black tea also has its own health benefits. Black tea is the most oxidized tea which makes it have high levels of caffeine to provide a boost of energy, raising a person’s alertness (Edgar, n.d.). Another benefit of black tea is that it can protect lungs from damage caused by inhaling cigarette smoke. A study from England showed that a group of guinea pigs that were exposed to cigarette smoke, the ones that were given black tea were prevented from the side-effects of smoking (Edgar, n.d.). Black tea can also help lower the risk of ovarian cancer. Researchers in Sweden studied tea consumption and ovarian cancer in more than 60 thousand women over a 15 year period. They found out that women had 46 percent lower risk of ovarian cancer if drank two or more cups of tea a day than those who did not drink tea (Dakss, 2005). 

It’s obvious that drinking tea brings a lot of advantages. A cup of tea every morning helps us improve our body's resistance, enhance vitality and prevent diseases. I think I should switch over to tea from coffee from now on. 

Reference

Dakss, Brian. (2005). Tea May Cut Ovarian Cancer Risk. CBSNews. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tea-may-cut-ovarian-cancer-risk/

Edgar, Julie. Types of Teas and Their Health Benefits. WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/tea-types-and-their-health-benefits

Health Benefits Of White Tea. N.d. Retrieved from http://www.whiteteaguide.com/whiteteahealthbenefits.htm

Kingston University. (2009). White Tea Could Keep You Healthy And Looking Young. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 25, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810085312.htm

Nordqvist, Joseph. (2014). What are the health benefits of green tea?. Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/269538

Ungar, Laura. (2013). Tea’s health benefits boost its popularity. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/teas-health-benefits-boost-its-popularity/2013/04/01/be818cfe-6ef5-11e2-aa58-243de81040ba_story.html