Tea has been linked with many health benefits in the last several years because of the antioxidants it contains.

All varieties of tea come from the leaves of a single plant, Camellia Sinensis. This evergreen contains some of the most powerful antioxidants known.

Ongoing researches have these findings:

Heart Disease
Several studies have found tea to be heart healthy.

Tea is a rich source of dietary flavonoids, which have been shown to have a protective effect against heart disease.

A Dutch study published in an April 2002 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that tea drinkers had a substantially lower risk of heart attacks than nondrinkers. Read more about the study.

Heavy tea drinking could also reduce the risk of dying after a heart attack, according to a study published in a May 2002 issue of the journal Circulation.

“The greatest benefits of tea consumption have been found among patients who already have cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Kenneth Mukamal, the study’s lead author. Read more about the study.

Another study found that the average cup of tea brewed for two minutes contains about 172 milligrams of flavonoids. Drinking one cup could be expected to cause an immediate positive effect and about 3.5 cups could possibly produce a continuing effect. Read more about the study.

Cancer
Could tea really act as a cancer-prevention measure?

Tea drinkers in a study conducted in Shanghai, China, were about half as likely to develop cancer of the stomach or esophagus as non-tea drinkers. The results of the study were presented to an April 2002 meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

The researchers found that people in which certain chemicals, called polyphenols, were present had a lower risk of gastric and esophageal cancer.

Green tea contains the most helpful polyphenols, followed by oolong and black teas. Read more about the study.

An Oregon scientist found that white tea, too, may help prevent cancer.

“He found that the white tea he gave to mice, it prevented formation of cancerous polyps. The other interesting thing about white tea is that it has the highest amount of antioxidants of any tea beverage in the world,” said tea expert Kyle Stewart. Read more about the study.

Dental Health
Surveys have found that people who drink tea may have fewer cavities than those who don’t. This is attributed to the high levels of fluoride in tea plants.

Also, components of tea such as catechins, caffeine and tocopherol have been shown to be effective in increasing the acid resistance of tooth enamel. And flavonoids — mainly catechins — have been shown to inhibit bacterial growth on teeth. Read more from Tea & Health Facts Web site.

Stroke

The flavonoids in tea may also protect against stroke.

A 1996 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that men aged 50-69 who drank 4-5 cups of tea a day had a 69 percent reduced risk of stroke.

Rheumatoid Arthritis
According to a study published in the January 2002 issue of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism, women who drank three or more cups of tea each day were less likely to develop arthritis than those who didn’t drink tea. The study didn’t indicate what kind of tea. Read more about the study on About.com.

Weight Loss
Green tea may be able to help dieters.

In November 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, in which researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.

Reap all these Tea benefits by ordering tea at our website Teas.com.au