TEA & STRESS RELIEF

You may have noticed that drinking a cup of tea feels nurturing and comforting. This is not just your imagination! Scientists have discovered that Theanine, a rare amino acid found exclusively in high-quality teas, has beneficial effects on the body. Theanine is known to promote mental and physical relaxation, improve mood, and reduce anxiety without causing drowsiness. This important amino acid directly stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, creating a state of deep relaxation and mental alertness similar to what is achieved through meditation. Scientists believe that Theanine may also increase concentration and memory, combat PMS, and regulate blood pressure.

In a society that spends over 700 million dollars on anxiety drugs and 5 billion dollars on antidepressants each year, the stress relief brought by a cup of tea may be much needed!

POWERFUL ANTIOXIDANTS

Tea is also one of the richest sources of dietary antioxidants. In fact, a single cup of tea may have the antioxidant equivalent of 1-10+ servings of fruits or vegetables. Antioxidants play an important role in maintaining health by preventing free radicals (unstable molecules) from causing damage to cells which can lead to disease, aging, and cancer. Similar to the way oxidation causes cars to rust, oxidative stress on a cellular level can damage DNA and has been linked to the onset of illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants prevent free radicals, the unstable molecules that result from oxidation, from damaging cells.

Scientific research conducted worldwide suggests that a cup of tea a day has many important health benefits.

• Reduces the risk of heart attack by 44% (Harvard study)
• Lowers cholesterol (CNN)
• Aids weight-loss & burns fat (American J. of Clinical Nutrition)
• Combats arthritis & rheumatism (Case Western University)
• Improves bone density (Health Magazine)
• Lowers risk of cancer and kills cancer cells (Consumer Reports)
• Improves immune system functioning (Prevention Magazine)
• Reduces signs if aging (TIME magazine)

However, different types of tea contain different types of antioxidants, so just as you wouldn't eat only one kind of vegetable, drinking a variety of teas may provide an increased spectrum of healthy benefits.

Below are few research summaries explaining the health benefits of tea:

Mitchel Gaynor, MD, director of medical oncology at the world-renowned Strong Cancer Prevention Center in New York City and co-author of Dr. Gaynor's Cancer Prevention Program, says that "Tea is one of the single best cancer fighters you can put in your body." -Prevention (May 2000) An article in New Scientist magazine, 20 March 2004 mentions that numerous studies suggest that green tea protects against a range of cancers, including lung, prostate and breast cancer. The reason cited is the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), according to Hirofumi Tachibana's team at Kyushu University in Japan. Their research showed that growth of human lung cancer cells with a cell receptor called 67 LR is slowed significantly after drinking just two or three cups of green tea, which contains EGCG. -Wikipedia, Health Benefits of Tea Read More Mayo Clinic researchers are reporting positive results in early leukemia clinical trials using the chemical epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an active ingredient in green tea. The trial determined that patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) can tolerate the chemical fairly well when high doses are administered in capsule form and that lymphocyte count was reduced in one-third of participants. -Mayo Clinic, May 26, 2009 Read More Scientists at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland have proven that ingredients in white tea can boost the immune function of skin cells and protect them from harmful UV rays. This discovery could be important in the fight against skin cancer. -NutraIngredients.com (January 30, 2003) Read More Polyphenol-enriched tea may double cholesterol excretion. Drinking a cup of polyphenol-enriched oolong tea with a high fat meal may increase the amount of cholesterol excreted by the body by half, says a small study from Japan and Taiwan. -NutraIngredients.com (Nov 13, 2006) Read More Chamomile Tea's Benefits for Diabetics: Benefits were proven in tests conducted at the Department of Hospital Pharmacy, University of Toyama (Japan,) and the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Ceredigion, U.K. According to an abstract, the results “clearly suggested that daily consumption of chamomile tea with meals could contribute to the prevention of the progress of hyperglycemia and diabetic complications.” -American Journal of Epidemiology (September 2008) Read More

Time Magazine nominated GREEN TEA as one of ten best health foods. Green Tea is loaded with polyphenols, a class of phytochemicals with 100 times the antioxidant punch of vitamin C. Laboratory experiments suggest that one group of polyphenols in green tea called catechins may inhibit the growth of new blood vessels, which some scientists think may help prevent cancer by depriving early tumors of nourishment. (Catechins may also prevent DNA damage caused by carcinogens from occurring in the first place.) Indeed, population studies in China link drinking green tea daily with a lowered risk of stomach, esophageal and liver cancers. -TIME (Jan 2002) Read More Drinking green tea is encouraged for smokers, since an indicator of cell damage fell 25% in smokers who drank green tea. -US News and World Reports (October 7, 2002) Research suggests the L-theanine, found in black, green, and oolong teas, may enchance the disease-fighting capabilities of the immune system's T cells, allowing them to defend better against invading bacteria. Two to four cups of tea per day will deliver a potent brew of amino acids and antioxidants. -Natural Health Magazine (February, 2009) In a Study at University of California researchers found that the combination of green tea and Tamoxifen is more effective against breast cancer. It was observed that green tea increased the inhibitory effect of Tamoxifen on the proliferation of the ER (estrogen receptor)-positive MCF-7, ZR75, T47D human breast cancer cells in vitro. This combination regimen was also more potent than either agent alone at increasing cell apoptosis. -PubMed.Gov December 2006 Read More Compared to placebo and caffeine, 270 mg of EGCG (the amount in 2-3 cups of green tea) produced a significant 4 percent increase in energy expenditure, or about 80 extra calories per day. Over one year, this could result in 89 pounds of weight loss. Green tea did not increase heart rate and the calorie burning was not due to caffeine. -American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (November 1999) Tea drinkers have increased bone mineral density compare to non-tea drinkers, according to a Taiwanese study. Drinking 2 cups of tea per day is said to provide the same bone health benefits as 2-3 servings of dairy. -Health (November 2002) Green tea catechins are chondroprotective and the consumption of green tea may inhibit arthritis and benefit arthritis patients by reducing inflammation and slowing cartilage breakdown. -The Journal of Nutrition (March 2002) In laboratory tests, Japanese researchers discovered that the antioxidants in green tea block the biochemical process responsible for producing an allergic response. Green tea may be useful against a wide range of allergens including pollen, pet dander and dust. -Prevention (April 2003)