Tea and Health

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Cancer prevention

Numerous studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer properties of polyphenols. Some studies indeed suggested that tea's polyphenols may reduce risk of gastric, esophageal and skin cancers if one consumes 4 to 6 cups daily. Other laboratory studies have found that polyphenols help prevent blood clotting and lower cholesterol levels. A recent study published in December 2005 showed that just 2 cups of tea may lower the risk of ovarian cancer by 46 percent in women.

Tea "reduces ovarian cancer risk"
Karolinska Institute researchers—BBC News
Not only is tea refreshing and soothing, new research suggests that it may reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer.
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The most potent health drink ever
USAWeekend.com
Recent studies in leading medical journals declare tea a potential heart tonic, cancer blocker, fat buster, immune stimulant, arthritis soother, virus fighter and cholesterol detoxifier.
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Weight loss
Green tea appears to increase thermogenesis, or body heat production, which can cause weight loss. This effect used to be attributed to caffeine, but it seems that the effect is more likely due to the combination of caffeine and catechins in green tea.

Anti-Inflammatory/Anti-Arthritis

Recent animal studies suggest that green tea may have anti-inflammatory properties. Mice fed green tea experienced delayed onset and decreased severity of collagen-induced arthritis.
Results from a test tube study suggest green tea catechins decrease the movement of pro-inflammatory white blood cells.

Tea: Black, green or wulong tea?

The more processing tea leaves undergo, the darker they will turn. Green tea is the least processed tea. They are simply steamed quickly. Black and red teas are partially dried, crushed and fermented. As we have mentioned before, regardless of the processing method, all teas contain polyphenols.
Wu Long Tea is a semi-oxidized tea, occupying the middle ground between green and black teas.

Put the kettle on: Tea is steeped in health benefits
By Rita Rubin, USA TODAY
How refreshing.
Tea, something that people around the world enjoy consuming, might actually be good for you.

"The most fascinating thing is, to my knowledge, there is no other natural product known that has such diversified effects," says Hasan Mukhtar, vice chair of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Health benefits have been attributed to tea, especially green tea, nearly as long as people have been drinking it, Mukhtar and his co-authors write in the July issue of the journal Life Sciences. But, they note, scientific investigations of tea and the compounds found in it began less than 30 years ago, and most have been conducted in just the past five years.

Name the ailment, and research suggests tea might protect against it. Most of the studies are either population-based — for example, research shows that prostate cancer is less common in countries where people drink a lot of green tea — or in lab dishes or animals, none of which provide conclusive evidence for humans. But Mukhtar and other tea researchers point to tea's 5,000-year track record of safety and say at the very least, drinking tea can't hurt, and, most likely, it can help.
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