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10 possible health benefits of drinking tea
Did you know that a variety of teas have been researched for health benefits? I share 10 possible benefits to drinking black, green, white, rooibos and honeybush teas.
Fri, Jan 27 2012 at 4:25 PM
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Photo: chumsdock/Flickr
A recent Australian study linked black tea to a modest lowering of blood pressure, and I thought it would be fun to share other possible health benefits of drinking tea.
1. Green tea has cancer-fighting properties: A catechin called EGCG found in green tea has been linked in various studies to a reduction in cancer rates. It may help in the reduction of the following types of cancer: bladder colon, esophagus, pancreas, rectum and stomach.
2. Green tea consumption linked to lower risk of coronary artery disease: In a Japanese study, researchers found that the more green tea you drink, the less chance you will have of developing coronary artery disease.
3. Green tea may reduce the risk of blood clots and strokes: "Green tea also lowers fibrinogen, which is a substance in the body that can cause clots and strokes." — "150 Healthiest Foods on the Planet" by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D
4. Black tea may help soothe away the stresses of life: A 2010 study by UCL (University College London) found that those who drank a cup of black tea where able to de-stress faster when compared to those drinking a placebo.
5. Drinking green tea results in a modest reduction in breast cancer risk.
6. Rooibos (a caffeine-free, herbal tea) may reduce and treat metabolic diseases.
7. Rooibos and honeybush teas may help with skin cancer: In one study, rooibos and honeybush extracts suppressed skin cancers in mice, giving hope for a future in human studies.
8. Rooibos may be anti-aging: Or, at least a study done with quail found that it helped their egg production capabilities last longer. Since birds are a proposed animal for anti-aging studies, this holds hope that rooibos may help humans as well.
9. White tea was found to be more protective against oxidative stress when compared to green tea.
10. Rooibos tea (both red and green) were shown to have the highest protection for male fertility against oxidative stress: In a study that tested the oxidative stress reducing properties of supplements made from green tea, red rooibos, green rooibos, or Chinese green tea, rooibos extracts helped protect sperm health the most.
Drinking a variety of teas has been proven to be part of a healthy lifestyle. The sampling of studies above are just a drop in the bucket of a whole sea of research, which makes my tea-loving self feel very good.
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I think tea has one fatal flaw, that may well negate lots of the benefits. It is loaded with fluoride. Heavy tea drinkers are susceptible to the ravages of fluoride. Primarily fluorosis of teeth and skeleton as well as hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism may be the most damaging. Fluoride expels iodine from the body which cascades through the endocrine system. Low iodine may also highly increase chances of breast cancer and skin cancer. If you're skeptical, start doing your own research online now.
What benefit does tea have in #5 about breast cancer?