subject: Tea: The Elixir of Life [print this page] Tea: The Elixir of Life Tea: The Elixir of Life
I've always been a big advocate ofdrinking tea and as an Englishman I'm not in the minority. A staggering 165 millions cups of tea are consumed everyday in the United Kingdom. Not only is it calorie-free (without milk and sugar of course) but the four cups of tea per day advised by the Tea Advisory Council are just as good at hydrating the body as four glasses of water.
I take one cup of white tea (the least processed form of tea, made only from buds and select leaves of the tea plant)first thing in the morning and three cups of regular black tea with milk throughout the day.Derived from theCamellia Sinensis evergreen plant, in nutritional terms, fours cups of tea taken daily with a little milk provides:
Vitamin B2- 22%
Calcium- 17%
Vitamins B1 and B6 -5%
Folic Acid 5%
Zinc 5%
Now it seems that studies conducted in Japan have suggested that the life-giving attributes of tea go even further. A study conducted on mice at Kobe University published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry links regular tea drinking with significant weight loss and fat fighting properties. It found that drinking regular black tea and green tea countered the effect of an high fat diet and the associated changes in the blood which can lead to type 2 diabetes. Obviously human studies will back up the claims but the initial results seem very encouraging.
There is also evidence from previous studies that regular tea drinking can assist in the prevention of Parkinson's disease, Cancer, heart disease and counter bone density depletion. Furthermore tea has been seen to be high in anti oxidants which play a significant role in fighting free radical activity. It even contains levels of fluoride to help fight tooth decay!
In the West our diets are out of control. With record level of obesity particularly in the US and rising figures in the United Kingdom, so it is vital that we do not view these break-throughs as an antidote to an unhealthy diet. It would be unwise to think that we can continue on a high fat junk food diet and ease our consciences with a few cups of tea. An healthy lifestyle requires a moderate and balanced approach to our dietary needs.
