It isn’t surprising to learn that there are many benefits of tea, but could you have imagined that there were sixteen?
As a nutritionist, it is my job to answer questions like is tea good for you and stay on top of all of the advantages associated with tea, including any new discoveries.
Therefore, I decided to create a post about the different types of teas and their benefits. You will be able to discover the shared and unique features of each brew. Let’s get started!
Contents
Green, black, white, and oolong tea all have antioxidant properties, which help to reduce oxidative stress. Free radicals are constantly being formed in the body which can eventually result in oxidative stress.
When this happens, there is an increased risk of DNA damage and even cell death. Fortunately, a wide variety of true teas help to stop this from happening.
White tea is the least processed tea and thus, has the greatest amount of antioxidants. This makes it excellent for maintaining your general health and protecting you from various diseases that may be caused by free radicals.
Green tea is up next. Of all the antioxidants that green tea contains, though, EGCG is most responsible for the health benefits of green tea. In particular, it is known to have a protective effect against cardiac and metabolic diseases.
Oolong tea also contains a significant number of antioxidants. Of these, the most interesting are theasinensins, which are responsible for the majority of its health benefits.
Last, but certainly not least, there is black tea. Although most people don’t realize it, black tea also contains many antioxidants. In black tea, these components work to prevent damage to macromolecules such as DNA and lipids.
If your goal is to live longer, then green tea may be able to do that for you. This is one of the top benefits of drinking tea every day!
One comprehensive study followed Japanese participants for eleven years. It was discovered that individuals who drank at least five cups of green tea a day were less likely to die. Women appeared to b especially well protected.
In general, women were 23 percent less likely to die from any cause, while this was 12 percent lower for men. The risk of death from heart disease was 31 percent lower in women and 22 percent lower in men.
What is particularly interesting about this discovery is that the participants of the study were all above the age of 40. Therefore, this does offer quite a bit of people hoping to extend their lifespan.
Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death around the world. Luckily, many of the true teas can help to reduce or negate factors that can increase your risk of this medical condition.
Green tea is able to protect your heart by reducing total cholesterol as well as “bad” LDL cholesterol. What’s truly impressive is that these results were noted for individuals who were determined to have a high chance of developing cardiovascular disease. Thus, green tea may have even more preventative measures for the average person.
Black tea has some potent cardiovascular benefits as well. When consumed frequently, black tea works to decrease fasting serum glucose, lower the level of triglycerides in the blood, and decrease the ratio between good and bad cholesterol.
Oolong tea is also surprisingly effective against heart disease. In one study, participants who drank a cup of tea a day were 61 percent less likely to develop the cardiac-related disease in comparison to those who didn’t consume the tea.
The polyphenols in white tea can also work to prevent heart disease. These components are capable of scavenging free oxygen radicals, adhesion molecules, and growth factor receptor genes. Along with these, the polyphenols also help to reduce inflammation linked to cardiovascular diseases.
Although pu’erh tea isn’t directly associated with preventing CVD, it can help to lower LDL cholesterol levels in your body. It manages this by restricting the absorption of fat by the digestive system. Instead, components of this tea cause the fat to be excreted from the body.
Did you know that 45 percent of adults in the US have been diagnosed with hypertension? Not only does this increase your risk of heart disease and stroke but in 2019 half a million deaths were contributed to high blood pressure.
Fortunately, both black tea and oolong tea can help to lower blood pressure levels.
Drinking half a cup of moderate strength oolong tea for a year prevented hypertension in 46 percent of participants! Individuals who drank around two and a half cups a day were able to reduce their risk by up to 65 percent.
As for black tea, drinking three cups of tea a day helped to lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease considerably. What’s more, these results were noted after just 6 months of adding black tea to the diet.
Stroke is another major issue in the developed world. What makes this even more unfortunate is that most strokes are preventable. The good news, though, is that one of the main benefits of drinking tea is that it can help to reduce your risk of stroke.
Drinking several cups of green tea a day can be incredibly good for preventing the onset of strokes. In one large study, women who drank green tea on a regular basis were 42 percent less likely to die of a stroke. For men, this number was lower with 35 percent of them avoiding a stroke.
Black tea can help to lower your total risk of stroke. This means that you are less likely to suffer from a stroke, regardless of the cause. It was estimated that you needed to drink at least four cups of black tea a day to see these benefits.
Oolong tea was discovered to lower the risk of ischemic strokes and their confounding elements, in particular. What was interesting here was that drinking just one cup a week helped to lower your chances of a stroke.
However, prevention rates were highest among individuals who drank at least two cups a day. Furthermore, the protection becomes even stronger with long-term consumption.
Diabetes is yet another issue that is plaguing the population, particularly individuals over the age of 65. There are several types of tea that may be able to help with this situation.
When diabetic rats were given white tea, there was a marked difference in their overall blood work. The blood glucose concentrations had significantly lowered. On the other hand, glucose tolerance ability had greatly increased.
To add to this, the LDL cholesterol levels – which can increase your risk of diabetes or exacerbate the condition – were lowered as well.
Green tea is a double threat when it comes to diabetes. One of the health benefits of the tea is that it can decrease fasting glucose. The research showed that the tea can also reduce fasting insulin concentrations.
At least in mice, green tea was able to reverse the liver damage caused by diabetes. As such, it is possible that this may happen in humans as well.
Black tea has components that boast anti-diabetic activity which functions via insulin secretion. This type of tea may be able to lower glucose levels and improved glucose intolerance.
There is no need to talk about how disruptive and traumatic cancer can be to the global population. This is why individuals are constantly on the lookout for any components that can prevent or inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
When talking about the health benefits of tea, pu’erh tea isn’t always a part of the conversation. However, it should be considering that it may help to prevent the growth of various types of cancers.
With breast cancer, pu’erh tea inhibited proliferation of the cancer cells while simultaneously inducing cell death in affected areas. As for oral cancer, this brew may be able to stop cancer cells from developing in the first place. It also induces apoptosis in these cells.
It was also discovered that fermented pu’erh tea had potent anti-cancer activity against colon cancer cells. It had an 85 percent rate of cell death compared to the 67 percent level of inhibition of unfermented tea.
Green tea is one of the healthiest teas when it comes to preventing cancer. It is most noted for its ability to lower the risk of breast cancer. Best of all, the tea also helped to prevent cancer from returning as well.
There is also some evidence to prove that green tea can help to prevent advanced stages of prostate cancer. This impact was particularly seen in men over the age of 40.
Furthermore, there is an inverse association between green tea and colorectal cancer. The findings are dose respondent, which means that the more green tea that you drink, the more reduced your risk is.
The polyphenols in black tea are great for attacking cancer cells at several different levels. These components are involved in the prevention of cancer cell growth, survival of the cells, and metastasis.
Under these circumstances, all of these can be considered teas for immune system.
Virtually all the teas can help your brain in some form or another. They may work by improving brain function or by lowering the risk of diseases that can compromise cognitive performance.
Black tea is all about boosting your mental abilities. In particular, it helps you to stay alert and pay attention for longer. In doing so, you are able to perform a variety of tasks more accurately and efficiently. This is true even when you have to switch from one task to another.
Unlike caffeinated substances like coffee, though, black tea also contains a component known as l-theanine. This makes it one of the best teas to drink to balance out the energizing effect of caffeine, allowing you to remain focused yet calm.
Green tea can improve your alertness as well, but it takes things one step further. The polyphenols in green tea act as neuroprotective agents. In particular, they protect your brain from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
The majority of these studies are on animals or in test tubes. However, the results are promising and they do show evidence that green tea can be used to at least slow down the onset or progress of these devastating diseases.
Oolong tea is another brew that has more than one benefit for your brain. Not only does it help to keep you focused on the task at hand, but, it can also prevent cognitive decline. It is also able to lower cognitive impairment which is associated with the aging process.
Pu’erh is known for reducing fat accumulation in the body. In doing so, it can not only prevent liver damage but may also be able to reduce any inflammation found in the liver. There is also some evidence to show that it can prevent liver injury.
Certain chemotherapy drugs can cause liver damage. However, another study showed that pu’erh tea can reduce the impact of this medication. It may also be able to reverse the damage done by this treatment so that the liver can function at a higher level.
Of course, it should be noted that these studies were conducted on animal populations so that there is no guarantee that these results can be reproduced in humans. Nonetheless, it does create an interesting starting point for future studies.
Strong bones are important, but the preservation of bone strength is particularly significant for older women. This is because they are at increased risk of osteoporosis and the general weakening of bones.
The good news is that black, green, and oolong tea can help to solve this issue. Experts believe that this is due to the phytoestrogen, fluoride, caffeine, and other nutrients found in true teas. It helps adults to maintain their bone mineral density throughout their body.
It was discovered that this phenomenon was most prevalent among habitual drinkers who drank for at least 10 years. Thus, there appear to be benefits of drinking tea in the morning every day.
There is evidence to show that white tea may be especially well-suited to this job. Catechins in tea prevent bone tissue from breaking down and releasing its minerals. In doing so, the bone density is maintained. These catechins also help to stabilize collagen in the body.
Now, as previously mentioned, white tea has more catechins than other teas. As such, it is possible that it may be far more effective to improve your bone health.
You may have heard that at any point, there are bacteria in your gut. What most people don’t realize, though, is that there is a continuous struggle between good and bad bacteria. When the population of good bacteria is higher, all is well.
You can enjoy the proper functioning of the digestive system and you are unlikely to have to deal with too many stomach-related ailments. If the population of bad bacteria increases or overtakes the good bacteria, that is when the trouble begins.
Fortunately, the polyphenols in black tea inhibit the growth of certain strains of bacteria in the gut. This includes Salmonella and Helicobacter pylori species. This makes it easier for good bacteria to flourish.
There is a greater focus on oral health than ever before. This is because people are beginning to place more significance on teeth and gum health, particularly because it is linked to serious health conditions that can affect the rest of the body as well.
This is why it is good news that black, green, and oolong tea can help to protect your oral health on numerous fronts.
To begin with, the bacteria-fighting components of these teas work to tackle the bacteria that are responsible for dental caries. The fluoride in these teas also contributes to overall tooth health and a reduction in cavities.
Green tea can also be quite helpful for preventing gingivitis as well as the more advanced stage, periodontal disease. EGCG in green tea inhibits the various factors that can cause and worsen gingivitis as periodontal disease. In short, it works to prevent bone loss.
In fact, researchers discovered that for every cup of green tea consumed each day, the factors of gingivitis were greatly reduced. Drinking green tea on a long-term basis could greatly lower your risk of serious teeth and gum issues.
Green tea is also great for reducing the concentration of halitosis-causing gases in the mouth. In doing so, it can prevent bad breath and help to keep your breath smelling fresher for longer.
As white tea and green tea have some catechins in common, in common, it is possible that may exert as much of a beneficial impact on your oral health.
One of the main reasons that people have switched to tea is because of the reported weight loss effects. Contrary to popular belief, though, this reduction in pounds isn’t only due to caffeine. Rather, other components produce these weight loss benefits of drinking hot tea.
Even decaffeinated black tea showed to have weight loss properties. This was due to the high polyphenol content in the leaves. What’s more, this effect was noted even when the rats in the study were specifically fed a diet designed to induce obesity.
Pu’erh tea is yet another drink that can be quite useful for those trying to lose weight. In one study, individuals who drank pu’erh tea observed a reduction in mean body mass index as well as body weight. This was noted in individuals who were overweight or pre-obese.
This brew also works to prevent fat storage in the body. Instead, excess fat intake was expelled from the body. Such a feature works to prevent weight gain.
Of course, there are different types of weight loss. Not everyone is trying to shed some pounds for the same reason. There are many individuals who are specifically trying to lose visceral fat. This is the type of fat that can settle around your stomach and increase your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
What is great about green tea is that it helps you to lose weight in all kinds of ways. Researchers found that green tea caused an overall reduction in body weight and body fat ratio. Specifically, though, the tea was able to reduce fat around the abdominal area and get rid of visceral and subcutaneous fat.
There has also been research done into how fermented teas such as oolong can help to improve fat oxidation. This allows the body to break down and use up fat more easily. Thus, when exercising, you will have faster access to fat reserves, making it simpler for you to lose weight.
To add to this, the caffeine in tea does help with energy expenditure, allowing you to work out longer and harder and see more positive results.
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Free radicals and the resulting oxidative stress can play a significant role in aging. This is both on an internal and external level.
White tea, though, has a protective effect against hydrogen peroxide induced toxicity. In doing so, it prevents the cells from getting damaged and, consequently, may slow down the onset of aging.
This brew is also great for minimizing the damage done to the skin as a result of aging. In particular, white tea prevents the action of various enzymes that break down collagen and the elasticity of the skin. This allows you to enjoy younger, suppler looking skin for longer.
Skin conditions such as dermatitis and eczema can be frustrating and irritating. Fortunately, various teas work as a safe and affordable form of treatment.
For instance, black tea dressings were able to reduce the various symptoms of facial dermatitis within just three days! To add to this, there were no side effects observed unlike traditional treatments such as steroids.
There is also some evidence that the catechins in green tea can reduce or prevent inflammation. As inflammation is one of the main causes of atopic dermatitis, it stands to reason that green tea may be able to soothe any skin irritation.
Finally, there is oolong tea. Both topical applications as well as drinking oolong tea can help to reduce the appearance and severity of skin lesions caused by dermatitis. The benefits can be seen after just a week or two of use and continue for a longer period after.
This can make it a great remedy for individuals who suffer from flare-ups throughout the year.
There is no denying that all kinds of true teas can benefit your health in a number of ways. Nevertheless, you should never use tea as medicine, particularly not as a primary treatment or solution.
For one thing, many of the studies surrounding tea have either been conducted on animals or in test tubes. Due to this, it can be difficult to know just how effective these will be in humans, in real-life conditions.
Furthermore, for many of the experiments, tea extracts and other forms were used. These tend to have more concentrated doses of antioxidants and other healthful components. As such, there is a chance that simply drinking tea every day will get you the kind of results that you are looking for.
Despite all this, adding any kind of true tea to your diet is a good thing. They can boost your health in a lot of little ways and supplement your diet quite a bit.
These are the main benefits of drinking tea. As you can see, there are numerous advantages and now you are aware of all of them. Deciding which brew to consume regularly will be a lot easier after this post!
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