Healthy Benefits of Tea

Since the first tea is known to have many benefits for health. By drinking tea can make the body more relaxed in living activities. Tea can be consumed in various ways, brewed with hot water or added with ice, just delicious. There is even a kind of tea leaves can be eaten.

Tea processing is the result of shoots (young leaves) of tea plant (Camellia sinensis) is used as a beverage ingredient. There are various legends of the origin of tea, but the most popular is the legend of Emperor Shen-Nung from Yunan province of China in 2737 BC. While it is cooking water drink, with a leaf accidentally from dry twigs he uses as firewood, fly and submerged into the water kettle. Water steeping the leaves are then produce a new beverage that distinctive aroma, which until now was known as a tea.

A good tea is produced from the shoots (pecco) plus 2-3 young leaves, because the young leaves are rich in polyphenol compounds, caffeine and amino acids. These compounds will affect the quality of color, aroma and flavor of tea.

The primary basis of tea processing is the use of the existing oxidation of polyphenol compounds in tea leaves. The oxidation process is commonly called fermentation. Based on the nature of fermentation, known as four different types of tea, namely:

1. Black tea
Black tea is easily recognizable in the market because it is black and the most widely consumed. In the process of fermentation occurs given a full opportunity (perfect chemical changes so that almost all the tannin content of fermented into theaflavins and thearubigin) that will change the color of tea leaves from green to brownish and with the drying process to turn black.

  2. Oolong tea
Generally produced from the tea plant that grows in semi-tropical regions. The process is the same as black tea, but the fermentation process only a portion (approximately 30-70% shorter and the change lasted half perfect that still contain some tannin and some compound derivatives) so that the color and aroma of black tea and green tea.

3. Green tea
Tea leaf fermentation were not given the chance (almost no experience the process of chemical change). Usually the bud immediately processed with heat / steam to stop the enzyme activity so that the same as the raw leaf (originally tea leaves), so besides the color is still green are also still contains tannins that are relatively high.

 4.White tea
Is the best type of tea due to get it, just taken from one shoot every single tree, which is the highest and the main shoot. Highest antioxidant content. In the process, tea leaves left to wilt naturally so that the color to white.

The quality of tea is a collection of properties owned by the tea, both physical and chemical properties. Both of these properties have been owned since I was a bud or obtained as a result of handling and processing techniques are performed.

The content of chemical compounds in tea leaves consist of three major groups, each of which has benefits for health, namely: 

1. Polyphenols

Polyphenols are antioxidants types of bioflavonoids that are 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times that of vitamin E. Benefits:

o Lowers cholesterol levels

o Lowering the pressure and blood sugar levels

o Helps prevent the occurrence of renal and gall stones

o Streamlining digestion

o Dissolve fat and prevents bad cholesterol

2. Caffeine

Elements of caffeine in tea fewer in number than the coffee. Benefits:

o behave as a mild stimulant on the central nervous system that facilitate the circulation of blood to the brain

o By drinking tea regularly will increase the level of memory, cognitive performance, and the feeling of pleasant mood.

3. Essential oil

Tea also contains proteins that felt big role in the formation of aroma. Benefits:

o Dissolve fat

o Streamlining the digestive and circulatory

There are various benefits of tea consumption on health, including:

• Lowers the risk of cancer

Various studies of tea consumption, indicating a role in reducing the risk of cancer. Polyphenol compounds in tea can provide protection against carcinogenic substances. ECCG (epigallocatechin gallate) found in green tea is the active compounds that play a role in preventing cancer.

Epidemiological studies in Japan showed inhabited the main producing areas of green tea is very little level of death due to cancer. Studies in Iowa, the United States against 35 thousand post-menopausal women, reported that tea has cancer-fighting properties. The study concluded that those who consumed at least two cups of tea each day will reduce the risk of bladder cancer (40%) and digestive tract cancers (68%) than those who did not consume tea.

Tea can prevent and cure disorders of the kidneys because it can neutralize hydroxyl radicals that cause disorders of protein metabolism in the kidney.

• Lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease, among others, associated with high levels of lipids (fats), blood and blood pressure. Several studies have shown that tea has properties reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Prevention is happening because tea polyphenols have the ability to inhibit the absorption of cholesterol and inhibits platelet clumping of cells that would prevent the blockage of blood vessels.

• Losing weight

A recent study conducted on the potential of tea is its role in weight loss. Results of research showed that green tea is known to have potential as thermogenesis so as to increase burning of calories and fat that have an impact on weight loss.

• Prevent osteoporosis

Osteoporosis or bone loss is one of the problems facing post-menopausal women because the hormone production estogen as a trigger bone growth, has stalled. Osteoporosis causes bone mass to shrink and break easily.

A recent studies showed that drinking tea regularly to maintain the integrity of bones and prevent osteoporosis. Active compounds contained in tea act like weak estrogen hormone that helps protect bones against brittleness process.