Enjoy the Power of Tea !

The first known cup of tea was brewed nearly 4,700 years ago in China by the legendary !edicine "ing,# e$peror %hennong&
'ccording to %hennong, the infused water was useful for treating a (ariety of conditions, including tu$ors, abscesses, bladder ail$ents, and lethargy& Well, several millennia later, Shennongs brew is more popular than ever, and he was right: it does have a variety of now-scientifically-proven benefits. )n this article, we*re going to look at + reasons why you should include this health be(erage in your daily routine&

Health Benefit of ea !": ea Helps #ight #ree $adicals in the Body

,ree radicals# are ato$s or groups of ato$s that can, through che$ical reaction, cause da$age to cells in the body& -hile free radicals play a (ital role in certain basic physiological processes necessary for life, e.cessi(e a$ounts ha(e been associated with aging, and age dependent diseases such as cardio(ascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerati(e disorders, and other chronic conditions& 'ntio.idants# are substances that defend the body against the negati(e effects of free radicals& %ur primary dietary sources of antio&idants are fruit and vegetables, which at least partially e&plains why research has shown that people who eat fruit and vegetables have a lower ris' of heart disease and certain neurological disorders. -ell, as you*(e probably guessed by now, tea/and green tea in particular/is also great source of antio.idants& (ts no surprise, then, that research has shown that regular tea consumption can reduce the ris' of heart disease, and may even play a role in the prevention of cancer, as well as )l*heimers and +ar'insons disease. ,urther$ore, research has associated tea drinking with o(erall longe(ity& (n a study of ,-,./0apanese adults, those who dran' the most green tea 1. or more cups per day2 were significantly less li'ely to die during an "" year period. 'nother study of 04,000 elderly 1apanese indi(iduals found the sa$e2 those who drank the $ost green tea were significantly less likely to die than those that drank the least&

Health Benefit of ea !3: ea is a Brain Booster

The co$$on co$$ercial teas sold 3black, green, and white4 contain (arying a$ounts of caffeine/ 04 to 50 $g per cup, according to one study, with no one type of tea generally containing $ore than another& While we all 'now the stimulatory effects of caffeine, tea contains something else that coffee

doesnt, and that gives it the upper hand in terms of boosting cognitive function. This is the a$ino acid known as theanine, and research has found that when it*s paired with caffeine, it can6 (mprove alertness, focus, attention, memory, mental tas' performance, and mood $educe the effects of mental and physical stress (ncrease the production of nitric o&ide, which improves blood flow The theanine also $oderates the effects of caffeine, gi(ing a s$oother increase in energy without the crash&

Health Benefit of ea !/: ea 4an Help 5ou 6ose Weight

Caffeine, found in $ost co$$ercial teas, is a known weight loss aid, but green tea in particular has $ore to offer in this regard& 7reen tea contains an abundance of antio&idants 'nown as 8catechins,9 which have been shown to assist with weight loss. There are two pri$ary $echanis$s how it does this2 0& (t can increasetotal daily energy e&penditure 1it seems to be unreliable in this mechanism, however2. 7& (t accelerates e&ercise-induced fat o&idation 1the brea'ing down of fat molecules into usable energy2, by inhibiting an en*yme that degrades adrenaline 1and the longer adrenaline is in your system, the more fat you burn2. )nterestingly enough, research has also shown that the catechins in green tea can help reduce abdo$inal fat in particular,

Health Benefit of ea !,: ea (mproves (nsulin Sensitivity

-hen you eat food, your pancreas releases the hor$one insulin into your blood, which tells your li(er, $uscles, and fat tissue to take in the nutrients being pu$ped into your blood& (f your body is healthy, your cells are sensitive to insulins signal:they 8listen9 to it, so to spea', and suc' the nutrients out of your blood. The $ore sensiti(e your cells are to insulin, the better they respond to its signals& 's insulin sensiti(ity increases, your body needs to produce less insulin to successfully con(ince# its cells to absorb nutrients, and the job gets done 8uicker& his is a good thing, and helps maintain a lean, healthy body. 's cells beco$e insulin resistant, howe(er, they fail to respond to insulin in the ways they should& The body $ust then produce $ore insulin to force its cells into action, and the insulin $ust re$ain in the blood longer to get the cells to take the nutrients& (nsulin resistance is a bad thing, and can lead to weight gain 1especially in the abdominal region2, an increased ris' of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and more. 3'nd as a side note, type 7 diabetes is a condition wherein your cells ha(e beco$e (ery resistant to insulin and your body si$ply can*t produce enough to $ake the$ respond properly any$ore& Thus, diabetics $ust inject insulin when they eat to strong ar$ their cells into accepting glucose&4 Well, yet another feather in teas cap is the fact that it improves insulin sensitivity. 9reen tea is particularly effecti(e in this $echanis$, and regular consu$ption has been associated

with a decreased risk of de(eloping type 7 diabetes

Health Benefit of ea !.: ea Helps #ight Harmful Bacteria and ;iruses

Those wonderful little catechins found in tea also help keep you healthy& $esearch has shown that these molecules have antiviral and antibacterial properties, which can not only prevent sic'ness, but also cavities and even bad breath.