What Everyone Should Know About The Health Benefits of Tea

For literally thousands of years, humans have extolled the nutritional and health benefits of tea. The tea plant Camellia Sinensis is the source of all teas in the world. These include green, oolong, white, and black tea as well as the Chinese Tea known as Pu-erh Tea, which is prepared by fermentation of tea leaves. Both formal scientific studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that tea really can work wonders for the body. Here’s how:

Tea May Boost the Metabolism

Whether you are looking to burn off a few extra calories or simply get a little more energy during your day, drinking tea may be a good solution. Of course, it’s important not to add sugar to your tea, or you will undo the positive metabolic effects. Instead, add a sugar free substitute, like Splenda, Equal, or Sweet N' Low for taste.

Tea May Be an Effective Cancer-Fighting Agent

Nutritionists hypothesize that the antioxidants contained in tea may have powerful cancer fighting effects. Some scientific studies suggest that drinking several cups of green, white, or oolong tea a day may indeed reduce the likelihood that you'll develop cancer.

Tea Improves Focus and Brainpower

Tea leaves contain an important protein building block called L-Theanine, which stimulates cerebral activity but doesn’t over-stimulate like the caffeine in coffee.

Tea Can Relax the Body and Help You De-Stress

A hot cup of decaffeinated tea can soothe the body and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the bloodstream.

Tea Can Hydrate the Body Effectively and Efficiently -- Without Adding Extra Calories

In a world packed with energy drinks, colas, fruit juices, and other sugary beverages, tea offers a low calorie, low-carb alternative -- and a tasty one at that. Mounting evidence supports the hypothesis that obesity may be caused by too many simple sugars and carbohydrates in the diet. By switching from soda or fruit juice to tea, you can substantially cut out your daily intake of simple carbohydrates and improve your prospects for long-term good health.

Tea Supports the Immune System

Whether you are battling an infection or simply trying to stimulate the immune system, tea can be an important arrow in your immune system’s quiver.

Tea Is an Effective Digestive

The Chinese have known about tea’s positive postprandial effects for over 2,000 years. Scientists suggest that the tannins found in tea may improve the digestive process.

Tea May Be Very Heart Healthy

Studies suggest that drinking oolong tea or green tea can lower blood pressure, protect against heart disease, and guard against stroke and blood clotting.

The Polyphenols in Tea Can Act as Anti-Inflammatories

These polyphenols can be particularly effective in combating diseases and irritations of the intestines, such as irritable bowel syndrome. An agent in Rooibos, found in red tea, may also act to reduce stomach cramping.

Tea Can Fight Tooth Decay and Plaque.

While tea can also stain your teeth if you are not careful, the beverage supplies the body with both tannins and fluoride, which can support good dental health. To get these benefits without the cost (staining), rinse your mouth with water after you drink black or oolong tea.

Tea Can Be Good For the Skin

One study showed that tea functioned as well as or better than benzoyl peroxide in treating patients with acne. Many moisturizers, hair products, and other dermal solutions contain green tea extract. One of the reasons why green tea is so popular in these skin products is that the natural antioxidants contained in green tea can salve skin damage and guard against future damage.

Tea Offers Protection against Numerous Diseases and Conditions, Such As Parkinson's Disease, Influenza, Arthritis, and Diabetes

While tea is by no means a panacea, the beverage contains a host of compounds (discussed above -- tannins, antioxidants, polyphenols, etc), which can simultaneously boost the immune system’s capacity, enhance metabolism, reduce stress, and simultaneously invigorate. Tea also boasts a compound called alkylamine antigen, which may partially explain why regular consumption of tea is so well correlated with better health. A recent paper in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reported another surprising finding: that regular tea drinking may inhibit the proliferation of the HIV virus in infected patients.

Avoiding Over Treatment with Tea

While tea offers a veritable cornucopia of health benefits, anything when taken to excess can cause health problems. Drinking too much tea can lead to jitteriness and insomnia, and the oxalates contained in some teas can lead to the formation of calcium oxalate crystals in the kidneys.

If You Experience Insomnia or Kidney Stones, See Your Doctor and Consider Taking Time off from Your Daily Tea Regimen

Similarly, the milk, sugar, and other additives you put into tea can cause negative health effects. A typical chai tea latte drink, for instance, may contain 50 grams of carbohydrates or more -- enough to cause blood sugar spikes and subsequent insulin crashes. The journal New Scientist also reported that putting milk in tea can reduce the nutritional benefits outlined above.

About the Author: Jeffrey Lorien
Zhi Tea is a leading retailer of top-grade green and Oolong teas online. They provide a full line of organic and Fair Trade teas teas and custom tea gift baskets from around the world for you to enjoy.

Article Stars: http://articlestars.com

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Green Tea Benefits for Skin

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 Any logical tea drinker will look at green tea and agree that it is good to drink, especially with the flavors that are available. However, green tea is much more than just flavored water in a cup. It has grown much faster and expanded its abilities to help you continue to be healthy. For those that are not convinced that this miracle in a cup is good for you, why not look beyond the benefits of drinking it. Green tea also benefits the skin, helping you to maintain a healthy and younger look.

When you apply the green tea plant to your skin, you will begin to notice a difference. One of the components that it has in it is an anti-aging ingredient. Those who use this natural extract on their skin are known for looking youthful. How is this achieved? This miracle tea in a cup has a special antioxidant that is in it. This antioxidant is used to clear cell damage on the skin, repairing what may have turned into wrinkles, blemishes, or other impurities.

Green tea benefits for the skin are not only with the anti-aging materials in them. If you want a natural sun screen, this may be the way to go. If your skin has been exposed to UV radiation, it causes the skin to become looser with oxidation moving in between the cells. Over time, the immune system that is working for your skin will slow down causing you to wrinkle from the sun. The green tea, when used with sun block, can help reduce or completely erase this damage. The cells that are affected by the green tea will become stronger and will work together, making the UV rays become a blemish of the past.

Of course, because this particular plant is an all in one ingredient, it will also make sure to care for those deeper and more damaging problems. Green tea will benefit the skin by helping to reduce or eliminate problems with skin disorders, such as warts, psoriasis, and rosacea. Another skin disorder that many of us have, acne, can also be eliminated by applying on some extra green tea extract.

If you want to have youthful looking skin without the blemishes, why not go natural. Green tea is known to benefit the skin in almost every way, leaving your face and body looking healthy, young and smooth. You can find the best way to care for your skin by simply finding the natural that was meant to help you look your best.

Source: http://www.articlecircle.com/ - Free Articles Directory

About the Author
Julie Health has provided you with an article on green tea and skin at http://www.benefitsofgreentea.info/2007/green-tea-benefits-for-skin.php She writes about the benefits of drinking green tea for http://www.benefitsofgreentea.info
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HERBAL TEA BLENDS

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Of Tea Blends and Spice Teas

The art of tea blending is a process where various tea leaves from different regions and tea estate are mixed together to produce a fine tea blend. Tea lovers are masters of making out fine teas from lower grades. Regular teas drinkers can well make out improper tea blends and hence choose the right blended teas.

When you buy loose leaf tea in tea bags or packet they could be a proper blend of different green or black tea types as the case may be. Usually all tea brands sold in the market are blended teas. in case of black tea brands only different black tea leaves will be nixed together similary in case of green tea brands only different green tea leaves will be mixed. Intermixing is done in fewer cases.

Blending requires tough quality control as well, since every lot must taste the same. There are lot of blended teas with flavor additives. There are tea brands available in the market which are flavored using synthetic additives like essential oils. But tea lover prefer to drink tea with any flavor additives as the leaves themselves are flavorful and aromatic.

While making tea beverage a blend of black tea leaves which are strong, dark and full-bodied goes well with milk. While English teas are usually lighter and are often consumed without milk.

Many teas are flavored with variety of flowers, spices and herbal infusions to give dominant fruity flavors. Popular flower additives are Jasmine, Chamomile, Rose and Chrysanthemum. Among herbs mint, spearmint and cardamom leaves are commonly used in blends.

In case of essential oils citrus oils are commonly used. In case of spice tea crushed ginger, cardamom powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg, cassia, mace, clove, anise, vanilla and fennel are often used.

Buying spiced tea bags or other blended tea brands is a matter of personal choice. Regular tea consumption is the best way to learn to choose your favorite spiced or blended teas

Author: Uday Patel

Article Source: Amazines

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FLAXSEED ESSENTIALS

 Despite all the concern about fat in our diet, the body does require healthy fats and oils to function. The problem is that most people are getting the wrong kinds of fats in their diet and are lacking the good, healthy fats. Besides being an energy source, healthy fats and oils are nutrients used in the production of cell membranes, as well as in several hormone-like compounds called eicosanoids.

These compounds help regulate blood pressure, heart rate, blood vessel constriction, blood clotting and the nervous system. In addition, dietary fat carries fat-soluble vitamins — vitamins A, D, E and K — from your food into your body. Fat also helps maintain healthy hair and skin, protects vital organs, keeps your body insulated, and provides a sense of fullness after meals (satiety). The human body cannot function properly without two polyunsaturated fats - linoleic and alpha-linoleic acid. These fatty acids, which are found in flaxseed oil and other healthy oils and are truly to normal cell structure and body function. Flaxseed may prove useful in the nutritional management of patients with autoimmune diseases.

Dr. Budwig, has been treating cancer of all kinds with nothing but cottage cheese and Flaxseed Oil for over 16 years. She says that people with cancer have blood that is low in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids and the blood has a greenish cast. Flaxseed oil is 56% Omega 3 and 16% Omega 6. Recently I read that most people have blood that is 80% deficient in Omega 3. Dr. Budwig has taken patients sometimes given only hours to live and restored them to health. Doctors had attempted to treat patients with sources of Omega 3 but had not been consistently successful.

Dr. Budwig's research found that in order for these fatty acids to be fully available to the body, they must be tied to a sulfur based protein; the best source of which is cottage cheese. Depending on the severity of the condition she had her patients use 3 to 6 Tbsps. of Flaxseed oil a day, with at least 4 oz or 1/2 cup of cottage cheese per day.

About the author Jerry Hall Leo
Several studies indicate that flaxseed oil, as well as ground flaxseeds, can lower cholesterol, thereby significantly reducing the risk of heart disease. Come Find out How Flaxseed Benefits You at http://www.smartreviewguide.com/flaxseed  

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Dieting and Green Tea and the Connection

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A number of wonder herbs are being used these days with green tea one of the most interesting; used a great deal especially within the weight loss industry and for products which are used as antioxidants. As a liquid extract, green tea diet supplements can be drunk like regular tea but however you take it, you will burn calories more naturally. Although known more for its weight loss properties, extended use has other beneficial affects by slowing the oxidation process of our cells to reduce the signs of aging.

Although it is the toxin removal and laxative qualities that help with weight loss when taken regularly. To help stop fatty tissue from forming, products using it increase the number of calories we burn by speeding our normal metabolic rate. Mention should be made that some dietary efforts should be also taken; you cant eat hamburger and French fries and expect green tea diet products to make you slim over night. Many people seem to think that its use will solve all their weight problems but the fact you are taking the product implies you are trying to improve your health by eating more healthily.

For the best results when using green tea as a hot drink; you are advised to use it prior sleep when the metabolism is slowing down. It is quite normal for most people to find they're stomach and bowel upset during the first few days after using the product but this should not last much longer than this. Do not be concerned about this as it is just an indication that the green tea diet supplements are working, removing toxins before they enter the blood. If you maintain other parts of your diet; exercise, plenty of liquids and vegetables, results of using it can be seen within a week.

The attributes of green tea can be further enhanced when it is used in combination with extracts from the root of ginseng. Ginseng has also been used in Chin and Tibet for many thousands of years and helps by adding vitamins and minerals to supplement those already being used in the detoxification process. When ginseng is used in association with green tea it stimulates the immune system and fortifies the user, representing a valuable energy source, during the stressful period when you are returning to normal weight. Both ginseng and green tea have excellent safety records even when the diet lasts up to 26 weeks.

Whether you plan on using green tea to help with a diet, or for the general health benefits, green tea is a great addition and can provide many benefits.

Article Source: http://add-articles.com

About the Author
For more information on GREEN TEA DIET and how it can help you lose weight visit www.greenteaweightlossonline.com/green-tea-diet

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ACNE AND GREEN TEA

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by: Elaine Clay

Green tea is used by the Chinese as a traditional medicine to treat many ailments including acne and to improve general well-being. But does it provide an effective herbal alternative to modern medication?

The answer seems to be ‘Yes’. There are only two herbal treatments that are known to be effective in treating acne and green tea is one of them.

In a recent study by Jennifer Gan-Wong, M.D. a green tea cream was trailed against a 4% benzoyl peroxide solution on people suffering with moderate to severe acne. The results from this research study showed that green tea was just as good in treating acne as the benzoyl peroxide.

But benzoyl peroxide dries out skin causing itching or allergic reactions. Unlike green tea that has the added advantages of natural anti-bacterial properties and antioxidants, particularly epigallocatechin gallate which is 200 times more powerful than vitamin E at fighting free radicals.

Green tea also helps to reduce inflammation, hormonal activity and aids in detoxification - which is all good news for acne sufferers.

Green tea extract is an extremely versatile herbal supplement - it can be administered topically, often being used in creams, taken as a in the form of a pill or incorporated into your diet and drunk as a tea.

This last method is very popular (Green Tea with Honeysuckle is often known as ‘Pimple Tea’ in many Chinatowns) when drunk after a meal it aids digestion and helps to detoxify your system, getting rid of the toxins that can cause acne. Tip: don’t drink it with sugar, this will neutralize the worthwhile effects of the tea.

It seems that taking green tea for acne is a win-win situation… It has many beneficial properties which promote good all-round health with little or no known side effects and for the price, it's definitely a herbal treatment that’s worth trying.

About The Author

Elaine Clay is the owner of Acne-Treatments-Online.com :: Get articles and information to help you find proven and effective acne solutions available online to treat and get rid of your condition safely and naturally.

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Bee Pollen - A Medical Miracle?

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by Jim Allen

Bee pollen has all the essential components of life.  It is considered by many to be nature's most perfect complete food. It is extremely loaded with vitamins and contains nearly all known minerals, trace elements, enzymes and amino acids. Bee pollen is also considered to be a first-rate source of anti-oxidants.

Bee pollen is a complete food, and taking it helps to balance the incomplete foods that we are all used to eating in everyday life.

Additionally, bee pollen is one of the world's oldest health foods.  You can find references to it in the Bible, the Torah, the Koran as well as ancient Chinese and Egyptian texts. And one of our most popular presidents, Ronald Reagan, took bee pollen for years.

And many people swear to the healing properties of bee pollen. They claim that it'll give you increased energy, boost your body's immune responses by increasing your red and white blood cells, increase longevity by repairing damaged cells, and help to cure all kinds of diseases with it's built in antibacterial qualities.

People also say that it is good for the intestines, moderating and controlling the organisms dwelling there and helping to aid digestion and the assimilation of nutrition

But it helps to keep a little perspective and remain as least a little skeptical. Thus far, I am aware of no reputable scientific study that supports the view that bee pollen is effective against any human disease.

So what exactly is bee pollen?

Pollen is created by the male part of the flowering plant. As the bee flits from flower to flower, it carries pollen with it, which cross-pollinates and fertilizes the plant. Some of the pollen also makes it back to the bee hive where bee keepers can then collect it.

And it is precisely because of this pollen that many people who have allergies will be negatively affected by bee pollen. In fact, there are documented reports of bee pollen and royal jelly triggering asthma, hives, sore throats, facial itches and even anaphylactic shock in people with  to specific pollens. And these reactions can occur with as little as one teaspoon of bee pollen.

But another real hidden danger is that many people will believe so much in the efficacy of bee pollen or some other nutrient of the month that they completely ignore the signs of their own body. Nutritional supplements should never, ever take the place of consultation and treatment of your doctor or competent health care professional and nutritionist.

Jim Allen is a writer and researcher for http://www.acai-berry-fruit-juice.com/bee-pollen.html .

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