Could Tea REALLY be 10,000 Medicines…Seriously?...How Could It Be?...
Are Tea Benefits Really That Powerful?...You Decide…All You Have to Do is Remember the Big Three in Tea…
Some people begin drinking tea because somewhere along the way, they heard about the health benefits of tea. Maybe they read something, saw an article or ad online or on TV…possibly a friend or colleague convinced them that there was something to the tea thing...that tea benefits are worth celebrating...
Others drink tea simply because they like it, or as part of a family tradition, and not necessarily because of the tea benefits they are receiving.
Even if all of us tea drinkers somehow get the idea that tea is good for us, most don’t really understand how it is good for us, and just how good...
One could make a career of understanding the intricacies of this topic and read or research countless books and studies on the subject, but let me boil it down for you…
Remember the Big Three in Tea...
Of the long list of components in tea, three are most often associated with the well-being aspects of tea. These ingredients are responsible to a great extent for both the psychological and physiological positive impact tea has on our natural body systems.
The introduction of an overview report on the health benefits of tea, issued by the Tea Council of the USA, states:
Throughout History, tea has been believed to help “purify the body" and "preserve the mind”. Over the past several decades, thousands of published studies in leading medical journals have provided the proof to support tea’s ancient health claims.
Back to the concept of tea being 10,000 medicines, as claimed by the ancient health claims…could it be?
You see, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of bioactive compounds in tea, including amino acids, caffeine, lignins, proteins, xanthines, and flavonoids. Tea flavonoids are bioactive components with specific cellular targets related to the cardiovascular, chemopreventive, metabolic, neuroprotective, and other health benefits…imagine that.
Simply taking a closer look at the attributes of the Big Three in Tea allows us to better understand just how they support the 10,000 Medicines theory. In addition to the consumption pleasure great teas bring to us…here is why we love tea and can’t be without it.
The healthy properties of bioactive tea benefits...
EGCG, the most powerful & abundant antioxidant in Camellia sinensis (the tea plant), is:
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Anti-microbial
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Anti-oxidant
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Anti-allergic
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Cardio-protective
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Anti-inflammatory
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Neuro-protective
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Anti-carcinogenic
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Anti-diabetic
Makes you want tea, doesn’t it? Then there is the Theanine (L-Theanine)…
Theanine is an amino acid that gives us the Umami taste in tea, and so much more:
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Anxiety & stress relief/reduction
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Increased focus & concentration
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Improved immunity
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Tumor & cancer prevention
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Blood pressure control
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Increases brain relaxation through production of the neurotransmitter GABA
- Improved sleep quality
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Sinusitis relief
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Primes gamma-delta T cells for bacteria and infection defense
And there is more to tea benefits…the third of the Big Three…Antigens.
Antigens help us build resistance, preparing us to fight bacterial invasion:
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Help fight cold & flu
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Prepare us for bacterial invasion
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Build our bodies' defenses
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Work like a vaccine
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Think of them as antibody generators
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Create faster responses to body invasions
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Supports acquired immunity
How to experience tea benefits...
Feeling like a cup of Tea? No doubt you should. Enjoying a variety of tea types regularly allows us to take advantage of the complete range of benefits that Camellia sinensis offers tea drinkers, beyond the enjoyment of tasting and appreciating the tea.
10,000 Medicines?...You decide, but keep in mind, in addition to your tea drinking pleasure, the Big Three…there in every sip supporting your wellbeing and quest for longevity.
As Tea Purveyors, our challenge is finding the best, most authentic, truly representative teas of the famous growing regions, at prices we can confidently deliver to our tea community without breaking the bank.