There is a lot of talks these days about green tea's health benefits. I am not really much of a tea person, but the health benefits of traditional teas have me wondering if maybe I should include green tea in my diet. It has been mentioned that there are polyphenols present in black tea. What are these things that are supposed to help us live longer?
Polyphenols or tea antioxidants are present in teas from all types of tea. In some cases, it has been determined that the amount present is higher in black tea than it is in green tea. Since the antioxidants are present, this would seem to indicate that drinking tea will provide some protection against some diseases that we may be facing. For instance, if you were diagnosed with heart disease, you would want to include tea in your diet so that you can have an easier time treating it.
You see the benefits of antioxidants are partially due to the way they work. Basically, antioxidants act as a car for free radicals. When you are drinking a glass of green or black tea and drinking the Oolong tea. The polyphenols within the tea act as a catalyst to this process. The free radicals are then broken down and this gives the body a chance to repair the damage. Of course, the repair does not last forever but when you drink the traditional teas you will find that you have a better chance of repairing the damage faster.
Caffeine on the other hand is found in many teas that are sold today. Caffeine in moderation seems to be not as harmful as some of the other compounds that are found in traditional teas. This is especially true since caffeine itself is not something that people need all day long.
The final thing we will talk about is the health benefits that are found in herbal teas. For one there is the polyphenol content. Polyphenols are found throughout nature and are a type of antioxidant found in grape skins, and onions. These are used in various ways from health food stores to as ingredients in various foods. There are even certain fruits that contain polyphenols. Among the most popular ones are blueberries, cranberries, grapes, and pomegranates.
If you want to get the antioxidants you need and still drink tea you should consider decaffeinated teas. In addition to getting your antioxidants from the tea itself, you will also be getting them from the added polyphenol content. In addition to this, there is another thing that happens when you drink decaffeinated tea. When the caffeine is removed you are left with the natural polyphenols. These are not nearly as dangerous as caffeine but they can still help you in some way.
The only drawback of drinking decaffeinated tea is that it will leave you with a strong aftertaste. This is why it is so important to buy teabags. Teabags are made from loose-leaf teas and they contain all of the caffeine you could drink from loose-leaf teas. You do not have to worry about a strong aftertaste like you would with decaf tea. The tea bag is a better solution for people who do not care for decaf because tea bags are far less expensive than loose-leaf teas.
As you can see there are many health benefits to drinking tea. However, it is important to realize that each of these benefits comes with a downside. The teabag contains polyphenol content, which can cause you to feel jittery and hyper. If you are prone to these side effects, you may want to consider drinking tea on alternate days.
