Tea, like alcohol, has a long history of consumption in China and is deeply rooted in Chinese culture. Today, tea is a widely consumed beverage around the world. So, what are the benefits of drinking tea?
Improves Memory
Caffeine in tea has a stimulating effect on the nervous system. Consuming tea can excite the central nervous system, making one feel refreshed, alert, and calm. Therefore, drinking tea actually has a certain effect on brain regulation, improving memory and increasing efficiency in learning and work. Additionally, drinking tea is a good choice for elderly people as it can help prevent age-related cognitive disorders to some extent.
Weight Loss
The book "Herbal Compendium" from the Tang Dynasty recorded that long-term consumption of tea can lead to weight loss. Research abroad has also shown that drinking tea can reduce waist circumference and lower body mass index (BMI). This is mainly due to the caffeine in tea, which helps with digestion and enhances the body's ability to metabolize and break down fat, resulting in weight loss.
Enhances Muscle Endurance
Tea contains catechins, which have a strong effect on promoting the breakdown and metabolism of fat in the body. It is particularly effective in reducing visceral fat, increasing the body's ability to burn fat, improving muscle endurance, and combating fatigue. It also allows for longer periods of physical exercise, strengthening muscles and promoting overall health.
Diuretic Effect
Tea contains a high amount of caffeine, which stimulates the kidneys and promotes the excretion of urine, increasing the filtration rate of the kidneys and reducing the time harmful substances stay in the kidneys. This contributes to kidney health.
Protects Teeth
Tea contains a high level of fluoride, with 10-15 milligrams of fluoride per 100 grams of dry tea. About 80% of it is water-soluble. If a person consumes 10 grams of tea leaves per day, they can absorb 1-1.5 milligrams of water-soluble fluoride. Additionally, tea is an alkaline beverage that can inhibit the reduction of calcium in the body, making it beneficial for preventing tooth decay and maintaining oral health.
Eye Health
Tea contains a variety of vitamins, including vitamin A and vitamin C. Both vitamins have strong effects on protecting the eyes. Vitamin A promotes the synthesis of visual pigments within the eyes, enhancing the ability to adapt to darkness. Vitamin C reduces the cloudiness of the lens, resulting in improved eyesight.
Beauty and Skincare
Tea polyphenols are water-soluble substances that can be used to wash the face. They can remove facial oil, tighten pores, and have disinfectant, antibacterial, and anti-aging effects. They also reduce the damage caused by ultraviolet radiation in sunlight to the skin.
Antibacterial and Antimicrobial Effects
Tea polyphenols have astringent properties, causing a slight astringent sensation when consuming tea. While this has little effect on the human body, it is different for viruses and bacteria. This astringent effect can effectively inhibit and kill many pathogens. Therefore, drinking tea has good effects on reducing inflammation and relieving diarrhea. Many medical institutions in China use tea preparations to treat acute and chronic dysentery, amoebic dysentery, and influenza, with a cure rate of around 90%.
Radiation Resistance
Tea polyphenols and their oxidation products have the ability to absorb radioactive substances. After undergoing necessary radiation therapy, tumor patients may have some residual substances of a certain degree, causing mild radiation sickness. Many hospitals use tea extracts to treat radiation sickness, with an effective rate of over 90% for treating radiation-induced leukopenia.
Cancer Prevention
Tea polyphenols can block the synthesis of various carcinogens, such as nitrosamines, in the body. They also have the direct ability to kill cancer cells and enhance the body's immune system. According to relevant data, tea polyphenols, especially catechins, have beneficial effects on the prevention and adjuvant treatment of various cancers, including gastric and colorectal cancer.
Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
Tea polyphenols play an important role in human fat metabolism. High levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the body can lead to the deposition of fat in blood vessel walls, causing the proliferation of smooth muscle cells and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, resulting in cardiovascular diseases. Tea polyphenols, especially ECG and EGC catechins, as well as their oxidized products, such as theaflavins, help inhibit this plaque formation and reduce fibrinogen, which enhances blood clotting. This helps to inhibit atherosclerosis.
Longevity
The aging process of the body is closely related to the presence of free radicals. Tea polyphenols in tea have strong antioxidant abilities. Drinking tea can eliminate free radicals in the body, slow down their harm to the body, and effectively contribute to longevity. Therefore, tea is favored by many elderly people.
Digestive Health
Tea has a refreshing aroma. Rinsing the mouth with tea before meals can eliminate bad breath and improve appetite. Drinking tea after meals can stimulate gastric acid secretion, promote digestion and absorption of food in the gastrointestinal tract, and aid in digestion.
Maintains Acid-Base Balance
Tea contains alkaloids such as caffeine, theobromine, theophylline, and xanthine. It is an excellent alkaline beverage. Tea is quickly absorbed and oxidized in the body, producing highly concentrated alkaline metabolites, which can timely neutralize acidic metabolites in the blood.
Heatstroke Prevention
Tea has a good cooling effect. Research has shown that within ten minutes after consuming tea, the skin temperature can decrease by 1-2 degrees. Therefore, drinking tea in the summer can help lower body temperature, making one feel dry and refreshed, and has a preventive effect against heatstroke.
