Is Tea The Key?
After water, tea, or officially Camellia sinensis, is the most consumed beverage in the world. The most popular types of teas include black tea, oolong tea, green tea and white tea, all of which come from the same plant, but are processed differently. Tea is known for its ancient history and calming effect, but does it also keep us looking and feeling younger?
Tea leaves have over 700 chemicals in them, and many of these chemicals help humans fight of everything from cancer to intestinal disease. Studies have been performed testing the benefits of tea, and for instance, one study found that tea aids in the prevention high blood pressure, coronary disease, and reduces the chance of late stage diabetes. Also, tea possesses many types of anti-oxidants, which are anti-carcinogenic, anti-mutagenic and anti-tumoric.
However, the benefits of tea are still being debated. Some studies show that the over consumption of tea can cause an increase in long term coronary disease, in addition to many studies that have been done on caffeine, which is present in tea leaves, and its long term effects. Also, many studies that showed tea reduces the chance of cancer were done on animals, and humans have completely different tolerances for various chemicals and our bodies process things like tea much differently.
The question remains: is tea the key? Tea, when used in moderation, can be a great addition to an already healthy diet, however, you should not rely on tea to entirely cure cancer or prevent serious diseases.
