Things you don't know about tea
• Beverages
Ten amazing things you dont know about Tea.
Author: Lorraine Bevere
Legend has it that an ancient Chinese emperor was the first to discover Tea when some leaves were blown by chance into a bowl contain some boiling hot water. The tea we drink today is exactly the same and the brewing process has never been interfered with.
In recent Australian studies CSIRO scientists found that the occurrence of skin cancer in laboratory mice was greatly reduced when they were given black tea. It is thought that polyphenols which are very strong antioxidants and are contained in the tea are the most likely reason for this phenomenon.
Tea can be used to kill warts. The tannic acid found in tea is said to be just as effective in killing warts as many wart removers that you can purchase over the counter at the local drug store! Soak a black tea bag in hot water, and then place the damp bag on the wart itself for fifteen minutes a couple of times each day. Slowly the wart will shrink and soon disappear.
Tea comes from the leaves of a tree called Camellia sinensis. The three main types of tea are Black, Oolong and Green. Herbal tea does not come from the leaves of a tea plant, therefore, is not considered to be real tea. Roots, stems, flowers and parts of plants are used to make herbal tea.
In recent Dutch studies it was found that men who drink black tea which contains catechins are 50 percent less likely to die of ischemic heart disease. This is when our arteries become clogged and are unable to work as they should because of them becoming narrow.
The most expensive teabag in the world was commissioned for the 75'th anniversary of the PG TIPS tea company. The bag was filled with two hundred and eighty diamonds and expensive limited edition tea leaves. The bag cost seven thousand five hundred pounds and was sold at auction in aid of a Children's hospital in Great Britain.
Tea will absorb odors around it. Here is a tip for removing food odors from your hands. Pour some tea over your hands and the tea will remove all odors from your fingers, and leave them smelling great. It even works great with fish odors!
To cure puffy eyes lie in a horizontal position and place either a moist teabag or tea compress over both eyes and leave for about 20 minutes. The swelling around the eyes will to your amazement disappear and your eyes will return to their former glory.
For many years we have known that men in Asian countries who drink green tea have very low instances of prostate cancer. Many prominent researchers think that this is due to green tea containing many powerful antioxidants and preventative anti-cancer agents.
Contrary to what one might expect, Turkey is a land of tea drinkers. Turks drink more tea per head than any other nation, even more than the British, and are now the world's biggest tea drinkers. The total annual consumption of tea in Turkey is approximately one hundred and twenty thousand tons whereas that of coffee is only eight thousand tons.
About the author: Lorraine Bevere is the webmaster of Fogtea tea directory which is a premier source of information about tea. For more information, go to: http://www.fogtea.com
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Green Tea and Cholesterol facts
A green and lush oasis in the middle of a scorching dessert. A cool breeze on a hot summer night. A bright light in the end of a cold and dark tunnel. Green tea and cholesterol.
For the millions and millions of people suffering from high cholesterol green tea may be that light. You can browse and search the Internet for topics on green tea and cholesterol and would come up with hundred of hits.
Cholesterol, triglycerides, the protein apoB in LDLs, are words dreaded by humans of the modern age. This new century is expected to become the century of medical miracles, the green tea, lowly as it may sound looks very promising as several researches have shown. This could be the decade of green tea and cholesterol.
More good news is it’s not just green tea and cholesterol; it’s also green tea and cancer. Several studies have shown that the antioxidants are present in green tea. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. Another research done by the University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. In another study by the University of Kansas determined that EGCG may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers.
And more good news! It’s not just green tea and cholesterol; it’s also green tea and high blood pressure. Habitually drinking 5 to 10 cups a day of green tea lowers high blood pressure.
For more that 4,000 years the Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. So it’s not just green tea and cholesterol; it’s also green tea and depression!
Drinking green also is reported to be helpful with rheumatoid arthritis, Cardiovascular disease, infection, and impaired immune function.
Green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a good anti-cancer element. Polyphenol limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet.
There’s more! It’s not just green tea and cholesterol; it’s also green tea and weight loss. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a report that found out that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine.
How about green tea and tooth decay anyone? Its bacteria-destroying abilities kill the bacteria that cause dental decay. So it’s not just green tea and cholesterol, it’s also green tea and bacteria.
Why is it that it’s green tea and cholesterol not oolong tea or black tea? As we all know there are 3 types of tea, green, oolong and black. All of these come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. But why green? Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized while black and oolong tea leaves are made from dried or fermented leaves, which causes loss of EGCG.
We should have learned speaking mandarin or fukien a long time ago and got to know green tea and cholesterol lowering the Chinese way.
There is more to green tea and cholesterol, search the web and get to know more of the heath benefits you may get from green tea. Does anyone know how to say green tea in Chinese?
Lorraine Bevere is well known for documenting the amazing qualities of green tea. Discover other tea “secrets” at her site http://www.fogtea.com
Posted by: Lorraine Bevere | September 3, 2005 09:52 PM
Vitamins: Accessory Factors to Health What are these wonder micronutrients that your body cannot produce all by itself but needs them badly in trace quantities? They are called vitamins. Vitamins are not synthesized or produced by the body so they need to be obtained by humans through the food they eat. Humans need 13 vitamins to maintain good health.
It is important to know that there are two kinds of vitamins for safety purposes for one of them might cause toxicity when taken in large dosages. Here are the two types of vitamins, the vitamins included on each type, their function and sources.
Fat-soluble vitamins are dietary supplements that may be absorbed by the body’s fat. This absorption means that these vitamins can stay in the body, particularly in the liver, as long as they want. Because they are stored, they don’t need to be replaced daily. These fat-soluble vitamins include vitamin A, D, E and K.
Vitamin A works for healthy eyes, maintenance of a good complexion and prevents aging. Sources of this vitamin are vegetables, kidney, liver and milk. When the body lacks this vitamin, nigh blindness, xerophthalmia or no tear secretion, phrynoderma or toad skin, retarded growth and low resistance against infection may occur on the person.
Vitamin D helps in the burning of calcium and phosphorus, and proper development of bones and teeth. It is commonly found in liver, dairy food and eggs. Deficiency of this vitamin will cause rickets or brittle bones, osteomalacia or softening of the bones, and poor development of teeth.
Vitamin E aids in the proper functioning of the reproductive organs, acts as an antioxidant and also helps in the maintenance of a good skin. Sources of vitamin E are green leafy vegetables, milk, butter and meat. Deficiency of this vitamin may result to abnormal development of the fetus and infertility.
Vitamin K is for the proper functioning of liver and normal clotting of blood. Vitamin K could be taken from green leafy vegetables and soybeans. A person lacking this vitamin may be afflicted with hemorrhages.
Water-soluble vitamins are micronutrients that are not stored in the body and must be replaced in a regular basis. They are dissolved in water and eliminated in urine. These vitamins are easily washed out or removed during food preparation. Vitamins considered as water-soluble are the B-complex vitamins and vitamin C.
The B-complex vitamins include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folate, B6 and biotin. They support the body in maintaining a good eyesight, healthy skin, normal appetite, a healthy nervous and circulatory system. Sources of these vitamins include enriched grain products like white rice, breakfast cereals, pasta, breads and white flour. Deficiency of these vitamins may result to pernicious anemia, pellagra, beri-beri and other B-complex related deficiency diseases. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is another water-soluble vitamin that helps in the wound healing process, production of brain hormones and maintenance of blood vessels, teeth and bones. Ascorbic acid is from citrus fruits and other vegetables. If one lacks this vitamin, he may succumb to hemorrhages, rough, dry skin, scurvy, sore joints and bones and increased risk to infections.
These dietary supplements must always be taken with precaution and must follow a certain recommended daily allowance to ensure safety and effectiveness.
Morag Bevan is well known for her “secret” Health reports. Her website can be found at http://www.rhhealth.com
Posted by: Morag Bevan | September 7, 2005 07:15 PM
Dentist scare the hide off of you? If the thought of visiting your dentist scares you rigid then you definitely must read on. You see if you think about it logically it is in your dentists best interest to make your dental experience as easy going and calming as possible. You see he knows only to well that if he gives you pain he will not gain. To put it bluntly the better your experience the more likely you are to make a return visit.
Do not for a minute think that your dentist is a money grabbing tyrant who’s main goal in life is to get his hands on your hard earned cash. Most dentists will be financially secure and very happy practising a career which is rewarding both financially and from the job satisfaction angle.
Ok so you might have memories of a nasty experience when you were a kid. Well get real, Memories from our childhood are often far removed from the actual reality of what really went on in the past. The terrible pain you thought you endured was more than likely a fraction of what your memory tells you.
The science of dentistry itself has advanced to such a degree that really there is no need for pain other than that given by the dreaded needle.. Well did you know that even that task can be carried out with the minimal of pain. Your modern caring dentist now has it in his power to numb your gums with the aid of a pain killing compress. A small amount of a pain killing drug is applied to a small cotton bud, This is then placed on your gums and the end result is you won’t even feel that dreaded needle.
It is ironic to think that the key to the least amount of dental pain is in fact to ensure that you take the time to make an appointment and visit your dentist at regular intervals. Most dentists pride themselves in their prevention and decay stopping techniques.
For those of you who do in fact have to visit your dentist for a long overdue appointment, Don’t worry,Don’t panic and simply make sure your dentist is totally aware that you are terrified out of your wits as he prods and examines your mouth. The thing is that it has been found that an amazing eighty percent of folk visiting the dentist are actually not bothered by this experience at all, Our dentists say that because of this they tend to get into such a routine that sometimes the thought of a person being scared has not even entered their mind.
If you are among the small percentage of folk who are indeed petrified of dental visits then it is vital that you tell your dentist exactly how you feel. Once he knows this you can be assured that every effort will be made to ensure your visit is as stress free and most importantly,
As pain free as possible.
Layla Thornton writes for the famous Dentist information website http://aboutdentist.com
Posted by: Layla Thornton | November 10, 2005 03:13 PM