Green tea ‘may block lung cancer’

Drinking green tea may offer some protection against lung cancer, say experts who studied the disease at a medical university in Taiwan. The latest work in more than 500 people adds to growing evidence suggesting the beverage has anti-cancer powers. In the study, smokers and non-smokers who drank at least a cup a day cut their lung cancer risk significantly, a US cancer research conference heard.

The protection was greatest for people carrying certain genes. But cancer experts said the findings did not change the fact that smoking is bad for health.



Green tea is made from the dried leaves of the Asian plant Camellia sinesis and is drunk widely across Asia. The rates of many cancers are much lower in Asia than other parts of the world, which has led some to link the two. Laboratory studies have shown that extracts from green tea, called polyphenols, can stop cancer cells from growing. But results from human studies have been mixed. Some have shown a protective effect while others have failed to find any evidence of protection.

In July 2009, the Oxford-based research group Cochrane published a review of 51 studies on green tea and cancer which included over 1.5 million people. They concluded that while green tea is safe to drink in moderation, the research so far is conflicting about whether or not it can prevent certain cancers.

Dr I-Hsin Lin, of Shan Medical University, found that among smokers and non-smokers, people who did not drink green tea were more than five times as likely to get lung cancer than those who drank at least one cup of green tea a day.

Among smokers, those who did not drink green tea at all were more than 12 times as likely to develop lung cancer than those who drank at least a cup a day. Researchers then analysed the DNA of people in the study and found certain genes appeared to play a role in the risk reduction.


Green tea drinkers, whether smokers or non smokers, with certain types of a gene called IGF1, were far less likely to develop lung cancer than other green tea drinkers with different types of this gene. Yinka Ebo, of Cancer Research UK, said the findings should not be used as an excuse to keep smoking.

“Smoking tobacco fills your lungs with around 80 cancer-causing chemicals. Drinking green tea is not going to compensate for that. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to make up for the harm caused by smoking by doing other things right like eating a healthy, balanced diet. The best thing a smoker can do to reduce their risk of lung cancer, and more than a dozen other cancer types, is to quit.”

From BBC NEWs
                                                                
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Tea 'healthier' drink than water

 

Drinking three or more cups of tea a day is as good for you as drinking plenty of water and may even have extra health benefits, say researchers.

The work in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition dispels the common belief that tea dehydrates.

Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found.

Experts believe flavonoids are the key ingredient in tea that promote health.

Healthy cuppa

These polyphenol antioxidants are found in many foods and plants, including tea leaves, and have been shown to help prevent cell damage.

Public health nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton, and colleagues at Kings College London, looked at published studies on the health effects of tea consumption.

They found clear evidence that drinking three to four cups of tea a day can cut the chances of having a heart attack.

Some studies suggested tea consumption protected against cancer, although this effect was less clear-cut.

Other health benefits seen included protection against tooth plaque and potentially tooth decay, plus bone strengthening.

Dr Ruxton said: "Drinking tea is actually better for you than drinking water. Water is essentially replacing fluid. Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so it's got two things going for it."

Read more details in http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5281046.stm

                                                                                                            
                                                             Drink the best tea in Chinesetea-shop

Good reasons to drink green tea

Green tea is a popular source of polyphenols, with health benefits if about three cups daily are consumed (at least 240 to 300 milligrams). To achieve some degree of protection, nutrition and health experts recommend you drink two to three cups a day. Polyphenols are potent antioxidant compounds that have demonstrated greater antioxidant protection than vitamin C.

Research suggests that polyphenols provide cancer-protective properties by blocking the formation of cancer-causing compounds, suppressing the activation of carcinogens and effectively detoxifying cancer-causing agents, as well as reducing the inflammation associated with cancer and other diseases.



Numerous studies show that polyphenols reduce the risk of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, including cancers of the stomach and colon, lungs, prostate and breast. Polyphenols may also improve a woman' s prognosis once she' s diagnosed with breast cancer by lowering the risk of the cancer coming back by 46 per cent.

How much do I need?

Green tea is a popular source of polyphenols, with health benefits if about three cups daily are consumed (at least 240 to 300 milligrams). To achieve some degree of protection, nutrition and health experts recommend you drink two to three cups a day.

Studies suggest hot, brewed green tea is better than the cold variety as adding ice dilutes the tea. As tea cools, the polyphenols and caffeine may bond and sink to the cup' s bottom where you are less likely to consume them.

Instant tea has a very low amount of polyphenols.

Tea also contains 50 to 100 mg of caffeine. Overconsumption may produce nervousness, anxiety, insomnia and irritability. Look for varieties that use water to decaffeinate the leaves rather than a solvent such as ethyl acetate, which lowers antioxidant content up to 70 per cent.

Avoid milk in your tea, as research suggests that it interferes with polyphenol absorption.

On the other hand, adding lemon or other citrus fruits to tea increases the bioavailability of green tea' s antioxidants.

Green and white teas require water that is hot but cooler than boiling, since hotter temperatures may affect their flavour. Steep tea for one to three minutes to absorb polyphenols, but not so long that it tastes bitter.

Where do I find it?

Both green tea and black tea come from the same plant. Green tea is produced by lightly steaming the fresh-cut leaf. The colour of a tea actually depends on its processing method, particularly on how much oxidation it undergoes during production.

As a rule, the less oxidized a tea, the lighter colour it is and the more antioxidant compounds it contains. Green tea therefore has higher antioxidant levels than black tea.

The major polyphenols in green tea are flavonoids (catechin, epicatechin gallate (EGCG) and proanthocyanidins). When selecting commercial green tea and extracts, look for the highest level of EGCGs and total polyphenol content.

Find varieties with whole tea leaves, as they have more surface area for hot water to extract the flavour and the antioxidants in the leaf. For green tea, look for matcha and sencha varieties, as they tend to have the highest antioxidant values.

Green tea extracts and other food products containing green tea are available, but typically do not have the same health benefi ts as the beverage.

Do-it-yourself decaf green tea

This will remove nearly 80 per cent of the tea' s caffeine, while retaining its flavour and the majority of its polyphenols.

- Steep tea in hot water for about 30 seconds. Since caffeine is water soluble, most of it will be released into the water.

- Discard this liquid and save the tea leaves.

- Add fresh hot water to tea leaves and steep as usual.

                                                  

                                 By Samara Felesky-Hunt, For The Calgary Herald

From www.montrealgazette.com


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About Tea

Tea is soothing, a quality to be craved in these stressful days. It is more subtle than coffee and meant to be sipped, not gulped. A cup of tea has less caffeine than a cup of coffee — half the amount or less.

From a single evergreen plant, camillia sinensis, come the thousands of nonherbal teas consumed around the world. The variety depends on where the tea is grown and how it is gathered and processed. Some variables that determine the type of tea are whether the tea is made from long leaves or short leaves, early buds or later pickings; whether the leaves are whole, broken or rolled and, most important, whether they are allowed to oxidize.

The finest teas are consistent-looking and fresh. Because tea readily picks up foreign aromas and fades in contact with light, teas should be sold and stored in containers that are airtight and opaque. Shops that keep their teas in glass canisters are as bad as those that display coffee in open burlap bags. In the proper container tea can last up to six months. But it should never be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
Black teas are dark, tannic teas made by allowing the fresh green leaves to wither and darken through oxidation (the term used in the tea business is fermentation). The process takes about a day, after which the leaves are dried by warm air. Black teas include winy Keemun and smoky Lapsang Souchong from China, Ceylon teas from Sri Lanka and India, Assam and Darjeeling, the exquisitely delicate tea grown in the Himalayan foothills. Traditional blends like English breakfast are made of black teas.

All Japanese and many Chinese teas are green teas, prized for aroma and finesse. They are processed by lightly drying the leaves. Some green teas are whole-leaf while others, including Chinese gunpowder, are made from leaves rolled into little balls, hence the name. Japanese matcha is powdered green tea. Green teas should be sipped plain, without the addition of sweeteners, lemon or milk. One exception is Moroccan mint tea, made by pouring sweetened green tea over lightly crushed fresh mint leaves.

Oolong teas are elegant whole-leaf Chinese teas partly withered and oxidized, something of a cross between green and black tea. Most that are exported are called Formosa, from Taiwan.

The best flavored teas are made with natural ingredients and essences, not harsh artificial flavors. For centuries tea has been infused with jasmine or rose petals for flavoring, and sometimes sold with the dried buds still in the tea. Earl Grey is flavored with oil of bergamot, a type of Chinese orange.

Verbena, chamomile, lemon grass, peppermint and linden are some of the more popular herbal teas, or infusions. Herbal teas are often believed to have curative properties.

Making a good cup of tea is simple. First, heat the teapot by filling it with water that has just come to a boil. Discard this water, and place 1 teaspoon of loose tea per cup in the teapot (the amount may vary according to taste). Pour in fresh water that has just come to a boil, 6 ounces for each cup. Allow the tea to steep for 3 to 5 minutes; then, pour it through a strainer into a cup or mug. Some types of green tea should be made with water that has cooled down a bit. Using a tea bag eliminates the strainer, but it is still best to make the tea in a teapot so the water stays sufficiently hot.

When tea is made, the leaves release their caffeine first, so the amount of caffeine can be reduced by pouring off all the tea after 30 seconds, then adding fresh boiling water to the leaves or the tea bag.
    
From The New York Times                                                                    

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How to Brew Green Tea

Brewing Green Tea

Green tea is best served in a colorless glass. Place three grams of premium-grade green tea leaves in the glass, and pour in 80-degree-celsius water, first to only a fourth of the desired amount. Allow  the leaves to steep for some 20 to 40 seconds, so that they unfurl little by little and  the inner substances slowly seep out. After that, lift the teapot high above the glass, and pour more water into it three times. The leaves will then swirl up in  the current, and through the transparent glass one will be able to see the leaves suspended in the water, sinking and dancing in a graceful manner. Then, green tea with airy freshness is ready to drink.

How to Brew Black Tea

Brewing Black Tea

As the most widely consumed tea in the world, Black tea has a mild character. This tea can be drunk by itself or mixed with other ingredients, depending on one's preferenced. When drunk by itself, black tea is prepared by first cleaning the tea ware, then putting a certain amount of tea leaves into a teapot with a teaspoon, and finally pouring in boiling water at about 90 degrees Celsius from a kettle lifted high above the teapot at a proportion of 50 to 60 ml of water to one gram of dried leaves. black tea can also be enjoyed with milk, lemon, sugar, etc., which is quite popular outside China.

How to Brew Oolong Tea

Good way to make Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is usually prepared with kungFu tea ware originating in the FuJian area, where people daily practice the traditonal art of "kungFu tea." A set of kungFu teaware includes several articles each with a classical name: " YuShuWei" is a pottery kettle; " MengChenGuan " is a purple clay pot believed to have been invented by HuiMengChen, a famous purple clay craftsman, hence the name; " RuoChenOu " indicates a set of four white porcelain teacups; and " ChaoShanLu " refers to a small stove.

The brewing process starts with the rinsing of the teacups with hot water. They are then placed on a tray. A generous amount of leaves is put into the teapot until they fill nlore than half of the pot. Boiling water is then poured over the leaves from a kettle that is raised high above the teapot, until the water overflows the mouth of the teapot. The foam floating on the liquid is scraped away by the lid of the teapot before the lid is replaced. After that, hot water is sptinkled onto the lid so as to help the brewing, which is finished in a short while, and the tea is ready to be served. The host then fills the teacups in a fashion that manages to let the tea in each cup be of the same strength and completely empties the teapot. In Hong Kong and TaiWan, kungFu tea ware even includes a " scent-smelling cup, " with which a tea taster will first smell the scent of the tea before going on to take the first sip. At that point, a delicate fragrance will permeate both the nose and mouth, and saliva will naturally arise Indeed, kungFu tea is a sensuous pleasure that should be relished very carefully.