When it comes to natural remedies, perhaps we should take a tip from the Chinese. For thousands of years, the Chinese culture has known about the medicinal value of tea, which has been the subject of speculation by healthcare professionals. Scientific research from around the world suggests that tea may have potential health benefits.
All types of tea, including green and black tea, come from Camellia sinensis, a tropical evergreen shrub. It is packed with flavenoids, or phytochemicals that are thought to fight viruses and protect healthy cells and tissues. It reduces the damage caused by free radicals, the unstable and highly reactive molecules that are believed to contribute to cancer and heart disease. Free radicals are byproducts of metabolism and are formed because of smoking, air pollution, and exposure to sunlight.
“You can choose either green tea or black tea,” said John Weisburger, a physician and a researcher at the Institute for Cancer Prevention of the American Health Foundation, a private, nonprofit research organization. “Green and black tea have the same properties. They come from the same plant.”
“This news should particularly be exciting for African-Americans, since we tend to suffer from degenerative diseases at a rate significantly higher than our non-minority counterparts,” said Rachel McKinsey, a junior physics major from Bossier City. “I think it is exceptionally important that blacks take advantage of information that may lead to a higher state of health.”
The distinctions between the nutritional effects of the different teas, such as green, black and oolong are currently unknown. Green tea has slightly less caffeine than black tea and Oolong has been called a balance between green and black teas.
Tea is a great relaxant from a long day of activities. Tea is a natural remedy that people often tend not to think of when trying to unwind from a long day. The next time that you think of relaxing, have a toast to tea!
