Not a single person you will be able to find who would never have sipped tea in his/her lifetime. Once speciality of China only is now known and modified worldwide but how much impact does a small cup of tea has on your overall health. Is it good or bad for you to drink tea? Well, all of these queries will be answered shortly but before that you need to know about the percentage of various chemical compounds found in tea.

A small sip of tea along with its fragrance wakes up our mind and senses and makes us energetic. This fragrance in tea is due to the presence of the various aromatic oils in it but the compound named caffeine found in tea is responsible to make us feel awaken after drinking it. Tea contains 3% caffeine, a minimal amount but sufficient to make us feel energetic and fresh. Caffeine is also found in different quantities in other foods as well like coffee, cocoa, coconut etc.

Apart from caffeine, the other compound found in tea is tannin which affects your health prominently. Tannin is found in much greater percentage in tea and has a negative effect on our health.

Based on the above discussion, it is clear that benefits of tea can be attributed to caffeine found in it. The percentage of caffeine present in tea must be within 3-6%. On the other hand, ill effects of tea are attributed to the tannins (26.25%)found in it but no worries, we can negate the ill effects of tannin by following a simple cooking procedure. Boil tea in water for 5 minutes by covering it. In this way, caffeine will get diffused into the water but tannins will not. If you keep on boiling this water for more than 5 minutes, then tannins will also diffuse into the water, making your tea harmful for your health.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GREEN TEA AND REGULAR BLACK TEA?

Tea is made from the leaves and leaf buds of the plant ‘Camellia sinensis’. Buthere are mainly three types of tea, all of them made from the same plant. The difference lies only in their methods of brewing and processing.

1. Black tea – made by complete fermentation of tea plant’s leaves.
2. Green tea – tea leaves are not subjected to any fermentation and are only dried up.
3. Oolong tea – made by the partial fermentation of tea leaves.

BENEFITS OF DRINKING TEA

CANCER PREVENTION

Epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol is found in all types of tea but naturally on a bit higher side in green tea as compared to black tea because black tea is oxidised in air, only to elevate its pungency and taste. Polyphenols are a class of compounds found in many foods like turmeric, broccoli, tea, onions, parsley etc . Polyphenol called epigallocatechin – 3 – gallate found more in green tea than black tea is known to treat cancer by inhibiting the activity of proteasome (bodies found in cancer cells) and thus inducing apoptosis (death) in the cancer cells.

IMPROVES MOOD AND ATTENTION

L-Theanine and caffeine, together crosses blood brain barrier and release an inhibitory neuro-transmittor in the brain, known as GABA, which promotes the release of mood-enhancing hormones known as dopamine and serotonin. These hormones calm our body, increases alertness and release stress.

HELPS IN DYSENTERY

The polyphenols found in tea are known to treat the bad bacteria that develops in the gut and thus treats dysentery.

PROTECTS OUR HEART

Both green and black tea are good source of antioxidants called polyphenols. Specifically, flavonoids, a subgroup of polyphenols found in them are known to reduce the risk of formation of plaque in the heart vessels. It was found in an animal study, that both types of tea help in reducing the levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), triglycerides and cholesterol.

DIURETIC

The term diuretic refers to a substance that promotes the formation of excess urine. Such substances do not allow kidneys to retain sodium and hence sodium along with water is lost from the body. Tea contains caffeine, which makes tea a diuretic. So always take tea in moderation and balance its consumption along with drinking enough water so as to retain hydration.

LOWERS URIC ACID

Uric acid is the end product of purine metabolism. About 2/3^rdof the uric acid is excreted by kidneys and only 1/3rd is excreted by intestine. So, in case of kidney failure, intestine becomes the main site of uric acid excretion. Increase in serum uric acid levels results in gout, hypertension, heart diseases and obesity. In many research studies, it has been found that lesser fermented teas like green tea are more helpful in lowering the serum uric acid levels. This quality of green tea especially, is attributed to the various polyphenols found in it like EGCG, theaflavins and gallic acid.

RELIEVES PAIN IN PILES

Grounded tea leaves boiled in water and after cooling down, if applied on the piles affected skin, helps greatly in relieving pain.

WHO SHOULD AVOID DRINKING TEA?

DRY COUGH

People who suffers from dry cough, dark yellow sputum, bad breath must refrain from drinking tea as this will aggravate these conditions.

HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

People who are suffering from high blood pressure, should not consume black tea as tea makes us warm. This short-term spike in blood pressure after drinking tea can result in headache and additional rise in blood pressure.

ACIDITY AND PEPTIC ULCERS

If you are prone to acidity generally or are under stress, never drink tea as this will elevate the symptoms of acidity. Patients suffering from peptic ulcers should also refrain from drinking tea as this can aggravate the ulcers.

INSOMIA

In conditions, where you generally suffer from sleeplessness during nights, drinking tea close to the bed time can increase your problem of insomnia. So always refrain from drinking it before bed time.

CONCLUSION

The benefits of tea vary along with the degree of its fermentation. More the fermentation, lesser the benefits. So always prefer to consume green tea over black tea. Also, never boil tea leaves, whichever-green or black tea, for more than 4 minutes as this will help the negative compounds to diffuse into the water as well. Drinking 2 cups of tea all through the day is not a problem but remember to drink water also in the required volume so as to negate the ill effects of tea and to stay hydrated. If you can avoid or reduce the amount of sugar consumed along with every cup of tea, then drinking tea will no longer make you feel guilty of unhealthy lifestyle.