Fit Fare

For several years, the drumbeat of praise has been hot and heavy for tea. This age old beverage is now viewed by many researchers as having remarkable powers, able to fight heart disease, lower cholesterol and protect against cancer.

Of the many health claims for tea, the most powerful seems to be it’s ability to fight heart disease, stroke, and lower cholesterol. Tea contains powerful flavinoids, more than many vegetables and fruit. Studies have found that regular tea drinkers are much less likely to suffer a heart attack. It also may help those who have suffered from a heart attack, to recover faster by repairing blood vessel damage from an attack or heart disease.
Tea’s ability to protect cells suggest that it may help prevent cancer, particularly colon and stomach cancer. Laboratory research on animals has yielded positive results on tea’s effectiveness in reducing tumor formation. However, research on human populations has been mixed. Large scale studies on men in China showed a marked reduction in cancer rates for men who drank tea. In contrast, the same study of men who drank tea in the Netherlands found no reduction.

The key ingredient in tea that protects cells are antioxidents called catechins. Both black and green tea contain catechins, but its levels in tea are affected by the way the leaves are treated after harvest. Green tea is picked, dried and heated. Black tea is green tea leaves that has been allowed to ferment and oxidize. Both black and green tea are healthy, but green tea contains more antioxidants.

The way you drink your tea can make a difference in how healthy it is for you. In particular, adding milk to tea negates the health giving benefits. Scientists have noticed that populations in countries such as China, where tea consumption is heavy, have lower rates of heart disease. However, the same effect is not seen in the tea drinkers in Great Britain. The difference? People are more likely than not to put milk in their tea in in Great Britain. Milk contains caseins, which appears to interfere with flavonoid’s health benefits. In research where subjects drank black tea, their arteries’ ability to expand and relax greatly increased. However, adding milk to the tea destroyed that benefit.

As well as enjoying the benefits of antioxidants in a cup of tea, they can be incorporated into recipes. Adding a brewed solution of black tea to rice produces fragrant and beautifully colored grains. Simply replace the water in your standard recipe for rice with brewed tea. You can use tea in other recipes, just remember to hold the milk!