HERBS FOR HEALTH

(Page 2 of 6)

June/July 2001
By STEVEN FOSTER 
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Green and black tea contain different types of flavonoids and antioxidants that may prevent certain forms of cancer (including lung, stomach, esophagus, duodenum, pancreas, liver, breast, colon, and skin cancers in laboratory animals) and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. A recent epidemiological study of 8,552 residents in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, evaluated green tea for the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Analysis of the data showed that there was a relative decrease in the cancer risk of people who consumed more than ten cups a day, compared with individuals who consumed only three cups daily. A Japanese “cup” of tea is probably equivalent to about 4 fluid ounces (or about half of a standard 8-oz. cup). The average decrease in cancer risk was about 60 percent. This study also showed that drinking green tea produced a significant delay in the onset of cancers. A relative decreased risk of death in cardiovascular disease of about 58 percent was also observed.

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Despite the fact that much of the evidence on green tea comes from epidemiological studies, and that blinded, controlled, randomized clinical studies are few and far between, the evidence for the health benefits of green tea heavily tips in favor of positive effects. It appears that consuming an average of four standard cups of green tea daily can produce positive benefits for helping to prevent some cancers and improving cardiovascular function. Besides, the caffeine helps to keep you awake.

What about additives to tea such as sugar, milk, or a squeeze of lemon juice? One recent study looked at the effects of milk and lemon on antioxidant activity when added to tea. The Indian researchers found that adding lemon to a cup of tea increased the antioxidant potential of the tea. Milk had no additional benefits. Some studies suggest that the addition of milk to tea does not affect the bloodstream’s uptake of beneficial compounds in tea, but other studies suggest that milk proteins inhibit the absorption of polyphenols in tea. More research will reveal the truth.

The botany of tea

The tea plant (Camellia sinensis) is usually described as a shrub. However, it is a tree that will grow to more than 30 feet in height. In cultivation, it is almost always pruned back for convenience of leaf harvest, hence it is usually seen in a shrubby form. Tea production began in China, but its natural range may extend from Upper Burma to southeast China and the mountains of Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The genus Camellia of the tea family (Theaceae) contains more than 200 species native to East Asia and Indomalaysia. The most widespread species is the tea plant. It was first named Thea sinensis by Linnaeus in 1753, but was later recognized to be a species of Camellia, named for the Moravian Jesuit Kamel or Camellus (1661–1706) who wrote on plants of Asia.

Two varieties of tea are widely recognized. One is designated var. sinensis, or China tea; the other is var. assamica, or Assam tea. Most production of var. sinensis occurs in China, Japan, and Taiwan. Assamica is produced in South and Southeast Asia, the Caucasian region of the former Soviet Union, Turkey, Africa, and South America. Today, nearly 6.8 million acres worldwide are devoted to tea production, producing more than 2.1 million metric tons of tea. Second to water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world.

Black and green tea

Two broad types of tea, familiar to all, are black tea and green tea. Green tea is sometimes referred to as unfermented tea, while black tea is referred to as fermented. This is a misnomer for the process of oxidation by enzymes. Actual fermentation occurs when carbohydrates are decomposed by yeasts to produce alcohol, gas, or acidic gases. In tea processing, what actually occurs is a catalytic process in which oxygen and enzymes cause naturally occurring polyphenols in green tea to transform to condensed tannins in black tea.

Japan is one of the top five tea producers in the world, and virtually all Japanese commercial production is green tea. Japanese green tea use is often associated with the highly artistic tea ceremony, which originated in China, but was raised to high art in Japan.

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