by Noura Al Thani
Tea is something that we consume on a daily basis, but history of tea and the medicinal uses is not known by everyone. The birthplace of tea was in china 5000 years ago by the emperor shen nugn discovered tea when leaves from a wild tree blew into his pot of boiling water, he drank some and he described a warm feeling.
Shen nung named the brew "ch'a"
Today, most of the tea come from Asia and the common daily tea we drink have a lot of benefits.
Green tea
Green tea for example has been shown to reduce the risk of developing cancer, consuming one cup of green tea on a daily basis lowers the risk of cancer by 18%. There are studies that it lowers the risk of developing bladder cancer. The pathological role not only reduce cancer cells but also stem cells.
Best type to consume is the “Matcha” as it contains the highest amount of antioxidant.
We recommend drinking green tea by morning time and stopping by 2:00 p.m. because of the high caffeine effect. 8 ounces cup of green tea contains between 30 and 50 mg of caffeine.
Black tea
Black tea help protect the lungs from damage caused by exposure to cigarette and smokes.
It helps reduce the risks of strokes as it contains theophylline which increases blood flow in the capillaries and helps the body maintain normal blood pressure
Best time to drink black tea is before 2:00 p.m as 8 ounces of black tea contains 40 mg of caffeine.
Chamomile tea
Chamomile tea contains antioxidant that prevent complication from diabetes like loss of vision nerves and kidney damage. It stunts the growth of cancer cells and it helps stopping gastrointestinal inflammation.
It is used as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome, for insomnia and it helps lower high blood pressure.
Best time to drink chamomile tea is after 5:00 p.m.
Rooibos tea
Possesses some cancer fighting properties, it helps to lower cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Aids in regeneration of liver tissue and it helps reducing cramps and gastrointestinal distress.
Rooibos tea does not contain caffeine is it possible to drink it anytime of the day.
White tea
More potent anticancer properties than processed teas. Studies show that white tea thins the blood and improves artery function. It helps lower high blood pressure and maintains a healthy one, it protects the heart and the entire circulatory system.
While it contains small amount of fluoride and other nutrients which keeps teeth strong and healthy, it also aids in killing the bacteria which causes plaque, tooth decay and bad breath. It helps strengthen the immune system and prevent bacterial infection.
Its recommended to drink before 5:00 p.m. It contains 15 to 20 mg of caffeine per cup.
Detox tea mix
Nowadays it is very popular that we see a detox tea mix, they claim it helps reduce weight but usually many of us don't read the labels as a lot of this tea are commercial, contain unhealthy chemicals and many have mixed herbs in them that might affect the body in certain ways.
For example, if you have blood pressure or pre-blood pressure then you need to check for licorice root as it's known to raises the blood pressure.
Even if it's healthy, used by the wrong person might cause more harm than good.