"Firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea". Today, tea leaves have become an indispensable beverage in people's lives. As early as the Shennong era over 4,700 years ago, people discovered that fresh tea leaves could detoxify. Since then, with the widespread consumption of tea, people found it not only benefits cardiovascular health but also prevents cancer and delays aging. However, the benefits of drinking tea go far beyond these. On August 30, the US "Best" website pointed out six new benefits based on the latest research. In this issue, "Life Times" interviewed multiple authoritative experts to teach you how to choose tea and drink it correctly.
Six Additional Benefits of Drinking Tea
The benefits of tea for body and mind are well-known. Tea contains tea polyphenols, caffeine, lipopolysaccharides, multiple vitamins, and other components that provide healthcare and pharmacological effects.
Improves muscle endurance. Research found that tea contains an antioxidant called "catechin" that can increase the body's fat-burning capacity, improve muscle endurance, help combat fatigue, and extend physical exercise time. Regular drinking of green tea shows the most significant effects.
Resists UV rays. Tea polyphenols are water-soluble substances. Washing the face with tea can remove facial oil, shrink pores, and has disinfecting, sterilizing, and anti-aging effects. It also helps reduce skin damage from sunlight's UV rays, acting as a natural "sunscreen".
Maintains body shape. The Tang Dynasty "Compendium of Materia Medica" mentioned that "long-term consumption of tea makes one thin", which modern scientific research has confirmed. The caffeine in tea promotes gastric acid secretion, aids digestion, and enhances the body's ability to break down fat. Foreign studies also show that regular tea drinking can reduce waist circumference and lower body mass index (BMI), thereby helping prevent diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Resists radiation. Foreign studies indicate that tea polyphenols and their oxides can absorb some radioactive substances, protect cells from radiation damage, and help repair damaged cells. Clinical research shows that tea extracts can treat mild radiation sickness in tumor patients during radiotherapy, and are very effective in treating radiation-induced decreases in blood cells and white blood cells.
Improves memory. Tea polyphenols help with local regulation in the brain, improve memory, and enhance learning efficiency. Foreign studies confirm that drinking tea can prevent and treat neurological diseases, especially senile dementia. Additionally, caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, providing refreshing, mind-clearing, and thought-enhancing effects.