Famous nutritionist Yu Ruomu said: "Most of the beneficial components that can regulate human metabolism are found in tea leaves. The mechanisms by which tea fights cancer, prevents aging, and enhances human physiological activity have been largely clarified. Therefore, tea is the best beverage bestowed upon humanity by nature." Mr. Lu Xun once said: "To have good tea to drink and to know how to drink good tea is a kind of pure happiness."
Tieguanyin tea possesses various health and wellness benefits.
Tieguanyin is not only fragrant and mellow, making it a natural and delicious drink, but its health and wellness functions are also among the best of all teas. Modern medical research shows that, in addition to the general health functions of tea, Tieguanyin has effects such as anti-aging, anti-cancer, anti-arteriosclerosis, prevention and treatment of diabetes, weight loss and body shaping, prevention of dental caries, heat-clearing and fire-reducing, and counteracting the effects of smoking and alcohol.
Chemical Components in Tea
It is well known that drinking tea has many benefits. But why does drinking tea have so many advantages? For most people, they know the fact but not the reason. With the development of science, by the early 19th century, the components of tea gradually became clear. Through modern scientific separation and identification, tea contains over 450 organic chemical components and more than 40 inorganic mineral elements. The organic chemical components and inorganic mineral elements in tea contain many nutritional and medicinal components. The main organic chemical components include: tea polyphenols, plant alkaloids, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, pectin, organic acids, lipopolysaccharides, sugars, enzymes, pigments, etc. The content of organic chemical components in Tieguanyin, such as tea polyphenols, catechins, and various amino acids, is significantly higher than in other types of tea. The main inorganic mineral elements include: potassium, calcium, magnesium, cobalt, iron, manganese, aluminum, sodium, zinc, copper, nitrogen, phosphorus, fluorine, iodine, selenium, etc. The content of inorganic mineral elements in Tieguanyin, such as manganese, iron, fluorine, potassium, and sodium, is higher than in other types of tea.
In recent years, research by domestic and foreign scientists, especially Japanese scientists, has confirmed that the chemical components and mineral elements in Tieguanyin have special functions for human health, roughly in the following aspects:
I. The Anti-Aging Effect of Tieguanyin
Some scientific studies at home and abroad indicate that human aging is related to the excessive oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids in the body, and the excessive oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids is associated with the action of free radicals. Highly chemically active free radicals can cause excessive oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids, leading to cell function mutation or decline, causing tissue proliferation and necrosis, resulting in fatal diseases. Excessive lipid oxidation is a demon for human health, but the culprit is free radicals. As long as free radicals are cleared, cells can grow and develop normally, leading to health and longevity.
Typically, common antioxidants include vitamin C and vitamin E, which can effectively prevent the excessive oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. Recent research by Japanese researchers shows that polyphenolic compounds in Tieguanyin can prevent excessive oxidation; purine alkaloids can indirectly help clear free radicals, thereby achieving the goal of delaying aging.
II. The Anti-Cancer Effect of Tieguanyin
Cancer is a serious "incurable disease" that threatens people's health today. Therefore, in recent years, research on the anti-cancer effects of tea has attracted great interest and attention. Several years ago, a report stated that esophageal cancer in Shanghai residents decreased year by year due to tea drinking, which caused a great反响 worldwide. Nowadays, it is widely recognized that drinking tea can prevent and fight cancer, and among teas, Tieguanyin has the best anti-cancer and cancer-prevention effects.
As early as 1983, Professor Okuda Takuo from Okayama University in Japan screened dozens of plant polyphenolic compounds for their anti-cancer and anti-mutation activities. The results proved that catechins (EGCG) have strong anti-mutation activity. Other scientists, in confirming Tieguanyin's anti-mutation research, believe that Tieguanyin tea polyphenols are the main active components for this effect; in research on chemical carcinogenesis, the cancer-preventing effect of Tieguanyin tea polyphenols has been affirmed. In addition, vitamin C and vitamin E in Tieguanyin can block the synthesis of carcinogens—nitrosamines, playing a significant role in cancer prevention and treatment.
III. The Anti-Arteriosclerosis Effect of Tieguanyin
On May 31, 1999, at the Fourth Oolong Tea and Health Seminar held in Tokyo, Japan, Chen Ling, Vice President of the Fujian Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, reported their clinical observation of 25 patients with hyperlipidemia and obesity, exploring the effect of drinking Oolong tea Tieguanyin on inhibiting the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein in the blood and improving blood lipid metabolism. The study proved that polyphenolic compounds and vitamins in Tieguanyin can inhibit the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein in the blood. Dr. Hara Yukihiko from the Mitsui Norin Research Institute in Japan also confirmed in years of research that polyphenolic compounds in tea can not only reduce cholesterol in the blood but also significantly improve the ratio of high-density lipoprotein to low-density lipoprotein in the blood. Caffeine can dilate blood vessels, accelerate respiration, and lower blood lipids, playing a certain role in preventing and treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis.
According to a 1974 survey by the Fujian Medical University Coronary Heart Disease Prevention and Treatment Research Group on 1080 farmers in Anxi tea country, Fujian, the incidence rate of coronary heart disease among those who did not drink Tieguanyin tea was 3.1%; among occasional drinkers, it was 2.3%; and among long-term drinkers (over 3 years), it was 1.4%. This shows that the incidence of coronary heart disease is lower among those who regularly drink Tieguanyin compared to those who do not.
IV. The Effect of Tieguanyin in Preventing and Treating Diabetes
Diabetes is a worldwide disease. Currently, about 200 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes, and over 30 million people in China have diabetes. Diabetes is a systemic chronic progressive disease primarily characterized by glucose metabolism disorders. Typical clinical manifestations are "three excesses and one deficiency": excessive drinking, excessive urination, excessive eating, and weight loss, accompanied by general weakness. In traditional Chinese medicine, this disease is called "consumptive thirst" and falls under the category of lower energizer damp-heat. The main cause of the disease is the lack of polyphenolic substances in the body, such as vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, phosphate, methyl salicylate, and other components, leading to disorders in sugar metabolism, a sharp increase in blood sugar levels, and weakened metabolic functions.
Clinical experiments by Japanese medical doctor Ogawa Goshichiro and others confirmed that regular tea drinking can timely supplement the human body with vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, phosphate, methyl salicylate, and polyphenols, preventing the occurrence of diabetes. For patients with moderate and mild diabetes, it can reduce blood sugar and urine sugar to very low levels or completely normal levels; for severe diabetic patients, it can lower blood sugar and urine sugar and alleviate various main symptoms.
V. The Weight Loss and Body Shaping Effect of Tieguanyin
Obesity is a nutritional disorder that appears with the continuous improvement of people's living standards. It is caused by excessive nutrient intake or insufficient utilization of stored energy in the body. Obesity not only brings many inconveniences to daily life but is also a cause of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
In 1996, the Fujian Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine conducted research on the weight loss effects of drinking Tieguanyin on 102 adult men and women with simple obesity. The study showed that Tieguanyin contains a large amount of tea polyphenols, which can not only enhance the action of fat-decomposing enzymes but also promote the metabolic activity of neutral lipase in tissues. Therefore, drinking Tieguanyin can improve the body shape of obese individuals, effectively reduce subcutaneous fat and waist circumference, thereby reducing their weight.
II. The Anti-Cancer Effect of Tieguanyin
Cancer is a serious "incurable disease" that threatens people's health today. Therefore, in recent years, research on the anti-cancer effects of tea has attracted great interest and attention. Several years ago, a report stated that esophageal cancer in Shanghai residents decreased year by year due to tea drinking, which caused a great反响 worldwide. Nowadays, it is widely recognized that drinking tea can prevent and fight cancer, and among teas, Tieguanyin has the best anti-cancer and cancer-prevention effects.
As early as 1983, Professor Okuda Takuo from Okayama University in Japan screened dozens of plant polyphenolic compounds for their anti-cancer and anti-mutation activities. The results proved that catechins (EGCG) have strong anti-mutation activity. Other scientists, in confirming Tieguanyin's anti-mutation research, believe that Tieguanyin tea polyphenols are the main active components for this effect; in research on chemical carcinogenesis, the cancer-preventing effect of Tieguanyin tea polyphenols has been affirmed. In addition, vitamin C and vitamin E in Tieguanyin can block the synthesis of carcinogens—nitrosamines, playing a significant role in cancer prevention and treatment.