-Animated.gif)
Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
.jpg "Research Chemical Sciences")
.png "Research Chemical Sciences")
Drink less coke and more tea...
What's responsible for tea's many health benefits? It's the complex brew of chemicals that make up this seemingly simple beverage.
"The big class of chemicals in tea are flavonoids — a natural class of antioxidants that are found in many natural plant-derived foods," explains Dr. Kenneth Mukamal, an internist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and author of the Circulation report. "In American diets, black tea represents probably the single biggest source of flavonoids."
Antioxidants rid the body of molecules called free radicals, which are side products of damage done to the body by pollution and the natural aging process. Free radicals in the body's cells are very unstable and tend to react negatively with other important molecules like DNA, causing malfunctions and injury on the cellular level. The destruction these free radicals produce may therefore pave the way for diseases like heart disease and cancer.
In the case of heart disease, antioxidants in tea may prevent death from second heart attack by helping blood vessels relax, thereby allowing blood to flow through more easily, potentially lowering blood pressure and reducing stress on the heart.
Antioxidants are thought to be behind the benefits of tea on dental health as well. A number of studies have suggested that rinsing with black or green tea may lead to better oral health.
"We have found that the [antioxidants] in black tea will suppress the growth of bacteria in the mouth that cause cavities and gum diseases," says Christine Wu, professor of periodontics at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry. "These will inhibit or interfere with the attachment of bacteria to the tooth surface."
A Prescription for Better Health?
With so much compelling research, isn't it about time for everyone to consider brewing up more of this potent potable?
"For nearly everybody, there are few, if any, downsides to drinking tea. It's hard for me to tell people not to do it," says Mukamal. "But I'm not sure our evidence is quite at the stage where we would be recommending that everybody drink tea."
That's because some people may be sensitive to certain components of tea. And while the caffeine content is 1/3 that of a cup of coffee, some people may react to caffeine at any concentration.
Additionally, researchers need to pin down how much and how often tea should be consumed for optimal health. "Drinking tea is beneficial, but we need to do more studies to substantiate it," says Wu.
In the meantime, adding tea to your list of possible beverages is probably a good idea, experts say.
By Melinda T. Willis
ABCNews.com
What's responsible for tea's many health benefits? It's the complex brew of chemicals that make up this seemingly simple beverage.
"The big class of chemicals in tea are flavonoids — a natural class of antioxidants that are found in many natural plant-derived foods," explains Dr. Kenneth Mukamal, an internist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and author of the Circulation report. "In American diets, black tea represents probably the single biggest source of flavonoids."
Antioxidants rid the body of molecules called free radicals, which are side products of damage done to the body by pollution and the natural aging process. Free radicals in the body's cells are very unstable and tend to react negatively with other important molecules like DNA, causing malfunctions and injury on the cellular level. The destruction these free radicals produce may therefore pave the way for diseases like heart disease and cancer.
In the case of heart disease, antioxidants in tea may prevent death from second heart attack by helping blood vessels relax, thereby allowing blood to flow through more easily, potentially lowering blood pressure and reducing stress on the heart.
Antioxidants are thought to be behind the benefits of tea on dental health as well. A number of studies have suggested that rinsing with black or green tea may lead to better oral health.
"We have found that the [antioxidants] in black tea will suppress the growth of bacteria in the mouth that cause cavities and gum diseases," says Christine Wu, professor of periodontics at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry. "These will inhibit or interfere with the attachment of bacteria to the tooth surface."
A Prescription for Better Health?
With so much compelling research, isn't it about time for everyone to consider brewing up more of this potent potable?
"For nearly everybody, there are few, if any, downsides to drinking tea. It's hard for me to tell people not to do it," says Mukamal. "But I'm not sure our evidence is quite at the stage where we would be recommending that everybody drink tea."
That's because some people may be sensitive to certain components of tea. And while the caffeine content is 1/3 that of a cup of coffee, some people may react to caffeine at any concentration.
Additionally, researchers need to pin down how much and how often tea should be consumed for optimal health. "Drinking tea is beneficial, but we need to do more studies to substantiate it," says Wu.
In the meantime, adding tea to your list of possible beverages is probably a good idea, experts say.
By Melinda T. Willis
ABCNews.com
