Archive for the ‘Tea’ category

New Study: Tea Can Help Reduce Bone Loss

Some more good news for those of us who drink black or green tea regularly. A recent study by Australian researchers found that tea can help protect us from bone loss and osteoporosis.

The findings were a result of a 5 year study on calcium, tea and osteoporosis. 275 women between the ages of 70 and 85 had their hip bone density measured at the beginning and end of the study.

It was found that tea-drinkers had 2.8% greater bone density than non-drinkers and that over four years, tea drinkers lost only 1.6% density compared to 4%

Researches couldn’t find a relation between results and number of cups drunk per day which suggests to me that even just drinking one cup per day could offer benefits. They also found that intake of calcium, coffee and smoking didn’t affect the results.

Although more research is needed it’s just more evidence that natural remedies do work. Plus, drinking tea is not expensive and is very tasty 🙂

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Funny Story about Rooibos Tea

If you like Rooibos tea, you’ll love this true story I read in the Readers Digest magazine.

“A cousin of mine works in a speciality tea shop where the choice is so diverse it can leave customers confused. She’s quite used to people having no idea what type of Earl Grey they want, for instance, or requesting a calomine tea instead of camomile.

But when someone asked for “that detective tea – the Scottish one!” she was flummoxed.

Finally, she worked out what the customer was on about – and handed over a packet of Rooibos.”

Deborah Mercer, Theddlethorpe, Linconshire.

(For those who don’t understand what’s funny, Rebus is a character in a series of detective novels by Ian Rankin whilst Rooibos is a type of tea.)

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7 Health Benefits of Rooibos Tea (aka Red Bush)

It’s funny how tea is a popular beverage the world over yet we all drink it in very different ways. In the UK people drink black tea with milk and sugar whilst in America and Japan it would seem green tea on its own is the tea of choice. The South Africans, however, have a taste for Rooibos (aka Red Bush) with milk and sugar.

I started drinking Red Bush a couple of months ago as there’s so many different types of tea to buy I wanted to be a little more adventurous. When I saw it in the supermarket I thought I’d give it a try.

What is Red Bush?

First of all, white/green/oolong/black tea is all made from the leaves from the camellia sinensis plant. The end product simply depends on how long the leaves have been fermented.

Red Bush (pronounced roy-boss) on the other hand is a completely different plant grown in the Western Cape Province. The leaves are actually green but turn red when oxidized.

What Does it Taste Like?

When I first opened the box I was hit by its distinctive smell. I couldn’t decide if I liked it or not, it just smelt… different. Once I tasted it I liked it instantly but it did take several cups for me to get used to the smell. You can also buy Red Bush with added caramel, I can understand why as it does naturally have a subtle caramel taste.

Although the Africans drink it with milk and sugar most other people drink it with just water.

Now I have to admit I actually prefer it to green tea, it’s a lot more flavoursome.

Health Benefits of Rooibos

The health benefits of Red Bush are very similar to tea made from camellia sinensis leaves.

  1. Contains similar amounts of polyphenols and has been shown to be anti-carcinogenic, anti-mutagenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral activity.
  2. Naturally caffeine-free so is ideal for people who want to cut back on caffeine or want to drink it before going to bed. Actually it’s recommended you drink it before going to bed as it can help with insomnia. It’s also very low in tannins.
  3. Contains calcium, manganese and fluoride to help build strong teeth and bones.
  4. Can be given to infants suffering from colic, sleeping problems or stomach cramps. Simply add some milk to the tea.
  5. Contains alpha hydroxy acid and zinc which is great for the skin. You can even apply it directly to the skin to help with acne, eczema and sunburn etc.
  6. People with kidney stones can drink it because there’s no oxalic acid.
  7. Full of vitamins and minerals such as zinc, copper, calcium, manganese, magnesium, potassium.

I live in the UK so I simply buy whatever Red Bush happens to be in the supermarket, however according to one of my readers, Micah, Davidson’s Organic Rooibos Tea on Amazon.com tastes great!

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Free Tea Samples: Now There’s No Excuse

I’m a big fan of green tea and have already written some posts on the health benefits of tea. If you still haven’t tried tea yourself then you’re really missing out. Have a look at the list below and request a few samples. You’ve got no excuse now!

If you order any free samples please come back here and let us know if they were any good.

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Can’t Make Up Your Mind?

This has got to be a “why did nobody think of that before” moment. How many times do you hear people responding to a question with “whatever… anything”. Well this is what one company in Singapore has decided to cash in on by releasing cans of “whatever” and “anything”.

So what am I babbling on about?

Well, Singapore company Out of the Box has released two cans of soft drink simply labeled “whatever” and “anything”. You don’t actually know what you’re going to get until you open it and have a taste. It could be anything from Root Beer to Apple Tea.

I don’t know about anyone else but I personally love the idea.

Also, check out free weight loss tea.

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Can Tea Really Help You Lose Weight?

You may already have read about tea’s ability to decrease your chance of heart disease and reduce your stress but will it help shift a few pounds? Well, there have been studies, and yes, it seems that tea can help you lose weight.

Increase Your Energy

Many people these days suffer from a lack of energy so turn to caffeine tablets and pills but a better way of increasing your energy is by drinking tea. Because tea gives you more energy there’s no excuse for not exercising which means you can burn off extra fat calories.

Tea has also been shown to increase your body’s metabolic rate so that you can burn of fat. It seems that according to studies, tea can help you burn off 80 calories a day along with exercising.

You may or may not have heard of “flavanoids”. Flavanoids work by increasing your body’s natural hormone “norepinephrine”. So how does this help you? Well, norepinephrine encourages the body’s metabolic rate for burning of the fat calories.

Fat Oxidation

Studies have also shown that if you drink between 3 and 5 cups of green tea a day an extract within the tea helps with fat oxidation speed. This was tested against a group of people who took a placebo – those folks didn’t notice any change in energy levels. Green tea is definitely a better alternative to expensive diet pills which may cause you more harm than good.

Other Health Benefits

Don’t think of tea as just being a way to lose weight. Tea also offers many other health benefits including improved immune system, helps with arthritis symptoms and may prevent cancer.

You don’t have to be a health expert to know that water is essential to a healthy lifestyle. By drinking a few cups a day you’ll be giving your body the water it needs. When buying tea however, look out for one which either is low in caffeine or is caffeine free.

Better Than “Diet Pills”

There are many problems associated with diet pills; the weight loss industry is massive so there are many unscrupulous people selling pills at over-inflated prices. Many of these products don’t contain what they say they do or only contain a very small amount. You don’t have these problems with tea because it has been tested so much and is proven to be safe. Its also a fraction of the price compared to the normal diet pill.  You might also want to add in some lemon juice as part of a lemon juice liver cleanse.

If your aim is to lose an extra few pounds, then why not try some tea? Its not expensive, it’s healthy plus it’s also very tasty. If you’re a drinker of coffee and sugary drinks then simply swap them for a cup of tea. Easy as that.

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How to Cure Bad Breath with Tea

Have you been battling with halitosis without success? Is so, then you’re not alone. There are many products available designed to counter the problem but the main drawback with these is that they’ll make your mouth feel like cotton.

It’ll probably be a surprise for you to find out that tea may actually be able to help you. Drinking black or green tea is a totally natural way to rid your mouth of bad smells which cause you so much embarrassment.

Kill the Bacteria – Kill the Bad Breath

Drinking tea offers so many health benefits without any negatives plus it’s so much more affordable than these other products. The reason bad breath occurs is because bacteria grows on your tongue and gum pockets.

It’s this bacteria which gives off a foul-smelling odor known as halitosis or bad breath. Many people turn to mints to help cover up the smell but 1) they don’t kill the bacteria which causes the bad breath and 2) they often contain sugar which actually feeds the bacteria, only to make matters worse.

What makes tea so wonderful is that it kills the bacteria in your mouth which in turn kills the smell. Studies show that it’s the polyphenols in some teas which suppress the bacteria.

Other Health Benefits of Tea

Along with keeping odor-causing plaque and bacteria at bay you will also be preventing colds, dental problems and throat infections. You can’t say that about most over-the-counter products!

So really, there’s no reason to shell out loads of cash on expensive products when you can just drink a few cups of tea a day. Of course, you should continue to brush your teeth and floss everyday as per usual. Tea doesn’t replace your normal oral hygiene routine, it simply compliments it.

By drinking black or green tea in-between brushing your teeth, you can help solve your bacteria and plaque problems keeping those nasty smells away. There’s no need to spend a fortune.  People drink green tea with adding floavours such as lemon, grapfruit and pineapple.  You should also try matcha green tea powder.  You might like to know about lemon juice liver detox.

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Health Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea has been enjoyed by those in China for a staggering 4,000! To this day China still regards it very highly as a cure for many ailments including depression.

Unlike most alternative therapies, green tea had been extensively studied by scientists all over the world. It’s been found to help reduce the chances of developing certain types of cancer as well as giving us an energy boost.

Other medical conditions green tea is linked to include cardiovascular disease and arthritis plus it also helps lower our cholesterol levels.

You don’t have to suffer from major illnesses to benefit from green tea, it can be drunk to help with aches and pains such as joint pain and headaches. Green tea contains catechin polyphenols, which are believed to be the ingredients that give us all of these wonderful health benefits.

The polyphenols are found in the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant, which is then ground up and made into our green tea. It’s believed that polyphenols prevent cancer cells from developing, without the risk of damaging any tissues in the process.

Beauticians and nutritional experts alike are always telling us how beneficial anti-oxidants are for our bodies. Polyphenols have been found to a very powerful anti-oxidant. Additionally green tea is great for increasing energy and helps burn calories in your body quicker.

Although green tea shouldn’t be used on it’s own for loosing weight it’s an ideal compliment to healthy eating and exercising. It’s also considerably cheaper than buying all those over-priced diet pills!

As much as the Chinese love their green tea for its health benefits, you should make sure that you continue to see your doctor. Green tea should purely be seen as a way of boosting your health and not as a replacement for your physicians’ prescribed treatment plan.

Green tea can also provide you with a healthier oral hygiene regimen. It helps prevent plaque from forming, while keeping bacteria under control so it doesn’t get out of hand and cause halitosis problems. With all of the reports of harmful effects that some treatments cause, green tea is an attractive option.

The only downside to drinking green tea is that it contains caffeine (although at a much lower level than coffee). There are, however, versions that are decaffeinated or are low in caffeine.

The conclusion is that green tea is an ideal drink for general health and is a great substitute for coffee and tea full of milk and sugar. If you think you’d be bored drinking green tea everyday you should have a look for tea which has been flavored with Jasmine, lemon or mint. There’s lots of flavors to choose from, my personal favourite is Jasmine.

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