TEEKANNE tea & health
Tea is a special drink that is as good for the body as it is for the spirit. The subtle aroma of over 150 active substances and the pleasant taste alone create a sense of calm and mobilise our inner energies.
But tea is more than a good-tasting drink.
Its positive effects on our health have been known for thousands of years. For some decades now, scientists have noted that tea drinkers are often healthier than people who don’t drink tea.
They suffer less frequently from certain kinds of cancer and glaucoma, cardiovascular diseases and cavities. Many scientific studies have attempted to discover why.
Substances in tea
Modern analysis methods are identifying more and more substances in tea. To date, more than 400 have been found. The most important are the polyphenols (previously called tannins), which make up about 30%, and caffeine, which makes up about 5%.
Others: essential oils, trace elements, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, fluoride, and many more. While some of the substances in tea remain the same when the leaves are processed into white, yellow, oolong or black tea, some of the polyphenols are converted and other substances created. New catechin compounds are created, pigments develop, and the flavours change. The highest levels of catechins, especially the epigallocatechin gallate that has been identified by many authors as an important antioxidant, can be found in green and white teas because they have the lowest degrees of conversion into pigments and other active substances.
What makes tea so healthy?
It is the apparent interaction of the many active substances, which together with the polyphenols not only stimulate through caffeine but also protect against damage caused by everyday life, especially when consumed regularly.
What are antioxidants and how do they work?
Antioxidants capture the harmful “free radicals” in the body. Free radicals arise during metabolism in the organism, but are also formed when the body is exposed to harmful environmental influences, tobacco smoke and UV radiation. If they are not captured, they can cause damage to the body and DNA, and can also cause cancer. Antioxidants are beneficial for the body in different ways, for example by strengthening the immune system, preventing vascular disease and high blood pressure, protecting against skin damage and cavities, lowering the risk of cancer, and even slowing the ageing process in the cells.
