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The Tea, or Thé, represents the second most used beverage in the world after water, and is derived from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. Today the drink is widespread all over the world, but it has ancient origins dating back to Chinese civilization, and before being known in Europe, it was consumed for over 2000 years (read the article on the origins and history of tea). Soon its use spread as a beverage served at the end of the most refined meals. Still today, tea plays different roles as a ceremonial, medicinal, and medicinal substance, thanks to its numerous bioactivities that make it a health product and an excellent antioxidant drink.
Tea is considered a healthy drink, rich in antioxidant and beneficial properties, and in recent years it has been highlighted how the different varieties of tea contain natural substances, different from theine, that have beneficial effects on health. These are mainly polyphenols, antioxidant and protective molecules against many diseases, if consumed in moderate amounts and regularly, capable of counteracting the spread of free radicals, responsible for aging and cell degeneration.
Many doctors recommend the consumption of green tea and black tea (visit the section on black teas on Terza Luna) to reduce the risk of cancer as they have the characteristic of preventing the formation of cancer cells thanks to the high number of polyphenols. Green tea (discover the green teas for sale on Terza Luna) has also been found to be very effective in fighting leukemia, due to a component known as EGCG, which has an oxidizing power 20 times greater than Vitamin E in protecting brain lipids. Polyphenols are useful for inhibiting the absorption of cholesterol in the blood and preventing the formation of clots in the bloodstream, as well as collecting and deactivating free radicals responsible for cellular aging that can lead to cardiovascular problems, tumors, inflammations, arthritis, as well as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Tea is also known for its refreshing properties, a perfect drink to restore lost fluids: specialists recommend its consumption frequently and in small quantities to achieve the best results. Even in terms of calorie count, tea boasts zero calories and zero fat.
Tea is an antioxidant drink, but not all types are, only green teas and slightly fermented oolongs. We know that matcha and gyokuro, the teas that are shaded during cultivation, have a little less but in general all green teas are rich in antioxidants.
Green tea is rich in antioxidant properties because its young leaves and buds contain the highest percentage of polyphenols found in nature. These play antioxidant actions useful for protecting our cells from the formation of free radicals, responsible for cellular aging and many chronic diseases. Free radicals can increase in our body due to various factors, such as pollution, smoking, or mental and physical stress, to name a few.
What are antioxidants? They are polyphenols, which constitute a heterogeneous group of natural substances, particularly known for their positive action on human health. In nature, polyphenols are produced by the secondary metabolism of plants, where, in relation to the chemical diversity that characterizes them, they play different roles.
In nature, we find many types of polyphenols, characterized by a marked structural and functional variability. Catechins are polyphenols in tea with powerful antioxidant action, with the basic formula C6H5OH from which several develop. Tea has 10, of which three are the main ones: EGC, ECG, and EGCG.
An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. Although free radicals are naturally formed within our body, they can cause reactions that end up damaging cells. Our body has natural mechanisms to prevent or treat damage caused by free radicals. One of these is to use vitamins C and E, which are also antioxidants. One of the best properties of EGCG is that it has an even higher antioxidant effect than those vitamins.
Approximately half of the catechin content in green tea is EGCG, which is why it is the subject of much research on the benefits of green tea. However, different types of green tea have different antioxidant catechin content. The upper, younger leaves of the green tea plant contain more catechins than the lower leaves. Also, leaves from subsequent harvests also contain more catechins. For example, the upper leaves of ichibancha have less catechin content than the upper leaves of nibancha. To further complicate things, catechin content varies widely depending on the position and amount of sunlight the tea leaves receive.
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It is important because in our body, reactions occur to produce energy where oxygen is consumed. This happens for anything, running, eating, and even breathing. In doing so, free radicals are generated, which are oxidized molecules that need to recover as they remain without oxygen. Although free radicals are naturally formed within our body, they can cause reactions that end up damaging cells. They do this by removing oxygen, and high amounts can contribute to increasing dryness and aging of the skin, or even worse, can lead to many diseases, including cancer.
By drinking tea, we introduce antioxidants into our body and therefore oxygen molecules. We cannot stop this aging process, but the more antioxidants we take, the more we slow it down. Antioxidants are not only present in tea, but a bit everywhere. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, but EGCG is even more effective. The list of antioxidants is wide, and many are present in tea.
There are different varieties of tea rich in antioxidants in nature, so it is good to know which ones have the highest antioxidant properties (read the article on the differences and properties of tea variants), and why not, which tea may be the richest in antioxidants:
Probably the most well-known and consumed antioxidant beverage in the world. It does not oxidize because a source of heat is applied to the collected leaves to stabilize and block the oxidation process. Gyokuro and sencha are the best green teas in terms of medicinal properties. As the leaf ages and receives more sunlight, it will have more antioxidants. Sencha or antioxidant bancha tea will be richer in gyokuro but will also be richer in caffeine and have more aggressive polyphenols that can be harsh on the stomach. It will be necessary to know how to balance the quantities.
On Terza Luna you will find a wide variety of Green Teas
Matcha tea has superior antioxidant properties compared to any other green tea. This is possible because matcha tea is prepared by suspension and not by infusion, so the powder is directly mixed in hot water, giving it a higher concentration of substances. In fact, it contains about 10g of catechins per 100g of Matcha, significantly more than regular tea bags. Matcha tea has antioxidant properties 10/20 times higher than a good quality green tea.
Discover how to perform the traditional ritual of preparing Matcha Tea.
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Black tea has fewer antioxidant effects and properties compared to green tea because, being oxidized, it loses all antioxidants with exposure.
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White tea has few antioxidants because it is less exposed to the sun, as it is obtained from the first newly born buds, and antioxidants, being linked to photosynthesis, are present in smaller quantities. However, it is very rich in amino acids, essential oils, and molecules that help us defend ourselves in nature. If you want to consume more antioxidants, green tea is more recommended.
On Terza Luna you will find various varieties of White Tea
Oolong tea has both health properties typical of green tea and black tea, and therefore is considered a middle ground. Those with low oxidation have more antioxidants.
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When should you drink tea? For antioxidants, anytime you want, but a tea rich in antioxidants like sencha is best consumed in the morning to avoid side effects associated with caffeine. In the evening, prefer matcha or gyokuro. Discover the best tea and biscuit pairings.
Of course, the beneficial properties are a plus of this beverage, but what are its contraindications? Like all foods, if consumed in excessive amounts, green tea can lead to various problems; these are mainly related to its high caffeine content which can lead to negative effects such as insomnia, vomiting, stomach acidity, and increased blood pressure. Those with a weak intestine should avoid sencha or drinking too much tea because antioxidants like polyphenols can be aggressive and irritating.
Read the article on the negative effects of drinking too much tea.
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