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Tea is the most popular beverage enjoyed
by people throughout the world. This is not surprising as drinking tea
has a lot of health benefits. The reason is that tea contains a lot of
compounds called polyphenols which act like antioxidants in that they
help to neutralize free radicals which have been linked to cancer and
heart diseases. Polyphenols are very good antioxidants and the best
polyphenols are found in tea which has a lot of them.
Blocked arteries which can result in
heart attacks, high blood pressure, and strokes don't happen all of a
sudden. They take years to develop as a result of bad cholesterol (LDL)
clinging to artery walls and rendering them narrow and stiff. Studies
have found that the polyphenols in tea were very effective in
preventing cholesterol from damaging the blood vessels. Tea's
polyphenols are very effective because they block the harmful effects
of oxidized LDL cholesterol both in the bloodstream and at the artery
walls to prevent atherosclerosis from happening. The good news is that
you don't need to drink huge amounts of tea to enjoy this benefit.
Researchers have found that drinking four or five cups of tea is
enough to reduce the risk of having a stroke.
People who eat fried or broiled meat are
at a higher risk of development intestinal cancer because when meat is
fried or broiled, compounds called heterocyclic amines form on the
surface of the food. Whwn consumed these chemicals turn into forms
which can cause cancer. This is where drinking tea can help. Inside
the body tea polyphenols prevent the formation of potential
carcinogens, thus helping to stop cancer before it starts. Even when
cancerous tumors have already formed, experiments have shown that tea
can shrink them. Doctors believe that the polyphenols in tea keep our
cells healthy and strong and less likely to change into cancerous
cells.
It is good advice to have tea with meat
because tea's polyphenol compounds help block the formation of cancer
causing chemicals. A good rule to follow is to drink a couple of cups
of tea whenever you eat fried meat. |