Wednesday, February 25, 2009

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY HEALTH STATISTICS ABOUT TEA?

According to the Sage Group, the greatest contributing factor to the tea industry's growth in the past two years has been news coverage of tea's health benefits.

Unlike the coffee and cigar trends, distributing tea will not only make you wealthy, but it will positively impact your customers through better health and increased vitality.

These are some of the health benefits driving the increased consumption of tea.

The American Health Foundation recommends we consume 5 - 6 cups daily because . . .

Tea
-contains 1/3 less caffeine than coffee or cola
-helps reduce fatigue
-maintains mental alertness
-stabilizes fluid levels
-is fat free and calorie free

Scientific information from the USDA points out that drinking one cup of tea could make a significant contribution to daily antioxidant intake, equivalent to approximately one serving of vegetables.

The relative amounts of antioxidants in 2 cups of black tea is equivalent to the antioxidants found in 1 glass of red wine or 7 glasses of orange juice or 20 glasses of apple juice.

The antioxidants in tea help prevent . . . cancers of the mouth, stomach, pancreas, lungs, esophagus, colon, breast and prostate.

Tea's flavanoids prevent heart disease by
-reducing blood clotting
-lowering blood pressure
-lowering cholesterol

A study conducted by Harvard University researchers found that those who consumed one or more cups of black tea per day had more than a 40 percent lower risk of having a heart attack compared to non-tea drinkers.

Tea is a rare source of natural fluoride which inhibits growth of the oral bacteria and enzymes responsible for dental plaque.

Tea is also a rich source of manganese, necessary for healthy bones, and of potassium which regulates the heartbeat.

Other valuable vitamins and minerals found in tea include . . . vitamins B1, B2, B6, folic acid, and calcium.

Eating Well Magazine named tea "Beverage of the Year" for its health benefits and mass appeal to consumers searching for an alternative to soft drinks and coffee.

FURTHER RESEARCH ON TEA

FLAVANOIDS ZERO IN ON FREE RADICALS
Flavanoids, the antioxidant found in tea, neutralise free radicals, the molecules that cause cell-damaging chemical reactions. The BBC reported in a 1999 study that consuming one cup of tea daily reduces the risk of heart attack by about 50%. Hot or iced, tea retains its flavanoids, so enjoy it either way.

Tea Council of Canada's annual convention speakers confirmed that both black and green tea have "naturally high levels of antioxidants that may protect against heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancers."

SMILE! AND SHOW OFF THOSE PEARLY WHITES
Tea is a natural source of fluoride which helps fight plaque. One cup of tea contains 0.3 - 0.5 mg of fluoride. Science and News (July 2001) reported a study that found persons who frequently incorporated tea into their daily routine had an enriched store of fluoride in their plaque.

84% of Dentists attending a conference (Dentists 2000) agreed "patients gain oral benefits" from drinking tea.

The British Dental Association states that in some cases drinking tea may represent up to 70% of a persons daily fluoride intake!

TWO CUPS A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY
In a 1996 study at Boston Tufts University, published in Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, researchers measured the antioxidants in tea alongside 22 antioxidant rich vegetables and reported that tea leaves have more antioxidants than any vegetable tested, including broccoli, garlic, onions, corn and carrots.

A subsequent study at the Antioxidant Research Center in London, England, published in Free Radical Research, February 1999, showed that the antioxidants in 2 cups of tea are equal to those in 7 glasses of orange juice or 20 glasses of apple juice.

While tea cannot replace vegetables and fruits in a balanced diet, a 170 ml (6 oz.) cup of tea can make a significant contribution to the antioxidants consumed each day.

HEALTH MYTHS ABOUT TEA:
MYTH #1: Coffee and tea have the same amount of caffeine.
Fact: Tea has only one-third to one-half the caffeine of the same amount of coffee. Most people can drink up to 10 or 12 cups of tea a day and stay within the caffeine limits recommended by nutritionists.

MYTH #2: Herbal teas are the most healthy teas.
Fact: Herbal beverages are not actually teas, but tisanes or infusions. Although herbal blends can have similar relaxing and aromatic qualities, the research on tea and health does not apply to herbal infusions.

MYTH #3: Green tea is better for you than black tea.
Fact: Green and black teas come from the same Camellia Sinensis plant, and both teas are rich in flavonoids. Research shows that black and green tea have comparable antioxidant benefits. The antioxidants in tea have been linked to a range of health benefits. In fact, at the Second International Scientific Symposium on Tea & Human Health in 1998, scientists reported that drinking tea may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and cut the risk of some cancers, including stomach, lung, colon, skin and oral cancers. This new research has been published in Proceedings of the Society For Experimental Biology and Medicine, April 1999.

MYTH #4: Tea is a diuretic.
FACT: If five or six cups of tea are drunk in one sitting, then yes there will be a diuretic effect because of the accumulated caffeine consumption. However, keep in mind that the caffeine content of one cup of coffee is equivalent to three cups of tea. Tea drinking throughout the day is recommended because it contributes to alertness and the constant hydration of one's body.

MYTH #5: Green tea contains no caffeine
FACT: Black and green teas are produced from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis, so both naturally contain some caffeine, though much less than coffee.

ANOTHER GREAT REASON TO DRINK TEA: DIABETES PREVENTION
According to scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture tea can be an effective weapon in the fight against diabetes because it boosts insulin activity in the body by more than 15-fold.

DRINK TEA FOR STRONGER BONES
A study conducted in Taiwan of 497 men and 540 women, ages 30 years and above, concluded that habitual tea consumption for more than a decade increased total-body bone mineral density (BMD). Researchers found that men and women with a greater than 10-year tea habit had denser bones than the other participants, regardless of the type or amount of tea they consumed each day.

TEA'S BENEFITS TO THE HEART
A Dutch study has found tea drinking seems to protect people against heart disease. The survey of almost 5,000 people over 55 found those who drank a lot of it had about half the risk of a heart attack.

A Harvard Medical School study of 1900 heart attack patients concluded that heavy tea drinkers--those who consumed about 19 cups of tea each week--were 44% less likely to die than patients who did not drink tea, and moderate tea drinkers were 28% less likely to die for up to 4 years regardless of other medical and lifestyle factors.

TEA AND PROSTATE CANCER
Researchers at the MAYO Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota hypothesize that a substance in Green Tea, epigallocatechin gallate also known as EGCG is potent in inhibiting the growth of prostate cancer cells.

THE STRONGEST ANTIOXIDANT
Research at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas shows that EGCG is the "strongest of all" the antioxidants - more than 100 times as effective at soaking up free radicals than vitamin C, and 25 times more powerful than vitamin E.

Antioxidants are thought to help prevent the development of diseases, like cancer because they mop-up free radicals -- byproducts of the body's metabolic processes. Left alone, it is believed that free radicals damage cellular DNA, which may in turn trigger disease.

TEA AND FERTILITY
A study of 210 women who were trying to conceive, by Researchers in Oakland, California found that those who drank as little as half a cup of tea each day were twice as likely to become pregnant as women who did not drink tea.

TEA AND ULCERS
Research has shown that most ulcers are caused by the bacteria known as helicobacter pylori. Today, ulcers are treated with common antibiotics because they eradicate this bacteria. Researchers in Japan found that catechins, a substances found in tea also appear to have antibacterial activity against helicobacter pylori. It is also believed that since helicobacter pylori is one of the causes of stomach cancer, then consuming tea every day reduces the risk of gastric cancer.

I hope you found this information useful. To ask me a question directly, feel free to call toll free: 1-877-leaftea (532-3832) ext. 111.

Best Regards,

Sanjay Gupta
President/CEO

P.S. Over the years, we have received many questions and requests for specific information from prospective members. The most popular questions are answered below. Click the links for the full articles.

What are some of the tax advantages of starting a business?

What are the most common reasons, people decide to start a business?

What are some of the key market statistics about tea?

What is so special about Tea Connexions teas?

How will distributing tea enable me to achieve financial independence?

How do I market tea?


Why do I need a website?

What are the top five reasons I should consider investing in the Tea Connexions business opportunity?

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