Monday, December 01, 2008

last updated: December 03, 2007 05:31:30 AM

It's tea time

Start sipping your way to better health. Tea has been used as a folk remedy for 5,000 years -- to aid liver function, destroy typhoid germs, purify the body and preserve mental equilibrium -- and now scientists are discovering it may have all those benefits and a whole lot more.

Studies presented at this fall's Fourth International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health in Washington, D.C., hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, showed that tea can be key to a healthful diet.

"As a nutrition scientist, I consider tea as a healthy choice for three reasons: It meets hydration needs, it has no calories, and it's really rich in phytonutrients (plant-based substances) that we know provide some human health benefits," said Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University in Boston. "Tea has more of the catechins (a group of phytochemicals that act as antioxidants) than any food I am aware of. It is far and away the biggest, richest best source of those phytonutrients, and it's a pleasant, aromatic and flavorful beverage."

Various studies presented at the Fourth International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health showed that tea can:

• Reduce risk of heart disease and stroke.

• Lower your cholesterol.

• Repair smoking-related DNA damage.

• Prevent colon, rectal, pancreatic, stomach, prostate and oral cancers.

• Lower risk of developing kidney stones.

• Speed up metabolism.

• Decrease body weight and fat.

• Control blood sugar.

• Lower the risk of osteoporosis.

Other studies, conducted only on animals, showed that tea may be able to:

• Prevent and repair damage to brain cells.

• Delay cognitive decline seen in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

• Create a calmer, yet more alert state of mind.

For more information, go to www.teausa.org.

Food for thought

• If you use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, choose a product that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.

• Remove all visible dirt from your hands.

• Apply about a half-teaspoon to the palm of your hand.

• Rub your hands together, covering all surfaces of the hands and fingers. Continue rubbing until the sanitizer is completely absorbed.

Brain workout

Put a new spin on old routines to exercise your mind:

• Brush your teeth with the opposite hand.

• Reverse your usual walking or running route.

• Rearrange your furniture.

-- Prevention magazine

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