Drink To Your Health: Benefits of Tea & Coffee

Before running a morning race, Michael doesn't drink coffee, cola, or energy drinks. He reaches instead for a mug of green tea. He said a cup, about 30 minutes, before a marathon race makes him feel good in all the right places without feeling bloated. 

Many runners pick tea for their prerun jolt. The caffeine is a proven performance enhancer that increases endurance, improves alertness, and makes running feel easier. True, tea provides only half as much caffeine as coffee or energy drinks (or 40 to 60 milligrams per cup), it is easier to take. The acid in coffee and the carbonation in cola and energy drinks can be hard on jittery prerace stomachs—leading to heartburn and stomach upset.

All teas come from the Camellia sinensis plant. There is black tea, named for its dark dried leaves, which has a strong taste that stands up to milk and sugar. It’s the main ingredient in popular blends like Lipton, Earl Grey and Orange Pekoe. Green tea on the other hand stays green, with delicate flavour than black teas so need no milk or sugar. Oolongs tea falls in between blacks and greens in terms of flavours. White teas are the least processed of all. Herbal teas like mint, chamomile and rooibos don't come from Camellia sinensis, so technically are not true teas, but they have their own place.  Many herbals are caffeine-free, making them a good option for runners who want to refresh but still be able to fall asleep easily at night.

In terms of nutritional value, teas that are the least oxidized (mainly greens and whites) retain more polyphenols than those that are fully oxidized. In particular, green and white teas contain high amounts of the polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which has potent anti-inflammatory properties and is thought to boost the body's ability to use fat as an energy source. It has been estimated that the amount of antioxidants in two cups of tea is equal to the amount in a serving of fruits or vegetables.

That said, black teas contain more of the antioxidants theaflavins and thearubigins, which have also been shown to slow cancer cell growth and lower cholesterol. A study showed that drinking at least one cup of black tea a day cut the risk of heart attack by 44%.

Benefits of Tea

 

In general, a burst of discoveries about tea's health benefits, plus renewed appreciation of its ancient heritage, has pushed tea to the forefront.

Fights cancer skin cancer and ageing, prevent heart and liver disease: Its antioxidants appear to lower cholesterol levels, improve cardiovascular health and help guard against some cancers. And some experts believe its flavonoids may inhibit the growth of plaque on teeth.

Relieves fatigue: It also relieves fatigue and encourages clarity of thought. For instance a cup of tea gives both an immediate and a delayed lift without secondary depressing effects later on. Tea is a good agent for relieving fatigue and aids clearness of thought and digestion alike.

Prevents tooth decay and gum disease: Tea also helps prevent tooth decay in several ways. It contains a solid dose of fluoride and works well than the antibiotic tetracycline. Studies proved it fights the kinds of bacteria in the mouth that cause gum disease and the eventual loss of the teeth.

Aids digestion : Tea taking after rich meals ‘cut the grease’ to relieve any overstuffed feelings and to aid digestion. The Chinese claim that tea also lower blood alcohol after drinking, prevents dysentery, and stimulate secretions from the spleen and other organs.

Rich in vitamins and minerals - Green tea contain larger quantities of catechins and vitamins than black tea. Vitamins found in varying amounts in green tea are vitamin C, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin D, vitamin K, and the carotenoids (beta carotene and the related compounds).

Controls blood insulin levels - Green tea also causes carbohydrates to be released slowly, preventing sharp increases in blood-insulin levels. This promotes the burning of fat. Research found that people who have the habit of drinking green tea reduce the chance to have cancer.

Preparation Affects Health Benefits

Some studies suggest loose-leaf teas provide more antioxidants than bagged teas, that plain tea has more benefits than tea with milk, and that hot tea is healthier than cold tea. The best tea in the world is the tea you like the best because then you will drink it often, and the more tea you drink, the better it is for your health.   

Tea Smoothie

Tea makes a great addition to smoothies for a post work out refresher. This tea smoothie blends tea with avocado, grapefruit, and ginger for a little zing.

2 filter bags tea blend

½ cup boiling water

½ cup cold water

½ teaspoon ginger, peeled and grated

Juice of ¼ grapefruit

¼ medium ripe avocado

½ cup honey

Juice of ½ lemon

1 cup ice

Pour boiling water over filter bags and steep tea for three minutes. Remove bags and add cold water. Combine with all remaining ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Makes two servings.

How About Coffee: To Drink or Not to Drink?

I take at least two cups of coffee to jump start my day.  In the afternoon coffee refreshes my brain and stops it from that afternoon heavy headedness.

How do I describe my feeling after a cuppa? There is nothing ecstatic about it, because it’s not a drug.  It is a refresher. I feel refreshed, brighter, ready to go and, believe it or not, inner warmth and calmness. Contrary to many reactions to the ‘jittery’ feeling after a cup of coffee, I usually feel composed, with a clearer head, than when I haven't had a cup. Think I am addicted? May be. But it’s my best beverage and would not trade it for any other.

For millions of people who depend on coffee to kick start the day, cholesterol is probably the last thing on your mind as you wait for the morning jolt of caffeine to kick in. In the past few years, though, more and more evidence hints that coffee can increase cholesterol levels. How true? Let’s hear the professionals.

Experts say you don’t  have to worry about the impact of a cup of coffee on cholesterol levels if you drink filtered coffee. This is because filtered coffee has much less of an effect on cholesterol than unfiltered coffee. Filters seem to remove most of the cholesterol-boosting substances found in coffee. This is why for people who prefer espresso or other varieties of unfiltered coffee, a cholesterol check may be in order.

So even when people who drink unfiltered coffee are advised to switch to filtered brew, experts stressed that not everyone needs to be excessively concerned about the effect of unfiltered coffee on cholesterol. Why? Because cholesterol levels are a combination of lifestyle, eating habits and the genes inherited. A healthy person with low cholesterol probably doesn’t need to worry too much about the effect of coffee on cholesterol levels. Moreover, unfiltered coffee has much less effect on your heart-disease risk than smoking, high blood pressure or being overweight, however if you want to optimize your cholesterol levels, you should avoid large daily amounts of unfiltered coffee.

But filtered vs. unfiltered may not be the most important question to ask about coffee and cholesterol. There are other factors to the coffee story including how much people drink and what they are doing besides drinking coffee, such as smoking, high saturated fat diet, alcohol and sedentary life. The worst combination though is smoking with coffee drinking, which can increase the stiffness of arteries more than each of the activities alone. 

When making decisions about coffee, experts encourage people not to look for a yes or no answer. It’s not a simple question of 'drink coffee' or 'don't drink coffee.' Though unfiltered coffee may contain substances that raise cholesterol levels, many popular coffee drinks sold at cafes and restaurants contain other ingredients such as cream or milk and sugar which raise questions of their own about cholesterol.  Rather, people should examine their lives and cardiovascular risk factors so they can make a decision about how much and what type of coffee to drink. 

Photo Credit: Creative Commons.