Article Most Wanted: weight loss

The Benefits of Tea!

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<span class="dropcaps"><b>articlemostwanted </b>- Camellia sinensis or T</span>ea is second only to water as the world’s most popular beverage. Using the dried leaves of <em>Camellia sinensis</em> to brew a steaming, soothing drink is an activity that has been going on for thousands of years. Tea’s species name, <em>sinensis</em>,
 is a reference to China, where both this bushy shrub and tea culture 
got their start. Precisely when that occurred, however, is unclear, as 
tea’s historical origins are intertwined with considerable legend and 
myth. According to one of those legends, the fabled Chinese emperor Shen
 Nong took the first sip of tea by chance in 2737 <span class="small">B.C</span>.
 when dried leaves of the tea bush accidentally fell into a pot of 
boiling water, tinting it a light brown and transforming it into a 
refreshing drink. By the 4th century Chinese texts consistently 
mentioned tea in their pages, and within several hundred years it had 
become the national drink. Tea spread from China to Japan in the 12th 
century. The Dutch East India Company took the first tea to Europe in 
the early 1600s. Tea drinking soon became firmly entrenched in England 
and its North American colonies, where struggles over tea’s taxation and
 control of its trade helped ignite the American Revolution.</div>
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<strong>Therapeutic Uses</strong></h2>
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<em>Heart health Cholesterol</em></div>
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<em>Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant</em></div>
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<em>Weight loss</em></div>
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<em>Cancer prevention</em></div>
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There are numerous health benefits
 to drinking tea. Even though black and green tea come from the same 
plant, much of the current press revolves around green tea, mainly 
because it contains more of the polyphenol compounds credited with many 
medicinal benefits. Polyphenols are strongly antioxidant and 
anti-inflammatory and are thought to combat atherosclerosis, to increase
 HDL, or good, cholesterol, and to thin the blood slightly. Some 
research has shown a decrease in risk of stroke or heart attack in 
people who drink 5 or more cups of green tea daily.</div>
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Tea also contains small amounts of caffeine and 
theophylline, compounds with a stimulating effect. The combined effect 
of these and polyphenols may help people to lose weight by shifting 
metabolism and burning fat. One study in 240 overweight people in Japan 
showed that a green tea extract lowered body weight and fat mass over a 
3-month period.</div>
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Green tea also is thought to be beneficial in cancer 
prevention. Those who regularly drink green tea may have lower rates of 
some cancers, such as breast or colorectal cancer.</div>
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<strong>How to Use</strong></h2>
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<em>Infusion:</em> Steep 1 teaspoon tea leaves in a
 cup of hot water (steeping time depends partly on desired strength). 
For weight loss, weight-loss maintenance, and cancer and heart attack 
prevention, 4 to 6 cups daily may be necessary. Decaffeinated products 
are an option and provide most medicinal benefits; however, caffeine and
 theophylline are part of how tea helps with weight loss. Adding milk to
 tea may decrease the absorption of polyphenols; the most medicinally 
effective cup of tea is made with just water and tea leaf, perhaps with a
 bit of sweetener to taste.</div>
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<em>Capsules:</em> Capsules of dried tea leaves standardized to polyphenol content are available; generally, dosage is 500 mg once or twice daily.</div>
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<strong>Precautions</strong></h2>
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There are few problems with tea. Some people feel 
restless and anxious as a result of the caffeine. Green tea extracts 
have been associated with a few reports of liver toxicity.</div>