Tea - the medical benefits

Engelbert Kaemfer, a German doctor,botanist and polymath, who was employed by the Dutch East India Company and lived in Japan in the late seventeenth century, was one of those who were most effective in spreading an understanding of tea to the West. In his great history of Japanese civilisation he described the history, politics, crafts, government and economy with enormous care. At the end of the volumes he included detailed appendices on several important subjects, including tea. Likewise, missionaries, diplomats and others who visited and wrote about China described the wonderful Chinese plant that seemed to cure so many different diseases.

The records of the use of tea suggest that it first arrived at Amsterdam in 1610, in France in the 1630s and in England in 1657. It was 'brewed, kept in a cask, then drawn and warmed up for customers as they asked for it'. Milk was probably not added at this stage. As with many new technologies, in fact, it was at first assimilated into techniques already in use, being treated as a kind of warmed-up beer, still served from a barrel.

In the 1660s it was advertised as That excellent and by all Physicians approved, China drink, called by the Chineans, Tcha, by other Nations Tay or Tee, and was sold at the Sultans Head near the Royal Exchange. The first overview of its medical effects and virtues was given in the tea broadsheet by 'I'homas Garway, published in 1657 to advertise the first public sale of tea in Garway’s coffee house. A list of the medical benefits of tea, similar to those given by Garway, was transcribed from a Chinese source in 1686 by T. Povey, a Member of Parliament.

1. It purifies the Bloud of that which is grosse and heavy.
2. It Vanquisheth heavy Dreames.
3. It Easeth the brain of heavy Damps.
4. Easeth and cureth giddinesse and Paines in the Heade.
5. Prevents the Dropsie.
6. Drieth Moist humours in the Head.
7. Consumes Rawnesse.
8. Opens Obstructions.
9. Cleares the Sight.
10. Clenseth and Purifieth adults humours and a hot Liver.
11. Purifieth defects of the Bladder and Kiddneys.
12. Vanquisheth Superfluous Sleep.
13. Drives away dissines, makes one Nimble and Valient.
14. Encourageth the heart and Drives away feare.
15. Drives away all Paines of the Collick which proceed from Wind.
16. Strengthens the Inward parts and Prevents Consumptions.
17. Strengthens the Memory.
18. Sharpens the Will and Quickens the Understanding.
19. Purgeth Safely the Gaul.
20. Strengthens the use of due benevolence.

As tea began to be introduced into Europe the argument about its virtues and possible dangers increased. In Holland it was recommended by physicians like Johannes van Helmont as a restorative against loss of body fluids. Dr Nikokas Dorx (1593-1674) wrote a widely read eulogy on tea in his Observationes Medicae under the name ‘Nikolas Tulp”.

Nothing is comparable to this plant. Those who use it are for that reason, alone, exempt from all maladies and reach an extreme old age. Not only does it procure great vigour for their bodies, but also it preserves them from gravel and gallstones, headaches, colds, ophthalmia, catarrh, asthma, sluggishness of the stomach and intestinal troubles. It has the additional merit of preventing sleep and facilitating vigils, which makes it a great help to persons desiring to spend their nights writing or meditating."

One of the most extended treatments was by the Dutch physician Cornelis Bontekoe (alias Cornelis Dekker) who published a Tractaat on the excellence of tea, coffee and chocolate in 1679. Bontekoe held green tea of Bohea in such high esteem that in one of his works he seriously recommended the sick to take 50, 60, up to 100 cups without stopping, a feat he had accomplished himself in one morning. He had suffered cruelly from stones, and believed that he had been cured by the copious use he made of the Chinese drink. He defended it strongly against those who said it caused convulsions and epilepsy; on the contrary, he attributed to it all sorts of therapeutic virtues. Bontekoe also recommended drinking two glasses of strong tea before an attack of malaria and a number of glasses afterwards.

A number of British doctors also investigated its properties. Thomas Trotter in his View of the Nervous Temperament (1807) argued that tea, as well as other commodities, like coffee and tobacco, 'had once been used as medicines, but had been reduced to necessities'." Thomas Short in his Dissertation upon Tea of 1730 reported various experiments that showed that when tea was added to blood, it separated the 'blood serum'. It furthermore helped to preserve meat from becoming rotten. He listed the diseases for which it was a remedy, including diseases of the head, thickness of the blood, diseases of the eye, ulcers, gout, the stone, obstructions of the bowels and many others. In 1772 Dr Lettsom wrote a Natural History of the Tea-Tree, with Observations on the Medical Qualities of Tea along the same lines. From the experiments he concluded that 'It is evident from these experiments, that both green and bohea Tea possess an antiseptic and astringent.

Tea spread fairly slowly at first in Britain, largely because of the cost. It was a luxury item. Famously Mrs Pepys drank it, as Pepys recorded in his Diary on 25 September 1660; she took it partly for medicinal reasons as it was thought that it would be good for her cough. When it first reached the London market it was sold for the remarkable price of £3 10s a pound. Then the price dropped to about £2 in nine or ten years, when it became available in every coffee house. Yet it remained a luxury drink throughout the seventeenth century and into the early eighteenth.

The great surge in tea importation and the drop in its cost occurred from the 1730s onwards, soon after the direct clipper trade to China was opened.

Myths and Legends of Tea

There are many interesting myths and legends associated with tea. There are stories about tea being plucked from elephant back and tea being plucked by monkies. When one sees rather short-in-height tea bushes planted in a very orderly fashion, it is hard to understand as to why tea had to be plucked while atop an elephant. The truth is that if left to itself, the tea bush can grow into a tall tea tree. The Tea Research Station at Tocklai, near jorhat, has some very old and very tall tea trees. A visit to the institute can be very interesting affair. Tea plucked by Monkies? Believe it or not.

GREEN TEA - good for health

GREEN TEA – good for health.

Healthy Greens
Now, in the pursuit of good health, you may just have to go as far as a pack of green tea and a whistling kettle! Most people think oftea as an enjoyable beverage that is great with some cookies. Well, the steaming, tinted brew isn't as innocuous as it seems!

Green tea was first brewed in China, where it was known as a 'miracle medicine'. In her book, Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life, Nadine Taylor states that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,000 years.

Today, research shows us how true that ancient claim was. Green tea, with its medicinal properties, is a boon for the health-conscious and a wonder, even to modern science. The benefits of green tea are many:

Inhibits Cancer
The main ingredient in green tea, Epigallocatechingallate (EGCG) inhibits the growth of cancer. The latest good news about green tea comes from a study done at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. A team of researchers headed by Dr Yihai Cao found that green tea can block angiogenesis, the development of new blood vessels that tumors need, in order to grow. In an interview, Dr Caoexplained that the polyphenols in green tea prevent angiogenesis, which also explains why green tea is effective in preventing cancer. According to Dr Hasan Mukhtar, professor and research director of Case Western University, Cleveland, studies have shownthat the risk of stomach cancer goes down as consumption of green tea goes up.

Prevents High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease
With the chaos of our daily lives, we can do without the added tension of high blood pressure, which can result in heart problems. Scientific studies show that daily consumption of green tea can prevent high blood pressure. 3 to 4 cups of green tea a day, can substantially reduce an individual's risk of heart disease and stroke.

Restricts Buildup of Cholesterol
We all know that fat and cholesterol are bad for our health. Bur that doesn't stop us from drooling over a sinfully creamy dessert, does it? Now green tea brings along some great news for food freaks. Experiments demonstrate that green tea restricts the excessive buildup of blood cholesteroJ. It reduces the bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood and increases the levels of positive cholesterol (HDL), thus reducing the chances of heart disease. For years, researchers were puzzled by what they called the 'French Paradox' … the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the French had a very low incidence of heart disease. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and fatty diets. In a 1997 study, researchers from the Universiry of Kansas determined that EGCG, strongly present in green tea, is twice as powerful as resveratrol. Which explains why the rate of heart disease among the Japanese, who are regular drinkers of green tea, is quite low, even though approximately 75 % are smokers.

Lowers the Blood Sugar Level
Let green tea take care of health worries like blood sugar levels. The extract of green tea has the ability to actually lower blood sugar. It is believed that both the EGCG and polysaccharides in green tea are factors in lowering blood sugar.

Strengthens Immune System
Today, we live life right in the midst of the madding crowd ... with deadlines and schedules that leave no time for ourselves. With its share of ups and downs, our body needs to be strong enough to fight common diseases like the flu and other infections. Green tea helps to strengthen a weak immune system, guarding us from illnesses and infections that take a long time to heal.

Prevents Ageing
Oxygen is very important to us, but it can also be a very harmful agent in the form of active or free radical oxygen. One way to slow the ageing process is to prevent the accumulation of active oxygen in our body. This can be done by antioxidants, which are strongly present in green tea.

Oral Hygiene and Dental Care
Now you can flash that charming smile without worrying about bacteria and bad breath. Fluoride in green tea protects tooth enamel and EGCG reduces the development of bacteria growing in the plaque. Green tea can also kill other oral bacteria, which cause bad breath. It also stimulates the production of saliva and reduces the harmful acids that form in the mouth.

Boon for Dieters
Get yourself in shape with a new slimming potion. Yes, green tea can actually help burn fat. In November 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva, in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a green tea extract burned more calories, since green tea helped to excrete more fat.

So Drink To Your Health!
People who drink green tea daily, have lower rates of heart disease and cancer and a higher life expectancy. Unlike other antioxidants, those found in green tea cause no toxic side effects. Sounds good enough to put the kettle to boil and give green tea a try?

To Make That Perfect Cuppa ...
Boil water. Add 3/4 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of green tea per cup. Soak for 3-5 minutes. Add lemon or sugar to taste. For better results, serve without milk.