Health benefits???

[maypo52]

Hello All,

Newbie question...

Is there a list that tell the health benefits for each of the different teas, like what's good for upset stomach, what it helps prevent and so on? I'd like to know that I'm drinking tea for good reasons other then "it's just good for you" and it tastes good. Any pointers will be appreciated.

Thanks,

M

[olivierco]

You can read the wikipedia article

Tea is too often presented (by sellers who sell by the way not so good quality tea) as a miracle cure.

I'd like to know that I'm drinking tea for good reasons other then "it's just good for you" and it tastes good.

I don't need any other reason to drink tea.

[inspectoring]

many to be listed....but very few scientific studies - believe me - i know since I am in the field. In general you will not find some physician strongly recommending you to drink green tea. You see - let me give you a whole picture. Think of the well being of you body as a pie chart.
1. based on research - I mean definitive research we know that certain medications are good for your blood pressure and these medications contribute to the pie chart.
2. based on research - we know that exercise is good for you and that is in the pie chart.
3. We know vegetables are good for you - and they contribute to the pie chart as well.
4. Based on SOME research (not as strong as for exercise and BP lower meds and vegetables) - we know that green tea is good for you - and that is in the pie chart. - and so on ....

So now -
1st. we don't know exactly all the components of the pie chart.
2nd. - most importantly - we don't know the exact contribution of all of the components to the pie chart.

So - the Green tea etc may be good for you but HOW GOOD is that? Does it supercede exercise and good eating habits and medications and preventive care all the other stuff? What if green tea was really really good for you - but its contribution to the pie chart was just 0.001 % ?
Green tea is not a medicine - I would strongly recommend you to first rule out serious causes of just "simple" or "chronic" upset stomach...visit a doctor or have a discussion with him/her before allowing some internet site or a forum to tell you what is good for upset stomach.

I hope this was a bit helpful.

[Wesli]

Tea is not a medicine. Tea is just a drink. But tea is a healthy drink.

[TaiPing Hou Kui]

If you are interested in a informative read with some decent researched cited with their findings in respect to green tea and its benefits for different parts of the body this is a good book: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= ... safe%3Doff

-It is called "The green tea Book"....I searched for a link on amazon but couldnt find it. It is about 200 pages and filled with some pretty insightful stuff. But, as others have said, there a lots of limits to how much we "Know" and how much we can just speculate at the present time. Also, as everyone one here will say, we know its not BAD for you and it tastes good, and it is a nice hobby.......what more do you need? I hope this helps!

-Nick (TaiPing)

[maypo52]

Thanks to all for the replies.

I will look at the info that was provided. I knew there were no magic tea's... I wasn't actually looking for scientific proof that tea was good for you , just what the general benefits that some teas provide.

olivierco, thanks for the pointer to the wiki article

Regards,

M

[silverneedles]

Green tea etc may be good for you but HOW GOOD is that? Does it supercede exercise and good eating habits and medications and preventive care all the other stuff? What if green tea was really really good for you - but its contribution to the pie chart was just 0.001 % ?
Green tea is not a medicine - I would strongly recommend you to first rule out serious causes of just "simple" or "chronic" upset stomach...visit a doctor or have a discussion with him/her before allowing some internet site or a forum to tell you what is good for upset stomach.

i very much agree with inspectoring

adding some random statistics:

Code: Select all

Life expectancy:

    * USA life expectancy: 77.9 years (2004)
    * JAPAN life expectancy: 81.1 years
    * CHINA life expectancy: 71.8 years (link)
    * INDIA life expectancy: 64
    * SRI LANKA life expectancy: 72


Number of registered deaths, rate (/100000) and causes (WHO mortality tables, year 2000)

    USA:                     sex     number       rate
    Malignant neoplasms.......M.......286082.......207.2
    Malignant neoplasms.......F.......267009.......186.2

    JAPAN
    Malignant neoplasms.......M.......179140.......291.3
    Malignant neoplasms.......F.......116344.......181.4

[inspectoring]

come to think of it - doesn't japan have a very high rate of stomach cancer?

[silverneedles]

yup

Code: Select all

Stomach Cancer incidence(number of new cases) (2002):

    * USA: 5/100000
    * JAPAN: 44/100000 (but the Japanese have longer survival %

[insanitylater]

i read this on a wikopedia page about yerba mate and all of the sources seem to only mention it

Yerba mate consumption has been associated with increased incidence of bladder, esophageal, oral, squamous cell of the head and neck, and lung cancer. [17][18][19][20][21][22] It should be noted that the consumption of hot beverages itself is a risk factor for several kinds of cancer.