I've read into the anti-oxidant stuff around the forum, and while the popular opinion seems to be AO's are bullshit or bad for you, my knowledge and thoughts on them are included here. I don't particularly care for the health benefits of tea, but its nice to know about them if they exist. From the reading I have done into the subject, this is what I understand:
Tea has several hundred active substances, but it is the presence of polyphenols (antioxidants) and alkaloids (caffeine) that give tea its properties. Many of the compounds found in tea leaves are not water soluble, so unless the tea leaves are ingested directly (as in the case of matcha) it is not particularly rich in vitamins, etc.
Polyphenols are found in the catechins. The main catechin found in tea is called epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG for short) and is referred to as the tannin in tea. ECGC gives tea its strength, astringency, and thickness.
Antioxidants are part of the polyphenolic group. While it seems a heavily debated topic, the general idea has been that antioxidants are like little policemen for your body. If bad substances enter your body, AO's and white bloodcells are dispatched to repair/prevent harm from occurring to a certain degree. If your bodies little policemen are out working, less are left in the station. If multiple attacks on your body happen when your station is low or empty, your body can be damaged. Ingesting antioxidant rich foods will essentially recruit more police for your station giving you a better chance to protect yourself.
One of the main debates I've seen is similar to children growing up in too clean (sterile) environments. Since their exposure to germs is much lower than it has been for previous generations, their bodies do not build up intolerances to the same degree, and the risk of getting sick when actually coming into contact with the harmful bacteria is higher.
The worry stems from our bodies getting accustomed to having surplus antioxidants, and if the time came that they weren't there, it wont be good. It's just like an old teacher insisting that the chalk board will never be obsolete and that everyone should learn how to clean and write on it properly.
Personally, if AOs work as well as everyone hopes (it seems there is virtually zero proof that they do) it's stupid not to embrace them. Knowledge of AO's are relatively new and they should be kept in the back of everyones minds until it's conclusively proven one way or another that they are helpful or harmful.
Caffeine is one of the alkaloid substances found in tea. Caffeine is a stimulant, and once it is inside our bodies, it makes itself into the bloodstream, goes to the heart and tells it to work harder. It also gives a bit of elasticity to our blood vessels and widens them allowing easier circulation.
Although the chemical composition of the caffeine in coffee and tea is slightly different, the combination of ECGC and caffeine in tea is what makes it special. ECGC (the tannins) bind to the caffeine, and when ingested, the caffeine is released much slower into the bloodstream than coffee. There are many people who cannot drink coffee because of their heart rate skyrocketing, or feelings of anxiety. ECGC is the most likely reason why they can drink tea.
In Tea with the ECGC it's like: "Hey heart, you're doing a great job today, How about stepping it up a bit, see if we can't get the big guy to notice us a bit more? One and two and one and two~~ goooooo heart"
Coffee has nothing in it to hold the caffeine back, and it enters the bloodstream nearly instantly.
In coffee: "PUMP THE BLOOD OR EVERYONE DIES"
Jokes aside, if you look up a list of health benefits from drinking tea and logically consider what could be the cause for the effect. Increased heart activity (better circulation of blood) is at the base of nearly everything, and that is almost exclusively caused by the caffeine.
I think that's all I got...
Jan 21st, '15, 09:42
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