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A cozy cup of tea offers many benefits

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Published: January 21, 2012

"There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea," wrote Bernard-Paul Heroux.

Scientists credit a host of naturally-occurring compounds in tea with beneficial health effects.

All tea comes from the same plant: Camellia sinensis. And over the centuries as this plant grew in the sun, says the USDA Agricultural Research Service, it formed chemicals called "polyphenols" to protect it from the elements. Polyphenols are family to "flavonoids," healthy antioxidant substances in many fruits and vegetables.

When tea leaves are processed into the various forms of tea, the flavonoid content changes, say researchers. Green tea, for example, contains more simple antioxidant flavonoids while black tea contains more complex varieties. And oolong tea is somewhere in the middle.

Here are some other compelling reasons to enjoy a cup of tea:

•Curb food cravings. "Afternoon tea" was supposedly started by England's Seventh Duchess of Bedford to keep her hunger pangs at bay.

•Lower cholesterol. In some studies, tea drinking has been shown to help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol levels.

•Fight infections. Several compounds have been found in black and green teas that work like antibiotics to fight off the bad bugs that make us sick.

•Prevent halitosis (bad breath). University of Illinois researchers found that some of polyphenols in tea inhibit growth of bacteria in the mouth.

McClatchey-Tribune

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