Dear Friends of Roscoe Chiropractic,
March it seems is the consistently the most inconsistent month of the year for weather. Here is to hoping you are all tolerating this back and forth month with a positive attitude. I think we're all ready for spring to be sprung. I just want to thank all of you who read these messages for taking an interest in your health and for trusting us with your care. Stay tuned for some exciting new things to come at RCC.
Because today is on the chilly side and a nice cup of hot tea is perfect for warming that cold in your bones feeling, I'm going to share some interesting information about some health benefits of tea. The main and most well known benefit of tea is it's high concentration of antioxidants. Antioxidants are powerful molecules that can defend your body against attack from disease. Black and green tea have as much as TEN times the amount of antioxidants than fruits and vegetables!
More large scale study certainly needs to be done, but tea has been touted for it's health benefits from the time it was first cultivated hundreds of years ago. Some of the benefits include reducing cholesterol to helping prevent cancer. A study from Sweden followed the dietary habits of 60,000 women over 15 years revealed that those who drank two cups of tea daily cut their risk of ovarian cancer by 46%!
Some other research on green tea shows some promising evidence for treating breast cancer. Green tea contains a powerful antioxidant called EGCG. In the study this antioxidant was shown to slow the progression of cancer cell growth and tumor size was trimmed by 68% and there is speculation that this green tea antioxidant may inhibit blood supply to the tumors and prevent the spread of cancerous cells.
In other areas such as brain health, this tea may also help reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, not to mention the great benefits to the musculoskeletal system. It can help to soothe joint inflammation and reduce cartilage degeneration.
Though green tea has gotten most of the research other teas are also revealing their health potential. Black tea demonstrates hope for treating type 2 diabetes. A study found that specific polysaccharides, a type of carbohydrate might be effective at reducing blood sugar. Black tea might also help prevent stroke. These are all things that would need much more study!
One drawback that people find with tea is the caffeine content. The good news is that removing the caffeine to make decaffeinated tea does not affect the level of antioxidants! Some tips on brewing your tea and which to choose; black teas should be steeped at least 5 minutes because their antioxidant properties take longer to release, herbal teas which contain flowers, herbs and roots while beneficial in other ways are not actually tea and are not as high in antioxidants. Lastly, drink your tea clear, adding cream or milk may dampen it's health benefits.
I don't know if it's because I lived in the UK and they are notorious for their tea consumption, but I love tea! If you haven't, try tea instead of coffee filled with sugar and creamers and drink a cup of black or green tea.
Have a great week everyone!!
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