Newest and Best Kept Top Secrets to Long Lasting Aging Green Tea
The exact amounts of the catechins and theaflavins that are present in any sample of tea, (green, black or oolong) depends on where the leaves are grown and just how the leaves are processed prior to drying. Of course, factors such as the soil the tea is grown in can influence the content of polyphenols. In addition, whether the tea is decaffeinated, blended or freeze-dried (“instant”) and the specifics of its preparation (how much tea is used per cup or glass, how long the tea is left to steep, brew or dissolve, and at what temperature) all affect the resulting beverage’s phytonutrient content. The process of decaffeination removes some of the phytonutrients along with the caffeine (an unavoidable consequence of the chemistry of decaffeination).
Hot tea that is brewed contains the largest amount of phytonutrients, Teas that are “instant” have lost approx. 80% of their phytonutrients and “iced” and other ready-to-drink tea products contain even less. If tea is diluted with milk, ice or water reduces the amount of phytonutrients contained in each glass or cup. Recent studies have shown that mixing milk with tea could reduce its ability to enhance the blood circulation and could hinder some of its antioxidant benefits. Plus, it should be noted how important it is to realize that so-called “herbal teas” really are not “teas”. They are boiled decoctions of the herbs used to make them. Plus, they contain no beneficial tea theaflavins or catechins. They do contain beneficial compounds present in the particular herbs.
Tea as a Dietary Supplement
Why should all of this be important to you? It is really important for anyone to remember that even though drinking tea is an extremely healthy practice, cold or hot teas that are prepared from either powdered leaves, loose dried leaves or “bags” are less reliable sources of tea phytonutrients than are the standardized powders used in the dietary supplements of the highest-quality. Standardized extracts control for the level of individual and collective tea polyphenols, and research shows that in order to receive optimal benefits from tea intake, each day an optimal amount of polyphenols should be consumed. This can mean drinking cups and cups of tea daily. In addition, the catechins in high-quality standardized powders are absorbed approx. twice as readily as they are from teas.
Of course, when it comes to drinking tea, sometimes enough can be enough! And some days you’d just rather drink something else. Not to worry – combining tea (or even replacing tea as a beverage) with a top-of-the-line dietary supplement high in catechin content is the perfect answer. Make sure to look for products that contain the multiple polyphenols present in tea as each polyphenol has unique benefits and together they create synergistic effects.
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