Staying healthy, the benefits of tea according to science
Tea was originally consumed in Asia for its therapeutic properties. Today, in addition to its flavour, it continues to rebalance our bodies quite naturally! We tell you all about this little treasure for our bodies (and our taste buds!).
All varieties of tea come from the same tree: the tea plant, also known as Camellia sinensis. What makes the varieties different? The treatment that the leaves undergo: more or less oxidation. The leaves therefore have different colours, scents and tastes. The more a tea is oxidised, the less theine it contains, a substance identical to caffeine.
In black tea, for example, the leaves are highly oxidised. Green tea, on the other hand, undergoes very slight oxidation, or in some cases no oxidation at all.
White tea undergoes no oxidation apart from a very gentle natural oxidation.
Did you know?
Oolong tea from China also comes from the tea tree. It is a semi-oxidised tea with particularly effective digestive properties.
There's another type of tea that isn't really a tea at all: Rooibos. This is an infusion from an African bush. As it is not from the tea plant, it has no theine by definition. What earns it the name red tea, by misuse of language, is its composition, which is close to that of tea, particularly in terms of antioxidants.
Did you know?
Rooibos has the same benefits as tea and is suitable for people for whom theine is contraindicated: anemics, children, some pregnant women...
Herbal teas are infusions of fresh or dried plants. They contain no theine either, and have different benefits depending on the plants used.
The 5 benefits of tea for the body
Antioxidant virtues
Tea leaves are rich in antioxidants. Flavonoids - organic molecules renowned for their antioxidant benefits - are responsible for this richness. The term "antioxidant" covers trace elements, vitamins and macronutrients that help the body fight the damaging effects of free radicals.
Free radicals are aggressive molecules that cause cells to age. According to some specialists, this is one of the reasons why green tea is so effective in combating wrinkles and preserving skin elasticity. Antioxidants also have the added benefit of protecting the eyes, and more specifically the retina, from the risk of cataracts.
According to Richard Béliveau, professor of biochemistry at the Université du Québec, tea is the plant with the greatest number of anti-cancer molecules in our diet. Numerous studies have shown that the organic molecule epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), present in tea, is capable of interacting with and even inhibiting the growth and invasion processes of cancer cells.
Studies show a reduction in cardiovascular and cerebral accidents
A meta-analysis combining the results of 18 studies entitled: Black and green tea consumption and the risk of coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis was published in 2011 by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The researchers deduced that the risk of cardiovascular events was reduced by 28% in high green tea consumers. They also estimated that each time a consumer drank a cup of green tea during the day, he or she reduced cardiovascular risk by 10%.
In addition, the study Black tea lowers the rate of blood pressure variation: a randomized controlled trial published in 2013 by the same authority shows that blood pressure is likely to fall when at least three cups of black tea a day are consumed. Similarly, a 2015 study in the European Journal of Epidemiology concluded that drinking three cups of tea a day reduced heart attacks and strokes.
White tea retains the most benefits. It has the highest antioxidant content, as well as epigallocatechin, a highly effective molecule for boosting the immune system. Green tea also contains a great deal of epigallocatechin, so if you want to act quickly at the first sign of a weakened immune system or a virus, make sure you have the right reflex.
Black tea can help soothe the malady of the century: stress. Theanine, one of the amino acids it contains, is said to reduce levels of the "stress hormone". How does it do this? By stimulating the activity of a calming neurotransmitter known as GABA.
Tea offers innumerable benefits, with almost zero calories if consumed without sugar. Even if the virtues of tea are now recognized, it is advisable to consume it organically and in moderation.
Santé !