Tea Mail – December 2004
The Big Tea Health News in November
November 2004 was the quietest month for tea news since we began this newsletter over a year ago. In fact, there really wasn’t anything new at all, just the overflow from last month’s exciting study of green and black tea’s benefits for boosting memory and warding off Alzheimer’s disease [2]. Other than that, the only tea-related piece of note was from eDiets.com, which featured ten reasons why tea is the perfect diet drink [1].
We’ll always keep looking out for more news for you, though, and next month will surely provide us with more interesting stories from the world of tea…
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Smart Shopper: The Perfect Diet Drink I’m going to steep you in reasons for drinking green tea, and the facts will be boiled down into tasty tidbits. 1. Green tea has cancer-fighting properties. It contains a compound called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) that not only inhibits the growth of cancer cells; research is suggesting it can actually kill them! 2. Lose weight! Studies have shown that drinking green tea can help you burn calories. 3. You can stop wandering around a room, wondering why you came in there. Green tea prevents the build-up of an enzyme in brains that makes people forgetful. It’s great news for people worrying about Alzheimer’s disease! 4. Green tea has been shown to reduce “bad” cholesterol levels, therefore helping to prevent strokes and heart attacks. 5. Perhaps green tea can lower blood sugar levels. Animal studies have shown this benefit, and research suggests the same effect can be expected in humans. 6. Look and feel younger. The tea is rich in vitamins E and C, which are known to be beneficial for longevity. This includes reducing the aging effects of sun-damaged skin. 7. Green tea could prevent food poisoning and relieve a bout of diarrhea. It contains catechin, which can “sterilize” some bacteria that cause food poisoning. 8. Cure bad breath and improve your dental health. Those same bacteria-fighting properties that help prevent food poisoning also work in your mouth. 9. Didn’t get your flu shot? Drink lots of green tea! Early research is promising for the ability of green tea to destroy the influenza virus before it makes you sick. 10. Arthritis relief might be achieved with plenty of green tea; some studies suggest it reduces inflammation.
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Scientists say tea good for memory, may ward off Alzheimer’s Regular tea drinkers may have better memories and could be helping to prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a British study. Scientists say laboratory tests have shown that tea inhibits the activity of certain enzymes in the brain. The findings, which have been published in the academic journal Phytotherapy Research, may lead to the development of a new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease – a form of dementia that affects anmated 10 million people worldwide. Researchers at Newcastle University’s Medicinal Plant Research Centre investigated the properties of coffee and green and black tea in a series of scientific experiments. They found that both green and black tea inhibited the activity of enzymes associated with the development of Alzheimer’s. Coffee had no significant effect. Both teas inhibited the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which breaks down the chemical messenger, or neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Alzheimer’s is characterised by a drop in acetylcholine. Green tea and black tea also hinder the activity of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), which has been discovered in protein deposits found on the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s. Green tea went one step further in that it obstructed the activity of beta-secretase, which plays a role in the production of protein deposits in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists also found that it continued to have its inhibiting effect for a week, whereas black tea’s enzyme-inhibiting properties lasted for only one day. Lead researcher Dr Ed Okello said: “Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, tea could potentially be another weapon in the armoury which is used to treat this disease and slow down its development. “Our findings are particularly exciting as tea is already a very popular drink, it is inexpensive, and there do not seem to be any adverse side effects when it is consumed.†Dr Okello said the findings of the research suggested tea could boost the memory of everyday drinkers. Professor Clive Ballard, director of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “This interesting research builds on previous evidence that suggests that green tea may be beneficial.†The Newcastle University researchers are now seeking funding to carry out further tests on green tea, which they hope will include clinical trials.
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Featured teas for December – and special deals on all three!
We now have over 60 varieties of fine Chinese tea, and even the most ardent Seven Cups fan probably hasn’t had the chance to try, or even read about, every one. So each month we feature three of our teas, giving you all a chance to learn more about these varieties. And what’s more, we have special discounts on all three – each and every month! For December, we have chosen two green teas and one oolong…
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What’s going on at the Seven Cups Tea House in Tucson, Arizona?
The tea house has continued to get publicity in the local press, the latest being in “Central Tucson Today” (a publication of the Tucson Citizen) and the Tucson Shopper. Austin has also been making regular appearances on the Food and Wine Radio Network. Listen out for him on Sundays between 2:00 and 4:00pm (690 AM in the Tucson area).
Next trip to China planned for January 2005
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Our new Oolong and Jasmine teas are now on sale
We have just added eight new oolong teas to the range, plus five new Jasmine variants. Six of the oolongs are tieguanyin style – the leaves are intensive hand-crafted and rolled into pellets, which look a bit like gunpowder green tea but are completely different in taste, being lighter than other oolongs with a distinctive aroma. The most exciting of these is the first certified organic tieguanyin ever to be produced, our superb Organic Silk Tieguanyin. For something really different, try the Ginseng Oolong. Two of the other three new oolongs are WuYi Mountain Rock Oolongs – Imperial and Preferred versions of Cassia Rou Gui, another exceptional, rare tea from the world’s most reknowned tea region. Last, but by no means least, is our popular Dan Chong style (Phoenix Mountain) Snow Orchid Oolong. As for the Jasmine, we have more Red Jasmine Balls, and new varieties which all open into stunning new shapes with flowers upon steeping – Lily Balls, Jasmine Fountain, and Jade Guan Yin. If you’ve not seen Jasmine balls before, you’ll be amazed – take a look at the photos by clicking any of the links above.
