Troll_Bait
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: [T]eaching experience doesn't matter much. -Lee Young-chan (pictured)
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 Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2006 3:32 am Post subject: Tea: Beats Stress & Lengthens Life? |
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Beat stress, drink tea
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Regular cups of tea can help speed recovery from stress, researchers from University College London (UCL) said on Wednesday.
Men who drank black tea four times a day for six weeks were found to have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than a control group who drank a fake tea substitute, the researchers said in a study published in the journal Psychopharmacology.
The tea drinkers also reported a greater feeling of relaxation after performing tasks designed to raise stress levels.
Andrew Steptoe, of UCL's department of Epidemiology and Public Health, and one of the report's authors, said the findings could have important health implications.
"Slow recovery following acute stress has been associated with a greater risk of chronic illness such as coronary heart disease.
"Although it does not appear to reduce the actual levels of stress we experience, tea does seem to have a greater effect in bringing stress hormone levels back to normal." |
Long Life May Be Your Cup of (Green) Tea
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For those hoping to live a long, healthy life, a cup of green tea may hit the spot, a large new study shows.
Adults who drank at least five cups of the brew daily had a lower risk of cardiovascular death and death from all other causes, except cancer, than those who drank less than one cup a day, according to a research team from Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan.
They published their findings in the Sept. 13 Journal of the American Medical Association.
While many laboratory and animal studies have suggested that green tea protects against illness, its effect in humans has been less clear.
"Only four epidemiological studies [in people] have been conducted to date," said lead researcher Dr. Shinichi Kuriyama.
And those studies "included small sample sizes, and the results were inconsistent," he added.
However, "our study includes far more participants -- 40,350 -- than the previous studies," Kuriyama said. "I think our study would provide strong evidence regarding the benefits of drinking green tea in humans on cardiovascular disease." |
Anti-Anxiety Agent in Tea?
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L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea plants, is responsible for the unique flavor of green tea. This compound is said to promote relaxation and modify the stimulating effects of the caffeine present in green tea.
Some research has suggested that L-theanine has calming effects. In one study, young women were given either water, 50 mg of L-theanine or 200 mg of L-theanine once a week. Afterward, their brain waves were measured. Those who received the highest dose (200 mg) produced more alpha waves, an indication of increased relaxation, about 40 minutes after getting the L-theanine. Results of this study were published in the June 1999 issue of "Trends in Food Science & Technology". However, more research will be needed to confirm the findings.
Other studies, including animal studies, have suggested that L-theanine has an anticancer effect, may enhance learning in animals and lowers blood pressure in hypertensive rats. But none of these benefits has been demonstrated in humans, at least not yet. |
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