Menopause Misery? Have a nice cup of tea

I know it is the general British solution for all problems but it seems that there is a specific blend that may help reduce the physical effects of the menopause.

Before you reach for the box of your favourite supermarket premium blend, let me tell you that this tea is rather special. It is an organically steamed blend of Sencha, Wuyi Cliff Oolong and Puerh black and green teas and even just being able to pronounce those will make you feel immediately better.

Women have been drinking it to help improve menopause symptoms and this specific blend, known as Tava Tea, also claims to promote well-being and soothe aches and pains.  The tea’s all natural ingredients increase the metabolism and reduce food cravings to fight weight gain, something which is common during times of heightened hormonal activity.

Regular users claim it does help them lose weight, decrease their hot flushes and give a greater sense of well-being. Dr Tim Thurlings, who developed the tea’s unique blend, says that by simply drinking a few cups of the tea a day users can expect to lose between 2-4lbs week. Sounds a little unlikely to me unless it’s also balanced with a sensible diet but he also claims that the tea helps reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure and decrease the risk of developing some forms of lung cancer so you’re getting overall health benefits as well as a nice refreshing cuppa! As it also contains polyphenols it theoretically could help fight the aging process too but I wouldn’t want to guarantee that the.

It is certainly a great deal more expensive than any ordinary tea, but as one teabag makes up to 8 pots (full instructions with each box) and you get all those health benefits it may well be worth it. I know many women who can’t put a price on being able to reduce their hot flushes so if this interests you it can only be bought online so visit www.tavavtea.co.uk

More Proof that Tea can Reduce Risk of Diabetes by 25%

Researchers from Sydney University, Australia, have shown that drinking more than three cups of tea a day reduces the risk of diabetes. This is good news as in the UK, there are currently over 2.3 million people with diabetes and more than half a million people who have diabetes but aren’t aware of it. The incidence of the disease is increasing and this could be a simple way of reducing risk.

In December in the Archives of Internal Medicine the researchers published their findings after looking at seven studies carried out between 1966 and 2009 and involving 286,701 participants. They were looking at assessing the association between tea consumption and diabetes risk when they combined and analyzed the data, they found that people who drank three to four cups per day had an approximately 25 percent lower risk than those who drank between zero and two cups a day. In addition, those who drank more than three to four cups of tea had a one-fifth lower risk than those who drank no tea at all.

This confirms the results of another earlier study published this year and could have significant implications for people at risk of diabetes. It is believed that the protective effect of tea may be due to the antioxidants compounds it contains.

Tea fights diabetes

I grew up in a family where several members drank black tea, meaning without milk, but really it just applies to the type of tea. Black tea, long known for its antioxidants, immune boosting and antihypertensive properties, could also help treat diabetes.

Researchers studied the polysaccharide levels of green, oolong and black teas because polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate that includes starch and cellulose which help retard absorption of glucose.

The researchers found that of the three teas, the polysaccharides in black tea had the most glucose-inhibiting properties and their polysaccharides also showed the highest scavenging effect on free radicals, which are involved in the onset of diseases such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.

In another recent study, participants who drank black tea had significantly reduced plasma glucose concentrations after two hours, compared to those who drank water or caffeine drinks. Drinking black tea also increased insulin levels, compared with the other drinks.

That study linked black tea’s diabetic benefits to polyphenols (naturally occurring antioxidants) and these compounds are thought to work by stimulating your B-cells — pancreatic cells responsible for insulin production — to produce insulin in your body. A growing body of research also suggests that the polyphenols in tea can lower your cholesterol, triglyceride levels and blood pressure, and even help to protect your bones. That study linked black tea’s diabetic benefits to polyphenols (naturally occurring antioxidants), including Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), of which more below!

My Green Tea Comment:

Although black tea was found to contain more glucose inhibiting polysaccharides, green tea may still be the most beneficial tea of them all, including for diabetics. A previous study found that EGCG in green tea worked as well in moderately diabetic mice as the diabetes drug Avandia, for example.

Another study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that green tea-extract also had a positive impact on glucose abnormalities. In that study, daily supplementary intake of green tea-extract lowered the hemoglobin A1c level in individuals with borderline diabetes.

So for my money black tea is not as healthy as green tea as they undergo far more processing. Oxidation is the main deciding factor whether you have green, oolong, or black tea, and black tea undergoes the most amount of oxidation through application of high heat. Good green tea is not oxidized at all and, like the Irish fields, the greener it is the higher the quality.

Fluoride is a common contaminant in many black teas and this toxic substance can have profoundly negative effects on your body. Green tea is the least processed kind of tea, and therefore typically contains the least amount of fluoride and the most EGCG of all tea varieties, which is a very good thing for your health.

I am currently trying a new type of green tea, Matcha, which contains the entire ground tea leaf, and can contain over 100 times the EGCG provided from regular brewed green tea. I will let you know how I get on with it.