Holt 1 Cassidy Holt Ms.

Ingram English 1102-063 April 5, 2013 Modern Medicines are Not My Cup of Tea It all starts with boiling water. A sharp, incredibly loud whistle erupts from the kitchen. The pot is removed from the hot stovetop before it boils over. A delicate bag filled with green leaves plops into a cup. The water pours onto the leaves, and as it does, transforms into a brown liquid with a spicy aroma. This is my own experience with tea, and of course yours might be quite different. Tea has been around for quite a long time, and as a result is about as versatile as the color spectrum. It is a drink that is popular in many different cultures in many different forms. Although it appears in a variety of ways, one thing has always been certain. Tea is healthy for you. The fact that tea is a healthy drink is no shocking statement. Dieters and overall healthconscious people often drink tea instead of sodas for something more flavorful than water but less full of unnatural additives. Pure tea - not instant or sweetened - is arguably the most healthy beverage out there, even more so than water. This is the common opinion about tea. So, why is it healthy? And is the word, healthy, too broad of a word for it? Recently the organic trend has been rising. People have become more and more interested in making sure that everything they consume is all-natural, including medicine. Its easy to take a few ibuprofen when you have a headache, but many people are growing weary of the side effects of doing so. Wouldnt it be better to have a more natural alternative? The answer might lie with tea.

Holt 2 Before I delve into the specifics, I think its important to first understand what makes tea so healthy for us. It contains a certain type of antioxidants called flavonoids, and the antioxidant power of tea is what really gives it its medicinal properties (Edgar). Antioxidants are substances that help reverse the effects of oxidation, which causes the production of harmful molecules called free radicals. Free radicals can cause a lot of damage within the body, especially cells, proteins, and DNA. The bad thing is, we take in these free radicals in the most normal of everyday activities, such as breathing and standing out in the sun. They tend to build up past the point that our antioxidant systems can keep up with, which is why antioxidants in tea are so beneficial (Parnes). If just saying that tea contains antioxidants is not appealing enough, the amount of antioxidants casts an extremely positive light on the amber-colored beverage. According to Jeanie Lerche Davis, a writer for online magazine WebMD, Green and black teas have 10 times the amount of antioxidants found in fruits and veggies, by one estimate. What exactly do antioxidants protect against? The damage caused by free radicals can cause blood clots, atherosclerosis, and cancer (Davis). Because of this, scientists have been very interested in the preventive effect of tea on these diseases as well as others. Tea has a long history, one that is mostly disregarded in todays society, at least in the United States. Where tea originated, though probably in either China or India, has been debated because it happened sometime before recorded history. It is known, however, that its first use was as a medicine (Hohenegger). Today it is sometimes used as a folk medicine. In elementary schools in certain districts of Japan, gargling tea is thought to remedy the flu (Jain). Even in the United States tea has a reputation for being helpful during illness. A sick person holding steaming mug of tea is often depicted in some movies and television shows in popular culture.

Holt 3 Often, when someone says, Ive got a sore throat, their friends recommend a cup of tea as a remedy. Other than the soothing heat of brewed tea, is there a medicinal property that can remedy a sore throat? According to H. Yamada in the collection, Protective Effects of Tea on Human Health, the answer is yes. He states, Tea polyphenols are known to have anti-oxidative, anti-cancer, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects in lung/pulmonary ailments. He goes on to elaborate that a major component of flavonoids (the main antioxidant in tea) called catechins can have close to the same effects of antibiotics on bacterial infections and can even have an effect on viral infections (Jain). The benefits of tea are varied between several different types of tea. Each type is known to remedy different ailments. Classic teas come from the same source, the Camellia sinensis plant (Herbs). The difference is how the leaves are processed. This is how we came to have four different basic types of tea: green tea, black tea, white tea, and oolong tea. Green tea is made with steamed leaves. It is said to hinder the growth of several different types of cancer, including bladder, breast, lung, stomach, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers. There is also a chance that it lowers the risk of Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases, stroke, and high cholesterol levels by preventing the clogging of arteries, burning fat, and reversing oxidative stress on the brain. Black tea is made with fermented tea leaves. Considering that it has the highest caffeine content of all types of tea, black tea would make a good, healthier alternative for coffee drinkers. It also is known to be the most flavorful, as it is often used as the basis for flavored teas such as chai. Other than these benefits, it also has been shown in studies that black tea can remedy lung damage caused by cigarette smoke and reduce the risk of stroke. White tea is the least processed of all teas - it is uncured and unfermented. Due to this, it has been said to have the most

Holt 4 anticancer properties. Oolong tea has proved in studies to lower cholesterol levels. Certain types of oolong have also been said to help in weight loss (Edgar). With many studies and factors in its favor, using tea as a medicine might not be completely a thing of the past. In fact, there are many instances of success in using tea as medicine today. Herbal tea is used often in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) practices (Jirsa). Unlike the four types of tea I have already discussed, herbal teas are made from an assortment of herbs and roots and therefore have their own health benefits and uses. Chamomile is a particularly popular one. It is a calming herb; perfect for relaxation. It is not helpful, however, if you have a chill or dry skin as it causes cooling and drying. Peppermint tea is a strong intestinal medicine, good for remedying digestive ailments. Spearmint has nearly the same benefits as peppermint, but its more gentle. Spearmint is better for children because its not as strong as peppermint and it is also better when drinking with a meal. It also is a better choice for someone who has high blood pressure (Jirsa). Another type of herbal tea with a great reputation for its health benefits is tumeric tea. Tumeric is a type of Indian spice that is also used in curry and mustard sauce (it is what gives both their yellow color). The good news about this cross-cultural spice is that elderly villagers in India, who eat turmeric in their daily curries, have the world's lowest rate of Alzheimer's disease, wrote Bradley Lemley in a an article for Dr.Weil.com News. He went on to say that several studies have shown success in proving the link between a daily diet of tumeric and a low rate of people with Alzheimers disease. The studies found that an active ingredient in tumeric called curcumin blocks the accumulation of a certain type of plaque that builds up in the brain, causing the disease. Tumeric has also been found to improve memory in general. (Lemley).

Holt 5 Apart from Alzheimers disease, tumeric can also remedy many other ailments. In Germany, tumeric is used to treat indegestion and similar symptoms such as gas and abdominal bloating. A University of Maryland Medical Center study found that drinking tumeric tea lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke by preventing the development of blood clots (Banar). According to Sarah Terry, a writer for Livestrong.com, In Ayurvedic medicine in India and traditional Chinese medicine, turmeric was used to improve digestion and liver function, normalize menstruation, and ease arthritis pain and inflammation. (Terry). Although tumeric tea is not the most well-known drink in the United States, it seems that maybe it should be. Its benefits speak for themselves. The next time you have a common headache, or a sore throat, or a stomach ache, instead of reaching for a bottle of ibuprofen you might want to consider reaching for a cup of tea. There is the concern that taking a certain type of pill frequently will cause your body to eventually develop an immunity in to its effects. With tea, there is no need to worry about this problem or any of the side effects that are possible with certain types of drugs. An all natural tea will not only help you feel better but will also give your body healthy nutrients. There are several benefits, not only one, that can come from a cup of tea. You might decide to have a cup of black tea for the caffeine, yet at the same time you are lowering your risk of stroke and possibly even repairing lung damage. Its difficult say that about any type of conventional pain medication. Tea has always been a favorite of mine, and for many years I enjoyed it without even knowing that much about it. I remember browsing the boxes in the grocery store, glancing over names such as immune support, and, sleepytime, without much thought to how beneficial tea can be as an alternative, natural medicine. It could be the answer for people who want to cut back on taking pain medication for basic, everyday problems that people run into all of the time such

Holt 6 as cramps, headaches, stomach aches, digestive pains, and common illnesses, or even used as a complimentary treatment for more serious illnesses. With the variety of health benefits involved with drinking tea, it is definitely something that more people should be paying attention to today.

Holt 7 Works Cited Banar, Muara. Medical Benefits of Drinking Tumeric Tea. Livestrong.com. Livestrong.com. 28 June, 2011. Web. 4 April, 2013. Davis, Jeanie. Antioxidants in Green and Black Tea. WebMD. WebMD, LLC. 11 September, 2008. Web. 29 March, 2013. Edgar, Julie. Types of Tea and Their Health Benefits WebMD. WebMD, LLC. 20 March, 2009. Web. 10 March, 2013. Herbs at a Glance: Green Tea. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012. Internet resource. Hohenegger, Beatrice. Liquid Jade: The Story of Tea from East to West. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2006. Print. Jain, N K, Maqsood Siddiqi, and J H. Weisburger. Protective Effects of Tea on Human Health. Protective Effects of Tea on Human Health Wallingford, UK: CABI Pub, 2006. 149157. Print. Jirsa, Amy. How To Use Tea As A Medicine. MindBodyGreen, Your Guide To Wellness. MindBodyGreen, LLC. 24 September, 2012. Web. 29 March, 2013. Lemley, Brad. Healthy Tumeric Tea. Dr. Weil.com News. Weil Lifestyle, LLC. Web. 4 April, 2013. Parnes, Robin Brett. "Antioxidants: What You Need to Know" How Stuff Works. 26 November 2002. Web. 29, March 2013 Terry, Sarah. The Health Benefits of Tumeric Tea. Livestrong.com. Livestrong.com. 14 June, 2011. Web. 4 April, 2013.

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