Tea is a very good beverage. Because it not only quenches thirst and increases people's interest in drinking water, but also has the effect of preventing diseases.
Firstly, regular tea drinking can—prevent cancer
Research has found that drinking tea has the effect of preventing cancers caused by chemical factors such as smoking and DNA damage (such as oral cancer and esophageal cancer). However, its effect on preventing cancers caused by biological factors (such as viral liver cancer) is not very good.
The polyphenol content in fresh green tea is 18%～36% (dry weight). Studies have shown that the main active ingredients in tea are tea polyphenols, catechin monomers, and tea pigments, and tea polysaccharides and caffeine also play a certain role. Its anti-cancer mechanism is mainly: 1. Antioxidation. Research has confirmed that active ingredients such as tea polyphenols have good antioxidant functions. Through antioxidant effects, free radicals can be cleared, the production of lipid peroxidation products in the human body is reduced, and the activity of antioxidant enzymes is induced. 2. Prevent DNA damage. Active ingredients such as tea polyphenols can inhibit the binding of chemical carcinogens to genes (DNA) in cells and the expression of oncogenes, thereby preventing tumors. 3. Immunomodulation. Active ingredients such as tea polyphenols have a regulatory effect on humoral and cellular immunity.
Secondly, regular tea drinking can—prevent cardiovascular diseases
The occurrence of coronary heart disease is mainly caused by atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries. Free radicals and peroxides of lipids (such as low-density lipoprotein) in the body can accelerate the process of atherosclerosis.
Studies have shown that the active ingredients in tea have a significant lipid-lowering effect and can gradually reduce the area of aortic plaque. For example, tea pigments have effects such as anticoagulation, promoting fibrinolysis, inhibiting platelet adhesion and aggregation, and reducing plasma endothelin levels. Its mechanism of action may be related to its antioxidant effect of interrupting or stopping lipid peroxidation, and scavenging superoxide free radicals and hydroxyl free radicals. It has been observed that if patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases drink oolong tea for a long time, their capillary fragility, blood viscosity, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and platelet aggregation can be significantly improved, thereby preventing thrombosis.