Set down for a moment the cup of tea you hold in your hand, have you ever wondered what is really inside your beloved brew? Today we want to go inside the cup with you to transform ourselves into conscious drinkers.
There are different varieties of tea: black tea, green tea, white tea, pu-erh tea, and oolong tea, our collection of teas, and each of these has specific properties that are different from the others but they all share certain components. Tea is composed of more than 300 active substances, let’s look at the most important ones together:
- Alkaloids: caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, which confer a known stimulating power on the central nervous system;
- Polyphenols: Among these, we recognize flavonoids, epicatechin, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin gallate, and tannins. All of these are natural organic molecules with antioxidant functions that protect tissues from free radicals.
In addition, various studies have shown how all these properties reduce the incidence of Cardiovascular diseases. Green tea of all is the one that most has all these properties, and it is the polyphenols that give it its characteristic astringent taste. Let us now look at the vitamins contained in our infusions:
- Vitamin A: has beneficial functions on the mucosa of the mouth, nose, esophagus, and lungs and also reduces LDL values the so-called bad cholesterol;
- Vitamin B2: improves the appearance of our skin and acts on the health of our eyes, especially eyesight;
- Vitamin C: the most abundant in green tea, it is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunostimulant. It contributes to immune defenses by supporting various cellular functions of the innate and adaptive immune system;
- Vitamin E: antioxidant properties, promotes cell renewal.
Tea also is very rich in minerals: calcium, chromium, magnesium, iron, manganese, Sodium, Phosphorus, Cobalt, and Potassium. While some of these are normally covered in the daily diet, MG is a key mineral for athletes a deficiency of it can cause muscle cramps from which many athletes suffer. One cup of green tea a day is the necessary dose that the human body needs.
Finally, the essential oils and resinous substances participate in the fragrance of the aroma. All these elements result in a beverage rich in beneficial properties. Now that you are super informed, all you have to do is choose your favorite blend and enjoy it!