Health Benefits of Tea

After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. Unique phytochemicals in the Camellia sinensis plant used to produce white, green, black, and oolong teas contribute to their beneficient health properties. 

More than 2,000 studies conducted on tea over the past decade provide strong evidence that teas are associated with prevention of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Some teas are also associated with lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and increased bone mineral density and mental alertness. There is also strong evidence that tea protects brain health.

Green tea is minimally processed and a great source of antioxidants that help ward off cell damage that leads to disease.  It has the highest concentration of EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), a very potent antioxidant that helps prevent cancers of various kinds, helps prevent cardiovascular disease, reduces oxidative stress on the brain, reduces risk of stroke, improves cholesterol, and helps reduce disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

A Japanese study that covered thousands of people showed that elderly adults who drank green tea showed less disability and were more agile and independent than their peers.

Black tea begins the same as green tea, but is processed differently and then fermented before being dried.  Both green and black teas contain high levels of healthy antioxidant polyphenols, but their properties and benefits.cA 2008 study found that people who drank the most black tea had a much lower risk of Parkinson’s.

White tea is uncured and unfermented, and has been associated with anticancer properties.

Oolong tea is processed uniquely and contains antioxidants that have been associated with lowering of “bad” cholesterol levels.

Whatever the variety, steep tea for three minutes to enjoy the benefits of the healthful phytochemicals and to produce a rich flavor.  Decaffeinated tea may have reduced phytochemical activity, as will most bottled and instant teas. The more processed the tea, generally the fewer healthful phytochemicals.

Tea
Beverages
Artwork: Japanese Green Tea



Source: University of Missouri Extension

Some Veggies Better Off Cooked

Some vegetables are healthier cooked than raw, according to Consumer Reports. Cooking breaks down the cell walls of some  veggies, making it easier for the human body to absorb the nutrients. Some examples:

Spinach is rich in calcium and iron, but to get the maximum benefit the leaves must be blanched lightly and then plunged into cold water. This reduces the levels of an acid present in raw spinach that inhibits absorption.

Carrots, when cooked, provide about 14 percent more carotenoids, an antioxidants.

White mushrooms, when cooked, have about double the amount of important nutrients like potassium, niacin, zinc and magnesium.

Asparagus, boiled until it turns bright green, has much more cancer-fighting antioxidants and phenolic acid.

Tomatoes, when cooked, have about 35 percent more of a disease-fighting antioxidant called lycopene and a deeper, more intense flavor experience.

Bites
Consumer Reports
Farm Produce
Artwork: Cooking Vegetables by Sher Sester
Source: Consumer Reports

Best Sources for Omega-3s

Omega-3 fatty acids have some serious health benefits. Besides being good for the cardiovascular system, they've been linked with decreasing the risk of age-related macular degeneration (leading cause of blindness in older adults) as well as a lower risk of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and other types of age-related cognitive decline.

To increase the level of omega-3s in a diet, focus on fish. Here's how much omega-3 fatty acids are in 3-ounce (cooked) servings of:

Salmon, more than 1,900 milligrams.
Herring, nearly 1,900 milligrams.
Fresh bluefin tuna, about 1,400 milligrams.
Wild rainbow trout, about 1,000 milligrams.

Also, 3 ounces of white tuna canned in water and drained has 800 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids. And, a 3.75-ounce can of sardines, canned in oil and drained, has about 1,400 milligrams.

Other types of fatty fish -- swordfish, tilefish (golden bass or golden snapper), shark and King mackerel -- are also very high in omega-3 fatty acids, but they also tend to be high in mercury.

Be aware, however, that it is possible to get too much omega-3. There's no standard recommendation on minimum or maximum amounts, but for people who already have heart disease the American Heart Association recommends 1,000 milligrams a day of the two main types of omega-3 fats found in fish, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexenoic acid). The third type of omega-3, ALA (alpha-linoleic acid), is found primarily in seeds and nuts.

Seafood and Fish
Salmon
Tuna
Artwork: Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Fillets

Source:
Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center

Coffee Is Beneficial

Drinking coffee is "more likely to benefit health than to harm it," say British researchers who carried out an umbrella review of more than 200 clinical trials across all countries and all settings. They found that drinking three to four cups of coffee a day is associated with a lower risk of death and getting heart disease compared with drinking no coffee. Coffee drinking is also associated with lower risk of some cancers, diabetes, liver disease and dementia.

Coffee greatest benefit was seen for liver conditions, such as cirrhosis of the liver. And, there seemed to be beneficial associations between coffee consumption and Parkinson's disease, depression and Alzheimer's disease.

There was less evidence for the effects of drinking decaffeinated coffee but it had similar benefits for a number of outcomes.

Source:The BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal)

Coffee
Coffee: Emerging Health Effects and Disease Prevention
Beverage Supplies
Artwork: Coffee Poster

Mushrooms Slow Aging

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University have found that mushrooms are “without a doubt” the single biggest source of two antioxidants found to have anti-aging properties. The compounds, ergothioneine and glutathione, are present in a number of mushrooms, but some species have more than others. Wild porcini mushrooms have more tantioxidants “by far” than any other species tested, but common white button mushrooms are also beneficial.

The positive effects of the fungi remain even when cooked, fending off diseases associated with aging such as coronary heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.

Source: Penn State

Mushrooms
In Season
Here's How To... Grow Mushrooms
Artwork: Dried Porcini Mushrooms

Walnuts Good for Memory

Eating walnuts appears to improve performance on cognitive function tests, including those for memory, concentration and information processing speed according to research from the David Geffen School of Medicine at The University of California, Los Angeles.

The cross-sectional study analyzing cognitive data across multiple surveys found that cognitive function was consistently greater in adult participants that consumed walnuts regardless of age, gender or ethnicity.

Drawn from a large sampling of the U.S. population, ages 1 to 90 years old, the study found that those with higher walnut consumption performed significantly better on a series of six cognitive tests.

"It is exciting to see the strength of the evidence from this analysis supporting the previous results of animal studies that have shown the neuroprotective benefit from eating walnuts; and it's a realistic amount - less than a handful per day (13 grams)," noted the study's lead researcher, Dr. Lenore Arab.

Walnuts
In Season
Cultivar Walnuts Offer Income Potential
Source: The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging
Artwork: Raw Walnuts

Processing Depletes Cranberry Flavonols

Fresh whole cranberries contain high levels of flavonols, far more than most berries and more than most fruits or vegetables. But research by Agricultural Research Service scientists has revealed that nearly half of the total flavonol content of whole berries is left behind in the pomace - stems, skins, seeds, and pulp - left over when cranberries are pressed to make juice or canned products.

Flavonols are a class of polyphenols that includes, for example, quercetin and myricetin.

Cranberries are also known to be rich in fiber, and to provide vitamin C and potassium, both of which are essential nutrients.

Berries
In Season Guide to Cranberries
Source: ARS
Artwork: Cranberry