Seniors Matter(s): To Tea or not to tea, that is digestion!

An early credible record of tea-drinking dates to the 3rd Century AD, in a medical text written by Chinese physician Hua Tuo. It first became known to the western world through Portuguese priests and merchants in China during the early 16th Century. Drinking tea became popular in Britain during the 17th Century.

Tea can be a great way to aid digestion and soothe the stomach. Numerous studies have shown that a variety of teas may boost your immune system, fight off inflammation, and even ward off cancer and heart disease. While some brews provide more health advantages than others, there's plenty of evidence that regularly drinking tea can have a lasting impact on your wellness.

Drinking tea is less likely to produce a 'caffeine crash' than drinking coffee. This is because the high levels of antioxidants in tea slow the absorption of caffeine, which results in a gentler increase of caffeine in your system and a longer period of alertness with no crash at the end.

Tea can be part of a healthy diet, and people who drink tea may even be a little more likely to live longer than those who don’t. Tea contains helpful substances known to reduce inflammation. Past studies in China and Japan, where green tea is popular, suggest health benefits.

One of the key arguments of the early advocates of tea-drinking was its value as a non-alcoholic thirst satisfied. People often drank beer or gin as a safer alternative to polluted water supplies in those times, but excessive consumption of alcohol brought its own health and social problems.

Even though water is safe to drink in most western countries today, black tea continues to offer an attractive and completely safe drink with no need to warn people about drinking. An invitation to "come over for a cup of tea," provides a convenient excuse to initiate a new acquaintance. Meetings over social media can never replace social tea-drinking in this context.

In factories and offices in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and other English-speaking countries, the tea break provides a much-appreciated escape from work time stresses, and it encourages camaraderie.

Because tea-drinking is such a relaxing activity, a connection between tea and heart health is not so surprising, and medical research provides some scientific backing to this hypothesis. Experts quote one academic study that found those who drank more than three cups of black tea per day cut their risk of strokes by over a fifth in comparison with those who drank no tea at all. It does not follow from this that drinking an excessive amount of tea would cut the risks even more, but it does indicate that three or four cups a day is a good idea.

Doctors are concerned about the increase in the number of people with diabetes in western countries. They understand that eating too many fatty and fried foods (junk food) is one of the factors contributing to this increase. They have also noticed variations between countries in the rate of increase. In 2012, Swiss researchers discovered that diabetes levels were lower in the U.K. and Ireland than in comparable countries.

The Chinese apparently possessed this knowledge thousands of years ago; this was one of the benefits of tea-drinking that led to the habit becoming so popular in their society.

Even those who aim to live the healthiest of lifestyles, have certain levels of toxicity in their bodies due to environmental pollution. Healthy-eating experts usually recommend eating plenty of fruits and vegetables in their meals for the high antioxidant value. However, studies show that black tea contains a much higher number of antioxidants. It should work that much faster detoxifying free radicals in the body and, thus, limit the damage that these compounds cause to cells.

The body's built-in immune system provides a natural first defence against infection and disease. Everyone agrees that following a healthy diet and taking regular exercise strengthens this system and reduces the risks of illness. Scientists note that the alkylamine antigens found in black tea boost the immune system's performance. The tea also brings into the body substances known as tannins. In these ways, tea-drinking enhances natural resistance to flu and other types of viruses.

Some medical experts think that the antioxidants found in black tea might lower the risk of developing certain cancers. In particular, they think there is some support for the thesis that women who often drink black tea are less likely to get ovarian cancer. However, this matter needs more thorough research to confirm this opinion and to disprove other medical researchers who argue drinking too much tea could increase breast cancer risks.

Claims that tea-drinkers are less likely than others to develop arthritis are worth further investigation. The proponents of this theory base their argument on the fact that black tea contains a good number of phytochemicals. They believe that these chemicals contribute to the building of stronger bone structures, and they can reduce the risks of joint inflammations.

One downside of green tea is that it can affect your body’s ability to absorb iron. When you drink green tea, or any tea, it will stimulate the body to absorb more tannin from the tea. This is a compound that causes difficulty in the absorption of iron in the intestinal tract. We all know that iron deficiency is a dangerous manifestation that seriously affects health, blood circulation and all brain activities. Therefore, people with iron deficiency should consider not using tea much to avoid aggravating the body condition.

As suspected, tea is one of the best drinks to have. Happy sipping!

I feel like Forrest Gump after his long run, saying it was time to go home.

I’ve enjoyed the research and writing but for now, I’m putting down the pen for a while.

I thank you all for your kind words.

‘Til next time!

Editor’s Note: The Kincardine Record thanks Bill Pike for his hard work and dedication over the past five-and-a-half years, providing an informative column that has been well-read and greatly appreciated.