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In the resolute words of scientist, Dr Jinhua Li; “Tea has been a popular beverage since antiquity, with records referring to consumption dating back to the dynasty of Shen Nong, approximately 2700 BC, in China.”
That being said, many of the studies relating to tea have been undertaken across the globe by all nationalities, representing the universal popularity of the drink.
While many nations, including Britain, favour black tea, the processing which takes place to prepare the leaves for market has a massive impact on its chemical composition. In fermenting black tea, the bioactive polyphenols are oxidised into pigments which may alter their anti-oxidant properties. In addition to this, many prefer to consume black tea with milk, which also reduces the efficacy of those bioactive components.
Green tea, on the other hand, has been a staple of billions of people across the world for millennia, but it’s only in recent years that scientists have started to investigate its true power.
1. Green tea can protect the heart.
Studies conducted at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, found that the protective effects of tea were most pronounced among those subjects who were deemed habitual drinkers. Following mechanism research, senior author Dr Dongfeng Gu concluded that the main…