To Tea or Not To Tea

It'll Probably Be Better To Just Make It Yourself
We sometimes buy tea when were out and about rather than buying sodas or coffee accepting that ice tea is much better for you and better tasting than the alternative, water. We need more water. Not as much as the eight (8) classes a day old adage but flushing your system helps regulate your digestive system and keeps your weight under control. We accept that. We don't like it but we'll accept it.

While the latest research from presented at the American Chemical Society (ACS) fall meeting doesn't support our delusion for better health. We do it for the sweetness. We love sugary sweet tea. If ifs unsweeten we're not just disappointed were pretty angry. We'll accept Nestea's Raspberry Flavored Ice Tea because its sweetened. We don't love it but we'll accept it in a pinch.

The research from Professor Chi-Tang Ho, an expert on the antioxidant and anti-cancer properties of natural products and distinguished professor in the Rutgers Department of Food Science, found:

"...some manufacturers do list polyphenol content on the bottle label. But the amounts may be incorrect because there are no industry or government standards or guidelines for measuring and listing the polyphenolic compounds in a given product. A regular tea bag, for example, weighs about 2.2 grams and could contain as much as 175 mg of polyphenols, Shiming Li, Ph.D., said. But polyphenols degrade and disappear as the tea bag is steeped in hot water. The polyphenol content also may vary as manufacturers change their processes, including the quantity and quality of tea used to prepare a batch and the tea brewing time. "

It's genetics according to the other researchers from Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences that:

"Whether or not you can taste a bitter compound called 6-n-propylthiouracil (or PROP) may help Professor Beverly Tepper identify your risk for becoming obese and/or developing cardiovascular disease." (Rutgers)

This further confirms our belief that its all genetics when it comes to our inability to lose weight and that our genes are weighted against us. It's not that we can lose the weight its that its harder for us than for those not genetically posed.

The information presented is from the same professionals that two years ago brought us the research that:

 "...found new evidence that soft drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) may contribute to the development of diabetes, particularly in children. In a laboratory study of commonly consumed carbonated beverages, the scientists found that drinks containing the syrup had high levels of reactive compounds that have been shown by others to have the potential to trigger cell and tissue damage that could cause the disease, which is at epidemic levels." (August 2007) Medical News Today

The research didn't just highlight the problem but suggested a solution to correct the problem:

"... adding tea components to drinks containing HFCS may help lower the levels of reactive carbonyls. The scientists found that adding epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a compound in tea, significantly reduced the levels of reactive carbonyl species in a dose-dependent manner when added to the carbonated soft drinks studied. In some cases, the levels of reactive carbonyls were reduced by half, the researchers say. "People consume too much high-fructose corn syrup in this country," says Ho. "It's in way too many food and drink products and there's growing evidence that it's bad for you." The tea-derived supplement provides a promising way to counter its potentially toxic effects, especially in children who consume a lot of carbonated beverages, he says. " (Medical News Today)

We know the results are only from "six brands of tea purchased from supermarkets". We'd only wished they'd named names and identified the brands they tested and the products that came up short so that we could also be better consumers. Tea was the solution to the problem identified three (3) years ago. While tea was to be the healthy alternative - it offered more than just refreshment. It offered hope and healthy recovery to those suffering from diabetes as a tasty alternative.

We're written for the answers and we'll keep you abreast of the answers.