The tea has always been known for its health benefits. The Chinese and Japanese have this regularly in their meals.
Many people today are also drinking it as a way to lose weight despite the fact that it actually contains caffeine. The flavonoids in the drink are said to be responsible for reducing body weight and abdominal fat.
A new research published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, however, has found that tea can also lower blood pressure (BP) and relieve anxiety. Researchers in Japan tested how the drink affects the body when it is experiencing stress. They tested two compounds in tea (L-theanine which is an amino acid and caffeine) and had 14 subjects undergo three separate trials. The first group tool L-theanine and a placebo, the second group took caffeine and a placebo while the third group tool placebo only. The tests involved the subjects doing mental activities such as solving arithmetic questions while the other hand was submerged in the bucket of ice water.
The team of Japanese researchers found that L-theanine had a major role in reducing blood pressure particularly among group members who experienced a rise in BP while doing their tasks. In addition, the amino acid also helped lower anxiety.
Another study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in January this year showed the same effect of tea in a person’s blood pressure. The Australian researchers who conducted the study found that those who drank three cups of tea per day experienced a lower blood pressure by at least two to three points.
Earlier studies have also found the tea to have a calming effect despite its caffeine content.
Photo via denverpost.com
Originally posted on December 24, 2012 @ 8:45 pm