Tea Boosts Immunity and Helps Skin, Study Finds
Baku, June 10 (AZERTAC). Next to water, tea may be the most commonly consumed drink on the planet. The British alone consume around 165 million cups of Earl Grey, Assam, Darjeeling, Oolong and numerous other varieties of tea each day. Now, new research adds to increasing evidence that tea is not only a much-loved beverage, but may offer a host of health benefits as well.
A new study, published online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals how substances found in tea may help prime the body`s immune system to fight off infection. Another report shows how substances in green tea may be linked to skin-cell rejuvenation.
The findings "add to the enormous body of evidence that tea can make a contribution to a healthy lifestyle," commented Bill Gorman executive director of The Tea Council, an independent tea-promotion body based in London, England.
Other studies have shown that antioxidant chemicals in tea—produced from the aromatic plant Camellia sinensis—can help minimize the risk of developing stomach and other types of cancer. One study showed that drinking one cup of tea a day could also reduce heart attack risk by up to 50 percent.
This latest study shows how chemicals—known as alkylamines—which are commonly present in tea (as well as wine, apples, mushrooms, and other sources), are also present in some bacteria, cancerous cells, parasites, fungi, and other disease-causing agents.
Drinking tea may be able to prime the body`s immune system against these agents, by teaching disease-fighter immune cells to recognize and remember alkylamines.
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