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Medicine Man, The Two Towers.
9/6/2005 10:52 pm Last Read: |
Yeah, right, like you didn't see that one coming!! After my last page you should have known it was coming. Hahahaha.  Well, today's "Two Towers" are actually two teas that I have been drinking for a few years now. I really didn't know too much about them, just that they seem to take away the bitterness of some of my other medicinal tea mixtures, such as chamomile and lavender. But I did know that green tea has antioxidents that block caffiene in the body, speeds up the metabolism (which can help you lose weight) and helps to reduce certain types of cancer. So I did some snooping around, as I often do, and I found out just what is special about green tea and it's counterpart, white tea. Grean tea has quite a large list of properties, it seems. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol. To sum up, here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful: cancer rheumatoid arthritis high cholesterol levels cariovascular disease infection impaired immune function Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market. White tea, it seems, is made from the same plant as green tea, made from the bud rather than the leaf. So, as a medicine man, I was not surprized to discover, though you may be, that the same compounds that make green tea so effective are even stronger and more effective in white tea. Many Native American teas are made from the bud or blossom, such as chamomile, golden seal,lavender, and strawberry. Anyway, white tea extracts, called essential oils, are now being used in certain tooth pastes, as it was discovered that it contains a very effective form of flouride that is more readily absorbed by the teeth and gums. Not only that, but just last year, a team at the University of Newcastle's Medicinal Plant Research Centre - led by Dr. Ed Okello - found that white tea inhibits the activity of enzymes connected with the development of Alzheimer's. Pretty impressive, huh?? With the verdict in, I think I will keep both green tea and white tea in the pot whenever I brew myself a nice cup of tea......maybe even drink a few more cups of it a day.  Many Blessings. Bear. |
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9/7/2005 3:11 pm |
i couldnt agree more. i use the loose, highest grade green tea purchased at our local chinese herbal shop. there certainly is a noticeable difference in overall well being. for the last month i have been using the loose white tea. it is by far the best tasting tea i have ever had. feeling even better.
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9/8/2005 8:24 pm |
Bear, I didn't know there was white tea. An ex Chinese boyfriend gave me real Chinese tea (the leave unfold) and it has flowers it it. So it's pretty to look at while you drink it. And good for you. Puppy
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 9/12/2005 11:15 pm |
Sugar in gelatine *gaaackk* Even us barbarian antipodeans don't do that! 
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