Brewing Trouble?

Tea is a natural source of antioxidants8212;-flavonoids and bioflavonoids8212;-tannins, cate-chins and quercitin, which lower the risk of can-cer. 8216;8216;Flavonoids epigallocatechins are nearly 200 times more powerful than vitamin E as an-tioxidants. They protect arteries as well as lower blood cholesterol,8221; says dietician Ishi Kosla. So, what gives tea immunity-boosting and detoxifying properties?

8226; Tea has fluoride, which prevents tooth decay.

8226; It contains small amounts of selenium, zinc, flavonol, polyphenols, beta-carotene and vita-mins, all of which are antioxidants.

8226; The stimulant properties are because of caf-feine, theobromine and xanthine, which also impart flavour. They also bring relief from mi-graine and bronchitis attacks.

Tea-thing trouble

However, tea does pose some health risks as well. To begin with, 8216;8216;the tannins in tea inter-fere with mineral absorption, especially the ab-sorption of iron and calcium. It is advisable to have tea after half-an-hour or one hour after meals,8217;8217; says Kosla. Those suffering from peptic ulcers should avoid strong black tea because, like coffee, it stimulates acidic gastric secretion and may cause irritation.

Coffee delights

Apart from caffeine, coffee has other active in-gredients, of which only niacin is a nutrient. However, a cup of coffee provides only around a milligram mg of niacin, which is not enough to meet our daily requirement.

8226; Coffee for alertness: Kosla says coffee in-creases epinephrine adrenaline release, which stimulates the central nervous system, thus increasing alertness.

8226; Those prone to asthma and allergy attacks can depend on coffee for immediate relief if no medication is available nearby.

8226; According to a 10-year study at the University of Bristol, a cup of coffee helps when per-forming tasks requiring sustained focus.

A cup of woes

8226; Some studies have found that heavy coffee drinkers, who drink more than six cups of cof-fee a day, face an increased risk of heart dis-ease. 8216;8216;This risk is more associated with the method of coffee preparation than its caf-feine content. Brewing or percolation of cof-fee causes the release of cafestol and kah-weol, the chemicals responsible for the raise of blood cholesterol. But people with high blood pressure can drink coffee in modera-tion, 8217;8217; says Kosla.

8226; Coffee and osteoporosis: While many stud-ies have explored connections between caf-feine and bone loss, no strong evidence has been found to support this thesis.

Think before you drink

An average person8217;s daily caffeine intake should not exceed 300 mg8212;that8217;s about three cups of coffee. The American Academy of Pedi-atrics recommends that pregnant and nursing women limit their caffeine intake to 100 mg. This is because caffeine can enter breast milk and make the baby wakeful and agitated. More than three to four cups of tea is also not advis-able. Coffee and tea increase calcium loss through the kidneys and the intestines. So, peo-ple who have a lot of coffee and tea should take adequate amounts of calcium. While travelling, especially on flights, coffee and tea must be drunk only in moderation as they cause dehy-dration. To minimise their effect, try to drink plenty of water and fruit juices. Go for milder beverages like camomile or jasmine tea or even honey with lemon or ginger water.