Posted: March 21st, 2022

Tea as an Antioxidant Research Paper

Tea as an Antioxidant

 

Tea is an aromatic drink that is usually prepared by soaking or pouring water over plant products, typically the tea plant, but also may be infused with other dried herbs, roots, or extracts. After plain water, tea is consumed more than any other drink globally, including soft drinks. It has a slightly bitter, astringent flavor, sometimes floral, sometimes metallic, that people find enjoyable and often relaxing or, in some cases, medicinal (Martin, 2007). The consumption of tea is said to have a number of beneficial health effects based on the properties it has including antioxidants, flavinols, flavonoids, polyphenols, and catechins. The catechins, particularly, are known for anti-inflammatory and cellular detoxicity. In addition, these catechins have proven neuroprotective activities that can bond with cannabinoid receptors and suppress pain and nausea and provide a relaxing effect (Korte, G., et.al., 2010). Medical studies have also shown that green tea can enhance weight-loss in some patients by reducing hunger and detoxifying the liver (Wing, R., et.al., 2006). Other studies have shown that tea can lower the risk of cognitive impairment, even benefit alzheimers. The key to this seems to be the tea properties of L-theanine, which has a calm but focusing effect on the brain that produces alpha wave dominant patterns (Nobre, A., et.al., 2008).

 

For centuries, health practitioners in the East have used teas and other traditional medicines. This paradigm combines combined the causation of disease with the idea of balance and a look at the holistic individual. Indeed, the very term “health,” has come to mean more than just an absence of disease, but a more holistic and complete state of being. The Western model, of course, tends to look at disease and illness as being linked to specific bacteria, viruses, or pathogens. The use of tea, or other hrebals, then becomes controversial in Western medicine, and yet a new model, health as harmony, called the Health Psychology Model, tends to combine Eastern holism with Western organism for a more holistic view of the overall person (Micozzi, 2011).

 

The American National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) gives examples using herbalism, naturopathy and traditional Chinese medicine, which includes the use of tea and specially brewed teas as a way to impact bodily systems. The theory is that many of the chemical properties of teas and herbs are, for the most part, phyto-chemicals that have natural healing properties that are often used in many pharmaceuticals, albeit at higher doses or concentrations. In addition, many CAM systems logically prefer preventive medicine and the application of nutritional support to compliment any other OTC or prescriptive therapies. Recent scientific investigation of CAM is beginning to address the gap between mainstream and CAM from a clinical perspective. Thus, boundaries between CAM and mainstream medicine, as well as among different CAM systems, are often blurred and are constantly changing (Fontaine, 2010).

 

The basic properties of tea, whether Black, Green or Oolong, come from the Camellia Sinesis plant. Like wine production, it is the processing and blending of teas that give it specific flavors, grades, and properties. The tea leaf, however, is composed of several different interconnected elements. Inorganically, mainly from cell sap, tea contains potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper and other trace mineals. About 75% of the nitrocen in the tea leaf is the amino acid theanine, the rest from the caffeine alkaloid. Tea also contains carboydrades that are mostly pectins, some small amounts of sugars and starches, pigments from chlorophyll and flavons, and vitamin sB and C. The most important part of the chemical reactions in tea are the work of enzymes and polyphenols. Polypheol oxidase (PPO) and Perodidase (PO) increase levels of oxidation, and therefore contribute to cell health (Biotech Week, 2011),

 

The main polyphenol of tea is catechin, which is a scavenger of free radicals. Any biological organism produces these free radicals, when oxygen accepts electrons to become active oxygen and hydroxly free radicals. These free radicals try to oxidize lipids, which causes cell damage and aging. Catechins protect the system against this oxidation, supress cancer growth by combining protions with free radicals and decreasing their reactions. Catechins are more viable when heated (hence, hot tea), and in specific teas, theaflavins are more active to combine as more potent cell protectors and antioxidants than even vitamin sC and E (Feruzzi, 2010). The amino acids and catechins in tea amount to about 25-60 mg in a 200 ml serving. They cross the blood-brain barrier within 30 minutes and bind to appropriate brain receptors. Using EEG measurements, participants in a study were found to have higer levels of alpha-band waves that are critical to the ability to suppress distracinting visual information, to concentrate, and to calm individuals who tend to be anxious (Nobre).

 

The catechins in tea also seem to possess anticancer prperties in various organs, particularly the liver, as well as some anti-diabetic effects. One study found that “branched-chain amino acids in green tea may prevent progressive hepatic failure in patients with chronic liver diseases, and might be effective for the suppression of obesity-related liver carcinogenesis” (Shimizu, M., et.al., 2012). The polyphonols in tea tend to bind to carcinogens and induce enzumes that inhibit cancer cell growth. Molecularly, these tea properties inhibit transcription factors and also reduce cancer cell’s ability to metabolize. Ironically, the protective effects from tea consumption are in populations who drink more black than green tea. Green tea specicially has significant protective factors against, oral, esophageal, protate, digestive, urinary, bladder, skin, luncg, breast and liver cancers; as well as a lower risk for the cancer to metastasize and recur. Green tea actually seems to reduce the risk of ovarian and prostate cancer by as much as 50% (Kurahaski, N., e.al., 2007).

 

In addition, cholesterol and blood sugar levels are significantly lowered by drinking green tea, likely due to the way the chemicals in tea moderate oxidative stress on fats, reducing insulin resistance and maintaining a more even blood chemistry. Specific studies on mental and functional disability, like stroke, osteoporosis, cognitive impairment, and Alzheimers show that drinking tea regularly reduces the risk factor of these diseases. In 2010, in fact, researchers found that people who consumed tea had a significant reduction in cognitive decline than non-tea drinkers. The data set was robust, almost 5,000 men and women over 65, with longitudinal follow ups for 14 years found a huge decline in cognitive disease and even cognitive aging. This has an extremely important potential for easing again related issues and keeping the mental productivity of an aging demographic population. When combined with other antioxidant substances, such as those found in walnuts or cranberries, the properties of tea tended to increase (AAICAD, 2010). These studies are cooborated in the literature in which a study focused on a 60 day intervention using Green Tea with patients undergoing menopause. The study found that bad cholesteraol decreased, glucose levels rounded out, and hormone levels tended to moderate in those that had at least 16 ounces of green tea daily for 60 days (Wu, A., et.al., 2012).

 

Tea, like other herbal alternatives, remain controversial in the medical community. However, in the last decade, tea has been researched more and more, finding that when used regularly, the combination of the anti-oxidant and cellular respiration properties in tea do have proven health benefits in humans.

 

REFERENCES

 

AAICAD. (2010, July 12). Large-Scale, Long-Term Studies Support Roles of Physical Activity and Diet in Dementia and Cognitive Decline. Retrieved from Medical News Today: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/194407.php

 

Biotech Week. (2011, January 19). Protective Properties of Green Tea Uncovered. Retrieved from High Beam Research: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-247694008.html

 

Feruzzi, M. (2010). The influence of beverage composition on delivery of phenolic compounds from coffee and tea. Physiological Behavior, 100(1), 33-41.

 

Fontaine, K. (2010). Complementary & Alternative Therapies for Nursing Practice. New York: Prentice Hall.

 

Korte, G., et.al. (2010). Tea catechins’ affinity for human cannabinoid receptors. Phtomedicine, 17(1), 19-22. Retrieved November 2012, from http://missclasses.com/mp3s/Prize%20CD%202010/Tea/cannaboid.pdf

 

Kurahaski, N., e.al. (2007). Green Tea Consumption and Prastate Cancer. American Journal of Epidemiology, 167(1), 71-77.

 

Martin, L. (2007). Tea: The Drink that Changed the World. North Clarendon, VT: Tuttle Publishing.

 

Micozzi, M. (2011). Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders-Elsevier.

 

Nobre, A., et.al. (2008). L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental states. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 17(S1), 167-68. Retrieved November 2012, from http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/apjcn/volume17/vol17suppl.1/167-168S8-4.pdf

 

Shimizu, M., et.al. (2012). Nutraceutical Approach for Preventing Obesity-Related Colorectal and Liver Carcinogenesis. International Journal of Molecular Science, 13(1), 579-95. doi:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3269707/

 

Wing, R., et.al. (2006). A Self-Regulation Program for Maintenance of Weight Loss. The New England Journal of Medicine, 355(2), 1563-71.

 

Wu, A., et.al. (2012). Effect of 2-Month Controlled Green Tea Intervention. Cancer Prevention Research, 5(2), 393-8. doi:http://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/content/5/3/393.abstract

---

Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply

Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?

Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.

Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?

• Plagiarism free papers
• Timely delivery
• Any deadline
• Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
• Subject-relevant academic writer
• Adherence to paper instructions
• Ability to tackle bulk assignments
• Reasonable prices
• 24/7 Customer Support
• Get superb grades consistently

 

Online Academic Help With Different Subjects

Literature

Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.

Finance

Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.

Computer science

Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!

Psychology

While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.

Engineering

Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.

Nursing

In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.

Sociology

Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.

Business

We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!

Statistics

We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.

Law

Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.

What discipline/subjects do you deal in?

We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.

Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?

Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.

What if I don’t like the paper?

There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.

Reasons being:

• When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
• We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.

In the event that you don’t like your paper:

• The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
• We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
• Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.

Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?

Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.

What if the paper is plagiarized?

We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.

When will I get my paper?

You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.

Will anyone find out that I used your services?

We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.

How our Assignment  Help Service Works

1.      Place an order

You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.

2.      Pay for the order

Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.

3.      Track the progress

You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.

4.      Download the paper

The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.

PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!

---