All three forms of Camellia sinensis are unusually rich in a potent class of antioxidants called polyphenols. Antioxidants are important because they neutralize harmful free radicals, the highly unstable molecules produced by the body’s normal metabolism and by exposure to chemicals, heavy metals, radiation, and the like. Lacking a vital part of their molecular structure, free radicals oxidize other molecules by snatching the missing part from them. That process can damage the body’s cells, proteins, and fats-and, in theory, can help cause a wide range of diseases and possibly even hasten aging. To minimize the damage, the body uses antioxidants-some produced internally, others gleaned from food and drink-to help neutralize the radicals.
In theory, antioxidants can protect against disease and may help to explain why tea drinkers tend to be healthier. In laboratory and animal studies, the antioxidants in tea have been shown to help check the formation of certain carcinogenic compounds, disrupt several tumor-promoting enzymes, kill or at least slow the growth of actual cancer cells while leaving normal cells unscathed, and prevent normal cells from turning cancerous, mainly by shielding their DNA from oxidative damage.
Other laboratory studies suggest that tea may help protect the heart by relaxing blood vessels; by inhibiting blood clots, which can trigger a heart attack or stroke; by shielding the “bad” LDL cholesterol from the oxidative damage that makes it stick to the walls of coronary arteries; and possibly by helping to improve blood-cholesterol levels. Other compounds in tea include fluoride and phytoestrogens, which researchers speculate may favorably affect bone-mineral density
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