Tag Archives: tea

May9

You’re Invited to the Tea Party!

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As I mentioned before, MODERATION is KEY! Remember, sometimes beneficial compounds are accompanied by potential toxins.

Tea Time, Round Two

Oxalates

Oxalates are derived from oxalic acid, which can be found in plants such as spinach rubarb, TEA, cocoa, and celery. Oxalates become a problem when they bind with calcium, iron, magnesium, or potassium in the gut and interfere with calcium metabolism. This leads to calcium deficiency and ultimately calcium oxalate stone formation in the kidneys– KIDNEY STONES! Think about it: 75 percent of all kidney stones are made up of calcium oxalate.

Unfortunately for you fellow heavy tea drinkers, there has been talk that high consumption of tea may lead to kidney stones. More specifically, black tea, which undergoes hours of full oxidation before steaming and drying, has the highest concentration of oxalate as compared to other teas that only undergo partial oxidation (oolong tea) or no oxidation (green tea). Unfortunately for Americans, black tea is the most common type of tea consumed—especially iced.

It is suggested, by a LIMITED number of studies, that a major source of soluble oxalate found in black tea could increase risk of kidney stones due to an increase in urinary oxalate excretion. However, a more recent study shows that there is very low bioavailability of tea-derived oxalate, meaning tea-derived oxalate is not readily absorbed and therefore may not increase the risk of kidney stones. In addition, this same study found that spreading the oxalate intake over an extended period of time may actually lead to an increase in oxalate bioavailability.

The take home message:

Based on most studies, there is LITTLE support that kidney stone formers should limit their intake of black tea. This is because black tea-derived oxalate has low bioavailability (is not readily absorbed). HOWEVER, please remember that moderation of tea consumption is KEY! Because although there is little support that black tea-derived oxalate can lead to kidney stones, little is not the same as zero support! In addition, tea also has caffeine, another popular, toxic chemical that will be discussed later!

P.S. One study suggests that by taking supplements or eating foods with calcium carbonate or magnesium oxide you can be significantly lower your load-derived oxalate levels within 24-hours after ingestion. More specifically, the study showed that the efficiency of oxalate absorption for the calcium carbonate (5.1%) and magnesium oxide (7.6%) treatments were lower than the control (13.5%).
May8

Tea Time

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Some say, that next to water, tea is the most widely consumed drink in the WORLD! And believe me, I’m definitely on that bandwagon! As you may already know from some of my previous posts, I’m OBSESSED with tea!  So, I did some research and found some promising benefits related to drinking tea.

FLAVONOIDS

Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds that can be found in tea, cocoa, fruits, vegetables, and wine. Flavonoids contribute to the taste and color of these products and are HIGHLY responsible for upholding some normal, healthy body functions.

Many flavonoids are shown to have antioxidative activity (see An Antioxidant a day, Keeps the Free Radical Away for more information on antioxidants), free-radical scavenging capability, coronary heart disease prevention, and anticancer activity. Some flavonoids even exhibit potential for anti-human immunodeficiency virus functions. Furthermore, other studies show that teas may also encourage weight loss, lower bad (LDL) cholesterol, and bring about mental alertness (alertness is however due to the caffeine and theanine in tea).

Black, green, white, oolong, and pu-erh tea are all full of natural sources of flavonoids, providing 100 – 300 milligrams of total flavonoids per 240 milliliter serving. In addition, the majority of flavonoids are infused from the tealeaves to the brewed tea after about 4 minutes of brewing.

Now, remember the more processed the tealeaf the less flavonoid concentration. Oolong and black teas are oxidized or fermented so they tend to have lower concentrations of flavonoids than green tea, which are steamed. However, oolong and black teas still have great antioxidizing potential.

The following list of teas and benefits were found on WebMD:

Green Tea: is made with steamed tealeaves and has a high concentration of flavonoids. Antioxidants interfere with many cancers; prevent clogging of the arteries, burn fat, reduce risk of stroke, and improve LDL cholesterol levels.

Black Tea: is made with fermented tealeaves and has the highest caffeine concentration compared to other teas. Black tea can protect lungs from cigarette smoke and reduce risk of stroke.

White Tea: is uncured and unfermented and studies show white tea has anticancer properties.

Oolong Tea: animals given antioxidants from oolong tea were said to have lower LDL cholesterol levels.

Pu-erh Tea: (considered a black tea) is made from fermented and aged leaves that are pressed into cakes.

In conclusion, my mantra for this blog is not only “know what you’re putting in your mouth,” it’s also … “too much of one thing is never good for you!” Something I personally need to work on! Remember the quote from Paracelsus; “All substances are poisons; there is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison and a remedy.” It is important to keep your diet balanced because where there is a benefit there is also may also be a cost…. For example, teas also have oxalates… more on this next time, see you tomorrow!
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Apr26

Label Truths

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I’ve been cramming glycolysis reactions into my brain all day, and now all I can think about is glucose and pyruvate. Tomorrow morning is unfortunately the day I take another biochem midterm!

However, thankfully this morning I was able to enjoy a delicious triple berry muffin from the local cafe across the street! Common Grounds Coffee!

Although Common Grounds doesn’t stay open late, it’s one of my personal favorite places in town to get ICED TEA!!! They brew all their teas on the spot. It takes just three minutes for them to brew and ice. And believe me, they have a great variety of teas! All kinds of black including apricot and peach flavors, all kinds of green, and all kinds of herbal! Basically any kind of tea that you can think of, they have it, and they can ice it!!! Ever thought of what an Earl Grey tea would taste like iced??? Well, probably DELICIOUS!!! But my personal favorite so far is the Apricot Infused Black Tea.

Another personal favorite iced tea place is… PEET’S!!!! Especially in the summer when they have all their iced tea coolers!!! Berry Pomegranate Tea Cooler, Jasmine Lime Tea Cooler (fave!), and Hibiscus Breeze Tea Cooler. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!!

And now that we are are on the topic of Peet’s let’s talk about labeling. Peet’s has coffee labeled as “Fair Trade Certified.” What does that mean???

“Fair Trade Certified” is a registered trademark owned by FLO International. This “Fair Trade Certified” claim is third-party verified, addresses multiple issues, and meets tough standards developed by an open or consensus-based process. Members of this fair trade commits to biodiversity-enhancing methods, ensures children’s rights, supports safe working conditions and other fair-trade measures and policies.

Peet’s is also Rainforest Alliance Certified. What does that mean????

Rainforest Alliance is an independent body working to conserve biodiversity as well as ensuring sustainable living. Rainforest Alliance works with people whose lives depend on the land, which develops the way they grow food, harvest wood, and welcome travelers. They set high standards for environmental protection, worker rights, and the interests of local communities. Some pesticide use is allowed.

Interested in what other labels mean… including labels on you milk, wine, fish, meat, eggs, produce, and processed foods???

When processed foods are labeled as “natural,” is that claim true? and what does it mean?

The claim “natural” on processed foods is not a reliable claim! “Natural” is not defined by the USDA or FDA for processed foods. According to the USDA, meat and poultry labeled “natural” contain no added colors or artificial ingredients and haven’t been processed or altered. Neither the USDA nor the FDA regulate the label “natural” for any other food products, leaving the decision to use the label “natural” up to the manufacturers.

Still interested?? I found yet another app for that!!! “Label Lookup” and it’s free!