Caring for health, diet, and family might be an important part of finding positive strength in this pandemic. And tea can play a significant role here. In his speech, Academician Chen Zongmao pointed out that tea has a positive effect on the three major health killers for humans—cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, cancer, and degenerative diseases.
Tea is not only a comforting companion for the soul but also a Drink that genuinely maintains our health. It's time to pick up this cup of tea.
Currently, for us Chinese people, as well as those in other developed countries, the main killers threatening life are three diseases: cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, cancer, and degenerative diseases.
First, let's look at the effect of tea on cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. Starting from 1999, the WTO officially declared obesity a disease, and later introduced the concept of metabolic syndrome. What is metabolic syndrome? It includes abdominal obesity, overweight, high levels of dyslipidemia, high-density cholesterol, Hypertension, diabetes, and elevated microalbuminase. This is the definition of metabolic syndrome. All countries worldwide attach great importance to this and have conducted comprehensive scientific summaries. In these summaries, most reports agree that the polyphenols in tea can indeed help with weight loss, reducing body weight and low-density cholesterol.
After decades of tea research, we found that approximately 500 to 900 milligrams of tea polyphenol compounds can effectively reduce the content of low-density cholesterol, lower lipid levels, and decrease blood viscosity, showing a clear effect on cardiovascular disease. Studies have found that if one can consume 600 to 900 milligrams of catechins daily for three weeks, it can reduce body fat by about 1.5 kilograms, which is equivalent to the consumption of 10,500 kcal of energy, roughly equal to walking for 45 minutes each day. To some extent, Drinking Tea can achieve an effect similar to walking. However, the condition is that drinking tea must reach a certain amount, requiring the consumption of more than 3 to 4 cups of green tea or the aforementioned dose of catechins daily; too little will have no effect.
The second great killer of human life is cancer. Currently, lung cancer patients are the most numerous in China, with 733,000 people diagnosed in 2015 alone, followed by stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, and Liver cancer. Many countries, such as the United States, Japan, Britain, China, and Israel, have conducted extensive research on the anticancer effects of tea, with at least ten thousand papers confirming its anticancer effects in living organisms.
In this regard, Japan published data in 2002, tracking 8,522 people for a decade. Among these thousands, 419 developed cancer. Through this survey, it was found that drinking tea can indeed delay or reduce the incidence of cancer. Drinking tea can delay the onset of cancer by 7.3 years, and even if cancer does occur, the progression of the disease can also be delayed by 7.3 years. If women drink ten cups of tea daily, the occurrence of cancer can be delayed by at least 7.3 years. For men, the average delay is 3.2 years. The reason why the effect is not as good as for women is due to factors like Smoking and alcohol consumption.
The third killer of life is degenerative diseases. Degenerative diseases include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and diseases caused by the accumulation of amyloid-like protein complexes. In the past, many people did not consider senile dementia fatal, but according to global statistics, its mortality rate now ranks fifth, and the rate is very high. Currently, there are already 18 million patients with neurodegenerative diseases worldwide, and the number of cases continues to increase, estimated to rise from 18 million to 30 million by 2025. The number of patients in our country accounts for one-third to one-quarter of the world total.
In 2001, scientists from Newcastle University in the UK first reported that drinking tea had a beneficial effect on memory function. Over the past two decades, countries such as the United States, Israel, Britain, Japan, and China have continuously conducted large-scale epidemiological surveys, investigations into the pathogenesis, and research on prevention and treatment. At the 2010 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease, the results of a survey of the quantity of tea consumed and the incidence of Alzheimer's disease among 4,809 people aged over 65 were released. For the groups consuming tea 5 to 10 times per month, 1 to 4 times per week, and more than 5 times per week, the incidence of Alzheimer's disease was reduced by 20%, 43%, and 31%, respectively.
In 2002, an epidemiological survey published in the United States showed that drinking more than two cups of tea daily could reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease by 28% to 60%. A study in Asia conducted over 12 years involving 63,000 people demonstrated that black and green tea consumption is inversely proportional to the development of neurodegenerative diseases; the more consumed, the less likely to develop the disease, and it can improve brain function, enhancing memory and attention.
The key to neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly lies in the brain. The brain is highly sensitive to oxygen and is easily subject to oxidative attack, requiring 20% of its unit mass in oxygen to ensure normal physiological activity. Elderly individuals with Alzheimer's disease typically exhibit early pathological features of oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids in the brain.
Polyphenol compounds in tea are a class of compounds with strong antioxidant activity, especially ester-type catechins such as EGCG. These catechins also have regulatory effects on antioxidant protective enzymes in the human body, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). According to studies by Japanese scientists, long-term intake of green tea containing catechin compounds can, on the one hand, enhance the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and on the other hand, inhibit the production of β-amyloid peptides and improve the formation of hippocampal neurons.
Finally, I would like to emphasize that while tea is not a drug, drinking tea can prevent and alleviate human diseases, and its role in regulating the body, enhancing physical fitness, and improving disease resistance is genuine. I once read a sentence in the newspaper that I think is quite apt: drinking tea for one minute quenches thirst, drinking tea for one hour is leisure, drinking tea for one month promotes health, and drinking tea for a lifetime leads to longevity.
Chen Zongmao
Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering
Honorary Chairman of the Chinese Tea Society
Researcher, Doctoral Supervisor
(The original text was transcribed and edited based on Academician Chen Zongmao's keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the “2020 China Tea Science and Technology Annual Conference” on December 18, 2020. There have been omissions and edits.)
Originally published in Pu'er Magazine
January 2021 Issue
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