Green tea is a medicinal herb many people drink to improve their health and protect themselves against chronic disease. A number of pharmacological studies have shown that a unique set of catechins (polyphenolic antioxidant plant metabolites) in green tea helps the body fight disease. According to traditional Chinese medicine, tea helps refresh the mind, enhance alertness and boost concentration. It can also aid body fluid production, quench thirst, clear heat and phlegm, and help digestion and urination. Studies have found that catechins in green tea are the components responsible for its antioxidant activities, anti-ageing properties and enhancement of cardiac health. Animal studies suggest that green tea or greet tea supplements with high levels of tea polyphenols may help prevent abnormal cell growth. Since tea leaves have only a mild healing effect, other ingredients are often combines with them to improve health. For example, honey tea helps prevent constipation, indigestion and sore throat; chrysanthemum tea is good for hypertension, blurred vision and headache; and hawthorn tea can lower cholesterol and blood pressure, helping those who have heart disease or are obese. Red date tea can be used as a tonic for spleen deficiency – good for children who wet the bed and for those who have a poor appetite. Ginger tea helps perspiration, warms the lungs and helps cure flu, fevers and coughs. Corn silk tea is good for the spleen and kidneys and accelerates the metabolism of body fluids, which can induce urination and alleviate puffiness; and lotus leaf tea quenches thirst, prevents acne, improves the elasticity of the skin, and helps you lose weight. Before taking any medicine, consult your TCM or medical practitioner Rose Tse and Jenny Eagleton info@shen-nong.com Edited by Suzanne Harrison suzanne.harrison@scmp.com Published: May 28, 2007 Source: South China Morning Post