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Tea is mind-soothing brew, study finds!

The research involved 75 young men who were regular tea drinkers. All gave up normal tea, coffee and decaffeinated drinks for six weeks and drank one of two "tea" mixtures, four times a day instead.

One group had a tea-coloured drink which was caffeinated and fruit-flavoured, containing all the constituents of black tea. The other was a fake tea, identical in taste but with no tea properties. The participants could add milk to their "tea" or not as they chose.

The real tea was disguised so that the volunteers could not derive accustomed comfort from the brew.

After six weeks they were given role-playing tasks to put them under stress. Volunteers were exposed to one of three stressful situations - being threatened with unemployment, being accused of shop lifting or being involved in an untoward incident at a nursing home.

All had to prepare a verbal response and argue their case in front of a camera.

Both groups exhibited significant levels of stress measured by increased levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, increased heart rate and raised blood pressure. Statements of how they felt were also taken.

Fifty minutes after the task, levels of cortisol in the real tea group had fallen by 47 per cent compared with 27 per cent in the fake tea group.

There was also an effect on blood platelets, linked to blood clotting and heart attacks. The tea group showed less platelet activity and reported a "greater degree of relaxation" after the task.

Prof Andrew Steptoe, of the department of epidemiology and public health at UCL who led the study said that tea had traditionally been associated with stress relief.

"Many people believe that drinking tea helps them relax after facing the stresses of everyday life. However, scientific evidence is quite limited. He said they did not know which of the many constituents of black tea produced the beneficial effects. "Tea is chemically very complex, with many different ingredients such as catechins, polyphenols, flavonoids and amino acids. All have been found to have effects on neurotransmitters in the brain, but we cannot tell from this research which ones produced the differences."

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Tea Benefits Trivia:

Did you know that:

• Tea contains about 20 types of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Proteins are needed as the body's cells need enzymes to exist, survive and divide. And enzymes are made of proteins. L-theanine is the most abundant type of amino acid in green tea. Read more about amino acids here.

• Tea leaves are said to be high in Vitamin K. This vitamin's most important function is to aid in blood clotting. A deficiency of this vitamin may lead to impaired clotting and hence, more open to easy bruising and bleeding. Go here for more info on Vitamin K.

• Antioxidants in tea help fight the ravages of free radicals that are seen as the source of many of today's debilitating diseases. Did you know that aside from the catechins that are so abundant in tea, there are a lot of other types of antioxidants? Discover them all here.

• Tea leaves and drink have very high mineral content. Minerals are the chemical elements that support certain structural and functional roles in the human body. Among the minerals abundant in tea are phosphorus, calcium, potassium, magnesium and manganese. Find out more about Minerals here.

• Herbal Teas are more properly referred to as 'tisanes' or more loosely, infusions, to distinguish them from the true teas which are derived from the camelia sinensis plant. Tisanes are made from placing herbs in hot, near-boiling, or even boiling water, and then steeping them for a short period of time. There are thousands of herbs that can be made into tisanes. Discover some of these herbs here.

• The quality of the water used to brew the tea is very important. It is believed that the water used must be free of contaminants and contain enough oxygen to enhance the natural flavor of the tea. Teas made with pure water yield a crisp flavor and a clear brew that is aesthetically pleasant. Learn more about the health benefits of water here.

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Other Related Article on Tea and Your Mind:

• Tea drinking associated with lower cognitive impairment and decline risks - study!

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