The main components and functions of tea have been said since ancient times to prolong life by drinking tea (see Song's New South Wales Book). It is said that in the third year of the Tang Dynasty, there was a monk, 130 years old. He is still in good health, with a red face and light steps. When Tang Xuanzong knew about it, he called him and asked, "Why are you still so strong? What is the elixir of life? " ! "The monk replied:" Tea is inherently good, and there is a demand for tea everywhere, otherwise you will never get tired of drinking a hundred bowls. "The emperor asked again," Are you sick? Answer: "Why do you need Di Wei's pills? Just seven bowls of tea from Lu Quan. " "Without Chaze's disease, there is Chaze's Ann. "The old monk thought that drinking tea was the secret of his longevity [1]. There are many ancient books, for example, Tea Spectrum written by Qian Chunhua and Gu suggested that tea can sober up, improve eyesight, quench thirst, digest food and resolve phlegm. Why tea has so many functions is mainly related to its chemical composition. As for the chemical composition of tea, more than 450 organic compounds have been separated and identified, and more than 15 inorganic minerals have been identified. Most of these ingredients have the function of promoting health or preventing and treating diseases. Its main components are:

1, alkaloid [2]

The alkaloids in tea mainly include caffeine (also called theanine), theanine, theobromine, choline and adenine. Among them, caffeine content is more, and other contents are slightly more. Caffeine can excite the exhausted respiratory center and the motor center in blood vessels, which is a wake-up drug; It can also cheer up the spirit and fight depression. It is an antidepressant. Caffeine can also remind, strengthen the heart and eliminate fatigue.

Because the exciting effect of caffeine on the cerebral cortex is to strengthen the exciting process rather than weaken the inhibitory process, strong tea can relieve drunkenness and resist the anesthesia and poison of drugs such as alcohol and coffee. Caffeine is also an important drug in cardiovascular system. Theanine has a cardiotonic effect about three times that of caffeine. Because of its beneficial effect on circulation, it can treat acute heart failure. In addition, theanine can relieve bronchospasm and has obvious diuretic effect.

2, tea tannin (phenolic derivatives) [2]

Tannin in tea has many pharmacological effects. First of all, it has a therapeutic effect on burns. At the same time, tea tannin can inhibit the development and growth of many pathogenic bacteria (Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, pneumonia, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus), and has certain curative effects on dysentery, chronic hepatitis, cholera, nephropathy and typhoid fever. It is an anti-dissolution agent for heavy metal salt and alkaloid poisoning, and is effective in treating diabetes and hypertension. Tea contains about 20% of tea polyphenols, which can prevent the formation of carcinogens, and cooperate with vitamins C, E, lipopolysaccharide, zinc and selenium in tea to produce various coordination effects. [9]

Catechins in tea tannins can prevent the accumulation of cholesterol and neutral fat in blood and liver, so they can prevent arteriosclerosis and cirrhosis, resist radioactive substances and treat migraine.

3. Aromatic substances

The aromatic substances of tea include phenol, alcohol, butyraldehyde and ester. Among them, phenol can precipitate protein and kill pathogenic bacteria; It has the function of first exciting and then inhibiting the central nervous system, so it has analgesic effect. And theaflavanol in tea can resist radiation. Aldehydes include formaldehyde, butyraldehyde, valeraldehyde and hexanal. Aromatic acids in tea can inhibit and kill enzymes and bacteria, stimulate mucosa, skin and wounds, and dissolve keratin. Folic acid in tea has the function of enriching blood, especially after fermentation and other similar processes, which is very effective in treating anemia.

4, vitamins

Tea is rich in vitamins, including vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B 1, B2, B6, B 12, H, PP, etc. Tea contains vitamin PP, so tea is a good drink to prevent boils.

5. Tea polysaccharide

Studies have shown that tea polysaccharides have similar effects to insulin in sugar metabolism, so more tea polysaccharides in middle and low-grade tea have hypoglycemic effects. [3][4] Light tea and strong tea contain less exciting components such as caffeine, and there are a lot of tea polysaccharides, which are helpful for the treatment of chronic diabetes. [5]

6. thearubigins and tea pigment

Thearubigins has anti-oxidation, anti-cancer, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and cardiovascular disease prevention effects, and even has specific inhibitory effects on HIV reverse transcriptase and various DNA polymerases. [8] Tea pigment can promote the increase of serum SOD activity, scavenge free radicals and prevent diseases and aging. [9]

7. Tea saponin

Tea saponin includes hemolysis, tea tannin, terpene, carbon compound, protein and amino acid. In addition, tea also contains many inorganic components such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, manganese, arsenic, sulfur, zinc, copper, fluorine, molybdenum, zinc, lead, chromium, nickel and cadmium.

Use of tea (1):

Tea is welcomed by people, not only because it is a popular good drink, but also because it can play a certain role in health care and treatment. As Su Shi, a poet in the Song Dynasty, said, "Di Wei doesn't have to take a pill in Lutong and use seven bowls of tea." Jin Lu is a scholar who loves tea. Su Shi thinks that drinking tea often is better than taking medicine. This is also the case. There are many records about drinking tea and keeping in good health in the historical materials when tea was opened. These records describe the utility of tea wonderfully, and even some ancient famous doctors have expounded it in their works. Modern biochemical and medical research has proved that there are more than 450 kinds of organic compounds and no less than 15 kinds of inorganic mineral nutrients in the chemical composition of tea, which shows that tea has both nutritional value and health care effect.

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