Not only is tea soothing and delicious, but, throughout its history, it has been associated with important health benefits. New studies point to evidence that these healing properties have a scientific basis. While all tea is healthy to drink, Green tea contains the highest level of polyphenols (flavonoids), which are known for their antioxidant activity.

Consumption of tea is being studied for its reported benefits on:

• Enhancing immune function
• Lowering LDL cholesterol levels
• Increasing HDL cholesterol levels
• Reducing blood pressure
• Thinning the blood, reducing the risk of a heart attack
• Lowering the risk of stroke
• Reducing the risk of cancer
• Boosting longevity
• Aiding digestion
• Preventing dental cavities and gingivitis

Much of the focus of modern research is on the effects of three ingredients found in tea:

• Antioxidants (Polyphenols)
• Nutrients
• Caffeine

Antioxidants

Many of the health benefits of drinking tea come from the fact that tea contains high levels of antioxidants called polyphenols or flavonoids. These compounds are most prevalent in green and white teas, but are also present in varying degrees in Oolongs and black teas. In the processing of black teas another antioxidant is formed – theaflavin. This is weaker than the polyphenols in Green teas, but still performs antioxidant activities in laboratory experiments. Polyphenols scavenge cell-damaging free radicals, which are linked with cancer-causing genes and cause LDL cholesterol to form artery-clogging plaque. The polyphenols in tea possess 20 to 30 times the antioxidant potency of vitamins C and E. Antioxidants impair the ability of free radical cells to harm the molecules that make up our bodies.

Nutrients

Tea is a dietary source of important vitamins and minerals. Tea contains Carotene, a precursor to vitamin A; Thiamin (vitamin B1); Riboflavin (vitamin B2); Nicotinic acid, Pantothenic acid, Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin B6; Folic acid; Manganese, Potassium, and Fluoride.

Caffeine

In moderation caffeine can be a benefit – stimulating the metabolism, increasing brain function and alertness. However, the stress of modern life, and the prevalence of coffee and caffeinated colas, has lead people to caffeine overload. The typical cup of coffee has approximately 125-185 milligrams of caffeine. With In Pursuit of Tea full leaf products you can expect a range of about 45-60 milligrams of caffeine for black teas, 35-45 milligrams for Oolong teas, and 15-20 milligrams for green and white teas. Please remember that these are typical levels. Depending upon the type of tea and how it is prepared, caffeine levels can be significantly greater or lower than outlined here. Caffeine is water soluble, so if you lower the water temperature used, less caffeine will be released. For those of you needing a powerful lift in the morning, some of our black teas, brewed appropriately, can have as much caffeine as a cup of the strongest coffee! Because caffeine from tea does not take effect for 10-15 minutes, it provides more of a subtle lift – not the rapid jolt in a cup of coffee. As we like to say “Tea makes you happy; coffee makes you nervous”.

The effect of caffeine is also complemented by another compound found only in tea, theophylline. While caffeine primarily is active in the brain and muscles, theophylline is active in stimulating the respiratory system, heart and kidneys. This corresponds to research that tea is helpful in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.

The Process of Decaf

Two processes are used for decaffeinating tea. One, which makes use of the solvent ethyl acetate, retains only 30 percent of the polyphenols. The other is a preferable, natural process that uses only water and carbon dioxide and is called “effervescence.” It retains 95 percent of the polyphenols. Be sure to check labels to see which process was used. If it isn’t
specified, you’ll have to contact the manufacturer to find out.

Sea cucumbers could provide a potential new weapon to block transmission of the malaria parasite, a study suggests.
The slug-like creature produces a protein, lectin, which impairs development of the parasites.

An international team genetically engineered mosquitoes – which carry the malaria parasite – to produce the same protein in their gut when feeding.

The PLoS Pathogens study found the protein disrupted development of the parasites inside the insects’ stomach.

Ultimately, one aim of our field is to find a way of genetically engineering mosquitoes so that the malaria parasite cannot develop inside them – Professor Bob Sinden, Imperial College London

Malaria causes severe illness in 500 million people worldwide each year, and kills more than one million.

It is estimated that 40% of the world’s population are at risk of the disease.
To stimulate the mosquitoes to produce lectin, the researchers fused part of the gene from the sea cucumber which produces the protein with a gene from the insect.

The results showed that the technique was effective against several of the parasites which cause malaria.

Lectin is poisonous to the parasites when they are still in an early stage of development called an ookinete.

Usually, the ookinetes migrate through the mosquito’s stomach wall, and produce thousands of daughter cells which invade the salivary glands, and infect a human when the mosquito takes a blood meal. But when exposed to lectin the ookinetes are killed before they can start their deadly journey.

Researcher Professor Bob Sinden, from Imperial College London, said: “These results are very promising and show that genetically engineering mosquitoes in this way has a clear impact on the parasites’ ability to multiply inside the mosquito host.”

You would have to get the modified version to become the predominant species, and that has never been done in any setting before – Dr Ron Behrens,  London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

However, he said much more work still had to be done before the technique could be used to curb the spread of malaria.

“Although the sea cucumber protein significantly reduced the number of parasites in mosquitoes, it did not totally remove them from all insects.
“At the current stage of development, the genetically modified mosquitoes would remain dangerous to humans.

“Ultimately, one aim of our field is to find a way of genetically engineering mosquitoes so that the malaria parasite cannot develop inside them.”

Professor Sanjeev Krishna, an expert in malaria at St George’s Hospital Medical School, London, said new treatments for malaria were vital, as there was some sign that the parasites which cause the disease were developing resistance to the current artemisinin drugs.

He said: “This is a very important first step in developing a potential new way to control this infection.”

Dr Ron Behrens, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the technique showed promise in theory – but he warned that introducing genetically modified mosquitoes could be fraught with practical difficulties.

“You would have to get the modified version to become the predominant species, and that has never been done in any setting before,” he said.

Professor Brian Greenwood, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “This is elegant science but only one of the ways that have been found to inhibit development of the malaria parasite in the mosquito midgut using genetic manipulation.

“The key factor that will determine whether these approaches will ever become a practical malaria control tool is finding a way of ensuring that the genetically engineered mosquitoes take over from the wild ones.”

Sea Cucumber Product

Now days people has created many kind of product based on sea cucumber extract, one of these product is Gold-G sea cucumber gelly.  You can view more detail about ths product at Biofir Center.

from : BBC health, BiofirCenter.com