Here’s Why Drinking Tea Keeps Your Brain Healthy
Both green and black tea leaves are harvested from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. While both teas seem to have certain health benefits, the heating and drying process that creates green tea results in higher levels of compounds associated with improved brain function. A 2017 review of more than 100 studies found that green tea may help reduce anxiety and improve both memory and attention. Antioxidants are the most abundant beneficial compounds in tea, but the studies indicate that the amino acid L-theanine in combination with caffeine may be more closely linked to tea’s mental health benefits. Early studies also suggest that these compounds may help ward off depression and dementia.
Flavanols, another set of bioactive compounds in tea, have also been shown to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. While more rigorous studies are needed, many scientists agree that drinking tea certainly can’t hurt. Ask anyone from the UK, and they’ll agree, as even the ritual of afternoon tea offers a mental health break. According to the UK’s Tea Advisory Panel, average daily intake has now reached 100 million cups. Tea consumption is up in the US, too, from 12.7 ounces per person per year in 2007 to 14 ounces in 2019, according to United Nations data. As tea consumption continues to increase globally and in recognition of tea’s health benefits, the United Nations has designated May 21 as “International Tea Day.”
Indonesian Wildlife Market Urged To Close Amid Pandemic
Indonesia’s wildlife markets may pose a continued threat of spreading pathogens, despite the ban on wildlife trade for consumption instituted in nearby China. In the Indonesian city of Tomohon, butchers still prepare bats, rats, snakes, and lizards removed from the wildlands of North Sulawesi. Some butchers also slaughter dogs, sometimes taken from city streets. In light of the coronavirus, animal rights activists have increased pressure on local officials to close the popular bazaar, known as the Tomohon Extreme Meat Market.
Many local Indonesians believe that wild animals have medicinal benefits. Bats, for instance, are said to cure asthma, and bat meat is sold regularly along with snake meat in North Sulawesi supermarkets. Convincing officials to close wet markets or prevent the sale of bat meat may face some cultural hurdles, especially since the origin of the novel coronavirus remains unknown. While scientists point to similarities between the novel coronavirus and known coronaviruses in animals—particularly bats—no peer-reviewed scientific research, global public health agency, or academic expert has confirmed this hypothesis. Nonetheless, Indonesia now has the second highest number of COVID-19 fatalities in East Asia with 1,028 deaths and 15,438 reported cases. In a letter to the Indonesian president, a coalition of animal rights groups called Dog Meat Free Indonesia urged the leader to close the Tomohon Extreme Meat Market, adding, “If we do not act, the question is not whether another similar pandemic will emerge, but when.”
Filtered Coffee May Offer The Most Health Benefits
A 20-year study recently published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology claims that filtered coffee may lengthen your life compared to unfiltered coffee. The study observed over half a million Norwegian men and women between the ages of 20 and 79. Over a 20-year period, drinking filtered coffee was related to a 15% reduced risk of death from any cause, compared to drinking boiled or pressed unfiltered coffee, which increased the risk of death in men aged 60 and above.
Specifically, drinking filtered coffee was associated with a 12% reduction in risk of death from heart disease among men and 20% reduction among women. In the study, those drinking one to four cups of filtered coffee a day had the lowest rates of mortality. Study author Dag Thelle noted that filtering coffee removes substances that elevate “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and explained how the study results are not due to variables such as age, gender, or lifestyle habits.
This 20-year study adds detail to previous studies revealing coffee’s health benefits, such as the 2017 umbrella study in The British Medical Journal that examined more than 200 meta-analyses and found that drinking three to four cups of black coffee a day may help lower the risks of heart disease, numerous types of cancer, and various neurological and metabolic disorders, as well as overall mortality.
Food and Packaging Are Low Risk For Coronavirus Transmission, Says FDA
As the pandemic continues, consumers have been anxious about contracting the virus from food, food packaging, and other packaged goods. In light of these concerns, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently reiterated their guidelines assuring those concerned that there is a very low risk for contracting the virus through food or packaging.
“We want to reassure consumers that there is currently no evidence of human or animal food or food packaging being associated with transmission of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19,” the FDA wrote in a news release. With no evidence pointing to food products and packaging transmitting the virus, experts say you may want to concern yourself more with the act of going to the store. “You’re really more likely to get it from going to the grocery store and touching a dirty handle or doorknob and then touching your face,” NBC investigative and consumer correspondent Vicky Nguyen said.
Disinfecting packages before touching, washing hands as soon you get home, and even leaving groceries out for 24 hours to kill a potential live virus are among the other risk-reducing strategies mentioned.
