The Benefit of Drinking Water Therapy

Currently many different types of known water therapy. But there is one type of water therapy is easy to do, that is drinking water therapy. If you see the functions and benefits of water for the body, said therapy is indeed very healthy and can encourage growing of various disease, such as diabetes, Asthma, Bronchitis, diarrhea, tuberculosis, rheumatism, kidney stones, Less Blood, High Blood, hemorrhoid, Constipation, Coughing , sore throat, and so forth. Therapy drinking water since the white has been done by the first ancestor, the name "usha paana chikitsa".

The vital functions of water in human body

Water is the main component of the human body. Do you know if this liquid take variety of vital functions . Water bodies vary according to age. Fetus in the womb, the mother consists of 100% water, while a new born baby is comprised of 75% water. While adults consisting of 60% water and the elderly comprised 50% of the water.
So the importance of water in the body so that only a little short of measure, the body can experience a variety of health problems. Not merely a matter of measure, existence may be spelled out very important activities in the body. As a variety of vital functions such as:

1. As a solvent and transport equipment the nutrient. Substances-vitamin and hormone bring this in to all the body parts that need.

2. As a catalyst that simplify and accelerate many biological reactions in the body, including in the alimentary tract.

3. As a lubricant base-base joints of the body so that it does not rub against each other and can move freely

4. Self as Body Temperature of water have the ability to distribute heat, so that play an important role in distributing heat in the body.

5. Reduce impact on the surface of the body organs that are soft and muted to avoid the impact that can cause damage.

6. Maintain Health And Beauty Body therapy with the use of water internally with drinking water or external as treatment of disease. This is because water is drunk enough, and with the correct method can purify poison-poison found in the body.

Grapefruit Juice -- The Facts About It Interactions with Certain Medications

Researchers have identified that chemical as the one that allows grapefruit juice to interact with certain medications. The furanocoumarins in the grapefruit juice are metabolized by the enzyme cytochrome P450 3A4. That enzyme exists in the cells of the intestine. Grapefruit juice can decrease its intestinal activity. The enzymes in the liver must then focus on breaking down the furanocoumarins in the grapefruit juice.

The liver also contains cytochrome P450. Because the liver contains that enzyme, it can breakdown many of the medications that enter the body. The liver metabolizes those medications, creating their disease-fighting or condition-preventing components.

Scientists have known for a while about the ability of grapefruit juice to interact with certain drugs. A clinical trial first brought such interactions to light. During a clinical trial for calcium blockers, the research team wanted to disguise the alcohol aftertaste left by the drug. They did not want trial participants to know whether or not they had received the drug.

Grapefruit and drug interactions The following drugs are known to have potentially serious interactions with grapefruit products, tangelos and Seville oranges.
Drug name	Type of drug
Carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol)	An anti-seizure medication
Buspirone (BuSpar), clomipramine (Anafranil) and sertraline (Zoloft)	Antidepressants
Diazepam (Valium), triazolam (Halcion)	Tranquilizers
Felodipine (Plendil), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular) and possibly verapamil (Isoptin, Verelan)	Calcium channel blockers used to treat high blood pressure
Saquinavir (Invirase) and indinavir (Crixivan)	HIV medications
Simvastatin (Zocor), lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev) and atorvastatin (Lipitor), simvastatin-ezetimibe (Vytorin)	HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors used to treat high cholesterol
Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), tacrolimus (Prograf) and sirolimus (Rapamune)	Immunosuppressant drugs
Amiodarone (Cordarone)	A drug used to treat and prevent abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
Methadone	Pain relief medication
Sildenafil (Viagra)	Erectile dysfunction medication

Interaction with the calcium blockers

The clinical researchers decided to use grapefruit juice as the "cover-up substance." They then found that the grapefruit juice could interact with the calcium blockers. Scientists have since found dozens of other medications that can interact with grapefruit juice.

Interaction with certain drugs used to lower the blood level of cholesterol

As the liver works to breakdown the grapefruit juice, the drug builds-up in the body. That leads to a breakdown of the body muscles. The breakdown products flood the urinary system, and that can cause a catastrophic kidney failure.

Interaction with certain antibiotics

A patient on clanthromycin, erythromycin or troleandomycin should be counseled against drinking grapefruit juice. The combination of antibiotic and grapefruit juice can cause diarrhea. The interaction of the juice with the drug can slow the drug's ability to fight the infectious organism.

Usually the pharmacist puts a warning label on medications that interact with grapefruit juice. Unfortunately, a number of patients fail to heed or even read such labels. In a hospital setting, a person on erythromycin might be told not to order grapefruit juice. Still, an unknowing hospital volunteer might offer that patient a cup of juice-grapefruit juice.

Interaction with the antiepileptic drug carbamazeprine

Such a drug might be used as an alternative to a more common antiepileptic, such as phenytoin. That substitution might occur if a woman on phenytoin has chosen to become pregnant. Her doctor might warn her not to drink grapefruit juice, since juice would seem like a "good" drink for a pregnant woman.

Interaction with certain the treat high blood pressure drugs

That interaction can produce irregular heart rhythms. Ironically, some blood pressure medications lower the level of potassium in the body. That can be corrected by eating a different fruit-a banana.

Interaction with the drugs sisdenafil and tadalafil

Those names probably mean little to the average reader. The reader would certainly recognize the names on the medications that contain those two chemicals-Viagra and Cialis.

Men have yet another reason to keep in mind the ability of grapefruit juice to interact with certain drugs. Grapefruit juice interacts with finasteride, a drug used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Sugestion to Avoid Serious Interactions

If you take any of these drugs, you should completely avoid grapefruit products, tangelos and Seville oranges, unless otherwise directed by your doctor. Waiting to take these medications, ”even up to 24 hours”, after you drink grapefruit juice will not prevent an interaction.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have concerns about the effect of grapefruit products on any of the medications you take.

From many source

Grapefruit Juice -- Drug Interactions

Fenomenon Diet of the 80s

In 80s, we can say that if you wanted guaranteed weight loss, the grapefruit diet was the plan to follow. Providing no more than 800 calories a day, the grapefruit diet menu involved eating lots of 'fat-burning' grapefruit to kick-start your metabolism. It same as much black coffee as you liked, some daily protein (mainly boiled eggs) and the odd piece of dry toast.

At the time, nutrition experts dismissed it as another fad diet. They explaining that the 'fat-burning' properties of grapefruit were, in fact, a myth and any weight loss that occurred was due to the extremely low and potentially dangerous calorie intake.

The Warning

But two decades on, it seems these nutritionists may need to rethink their views on the popularity of grapefruit as a 'diet food' if the results of a study published earlier this year to be believed. The latest research, the simple act of adding grapefruit and grapefruit juice to your diet, really can aid weight loss. But unlike the seriously restricted diet of the 80s, you get these results without changing what else you eat.

While this research might tempt you to fill up on grapefruit to boost your weight loss campaign, if you’re taking any medications you might want to speak to your GP first or check the literature that comes with your medication.

This is because a wealth of research shows that grapefruit juice can interact with a number of medications, potentially causing serious side effects. It works by inhibiting an enzyme in the intestines that’s responsible for the natural breakdown and absorption of many medications. When the action of this enzyme is blocked, blood levels of these medications increase and this can lead to potentially toxic side effects.

Research suggests that flavonoids and/or furanocoumarin compounds are the substances in grapefruit juice that block the enzyme in the intestines. Many drugs appear to be affected by grapefruit juice so if you are taking any medication, it’s essential to check whether you can safely consume grapefruit juice. In the meantime, it’s likely that grapefruit segments may also interact with certain medications so you’d be wise to consult your GP before eating lots of grapefruit. Other citrus fruits don’t seem to have any effect.

The Research

Grapefruit juice provides many nutrients, such as vitamin C and lycopene. But chemicals in grapefruit interfere with the enzymes that break down (metabolize) certain drugs in your digestive system. This can result in excessively high levels of these drugs in your blood and an increased risk of serious side effects.

The exact chemicals in grapefruit juice that cause this interaction aren't known. But these chemicals are present in the pulp and peel of grapefruit as well as in the juice. For this reason, any grapefruit products can interact with certain medications. Include dietary supplements that contain grapefruit bioflavonoids. If you avoid grapefruit, you may also want to avoid tangelos, a hybrid grapefruit, and Seville oranges, a type of bitter orange often used to make marmalade and compotes. They may have a similar effect.

The study included 100 obese people who were divided into three groups. The first group ate half a grapefruit before each meal three times a day. The second group drank grapefruit juice before each meal. The third group received no grapefruit. No other changes were made to their diets.

After 12 weeks, those participants who ate grapefruit with each meal lost, on average 3.6lb. Only a third of a pound a week, but pretty good considering they didn't make any other changes to their diet. Meanwhile, those who drank grapefruit juice three times a day lost 3.3lb in the 12 weeks. By comparison, the grapefruit-free participants lost, on average, only 0.5lb.

But weight loss wasn't the only health benefit seen when grapefruit or the juice was consumed. The research also found the grapefruit-consuming participants had lower levels of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels and fat metabolism, which in turn might help to reduce the risk of diabetes or stroke.

The Theory

The researchers believe grapefruit contains unique plant compounds that reduce insulin levels, which in turn promotes weight loss.

The link between raised insulin levels and excess weight is complicated and multifaceted. To start with, high levels of insulin may indicate that sugar isn't efficiently utilised for energy with the result that it's more likely to be stored as fat. Secondly, high levels of insulin can make people feel hungry so that they eat more. And finally, high levels of insulin prevent the body from breaking down fat. Add these together, and it's easy to see why lower levels of insulin may promote weight loss. What exactly it is in grapefruit that has this insulin-lowering effect remains unclear.

Care needs to be taken when interpreting the results. It's the first study of it's kind and even the researchers believe more work needs to be carried out before recommendations are made regarding grapefruit intake. Fortunately, a larger study is already planned for later this year.

When it comes to reducing the risk of diabetes, experts also believe we should err on the side of caution before recommending vast amounts of grapefruit.

Nutrition experts also agree that more research is needed before rushing out to stock up on grapefruit. Most tend to agree with the nutritionalists of the 80s and say it's unlikely that grapefruit has any magical properties in terms of aiding weight loss in the absence of other diet or lifestyle changes. It's perhaps more likely that participant’s lost weight simply because they were taking part in a study and, as a result, were more focussed on their food intake and exercise habits.

From many source

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) -- History, Applications and Current Recommendations

The Dietary Reference Intake is a system of nutrition recommendations from the Institute of Medicine of the USA National Academy (IOM). The DRI system is used by both the United States and Canada. It is intended for the general public and health professionals.

History

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) was developed during World War II by Lydia J. Roberts, Hazel K. Stiebeling and Helen S. Mitchell, all part of a committee established by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in order to investigate issues of nutrition that might "affect national defense" (Nestle, 35). The committee was renamed the Food and Nutrition Board in 1941, after which they began to deliberate on a set of recommendations of a standard daily allowance for each type of nutrient. The standards would be used for nutrition recommendations for the armed forces, for civilians, and for overseas population who might need food relief. Roberts, Stiebeling, and Mitchell surveyed all available data, created a tentative set of allowances for "energy and eight nutrients", and submitted them to experts for review (Nestle, 35). The final set of guidelines, called RDAs for Recommended Dietary Allowances, were accepted in 1941. The allowances were meant to provide superior nutrition for civilians and military personnel, so they included a "margin of safety." Because of food rationing during the war, the food guides created by government agencies to direct citizens' nutritional intake also took food availability into account.

The Food and Nutrition Board subsequently revised the RDAs every five to ten years. In the early 1950s, USDA nutritionists made a new set of guidelines that also included the number of servings of each food group in order to make it easier for people to receive their RDAs of each nutrient.

Applications

Applications include:

• Food labels in the United States and Canada
• Composition of diets for schools, prisons, hospitals or nursing homes
• Industries developing new food stuffs
• Healthcare policy makers and public health officials

In 1997, at the suggestion of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy, the RDA became one part of a broader, more detailed set of dietary guidelines, called the Dietary Reference Intake.

Current recommendations

The current Dietary Reference Intake recommendation is composed of:

• Estimated Average Requirements (EAR), expected to satisfy the needs of 50% of the people in that age group.
• Reference Daily Intake (RDI), the daily dietary intake level of a nutrient considered sufficient to meet the requirements of nearly all (97–98%) healthy individuals in each life-stage and gender group.
• Adequate Intake (AI), where no RDI has been established, but the amount established is somewhat less firmly believed to be adequate for everyone in the demographic group.
• Tolerable upper intake levels (UL), to caution against excessive intake of nutrients (like vitamin D) that can be harmful in large amounts.

The RDI is used to determine the Recommended Daily Value (RDV) which is printed on food labels in the U.S. and Canada.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org
pic: http://www.rhs.org.uk

Matching Tea with Food

Exploring the world of connoisseur-level teas is as intoxicating as that other beverage: Wine. For wine lovers, the current fashion is not to insist that whites pair up with poultry nor drink only reds with meat. This has led to many adventuresome pairings and new taste sensations.

Fortunately, teas pairings are also open to exploration. Anyone who says blacks are only for entrees or that greens must stand alone, haven't had the pleasure (or perhaps the opportunity) to pair a wide variety of teas with every part of a menu.

Greens like Dragonwell or Sencha are wonderful with seafood or fish fillets, salads, or chicken. Blacks like Ceylon or Assam from India are soft accompaniments to beef or steak dishes or spicy foods from Mexican, Italian, or Indian cuisine. Although it is traditional to have Oolongs with Chinese dishes, one may argue that rich black Yunnan or Keemun teas offer more complexity and layers to the experience of tea pairings.

Formosa Oolong and Pouchong teas seem to demand solo drinking, quiet, and something restful to look upon. However, oolongs are delicious in many foods. Try them to flavor liquids used for cooking rice or grains. They add a wonderful punch, and like all tea, no calories, sodium, or sugar!

For desserts, seek out the chocolatey essence of a Golden Monkey. This exquisite Chinese tea is hearty, rich, and tastes perfect when infused into baked custards, chocolate cakes, or drunk as a beverage with a rich dense strawberry shortcake. Assam is another rich black tea that complements chocolate desserts yet is a surprising foil against lemony or custard dishes.

As a digestive, nothing is better, more satisfying or more calming than an aged Chinese Pu-erh, the darker, the stronger, the better. The only intentionally aged tea, it is particularly good after a multiple-course feast like a Thanksgiving or similar heavy holiday meal. If you're a milk-and-cookies snacker before bedtime, try a Fruit Medley herbal infusion instead. You'll sleep better, and will wake up feeling great.

source: www.adagio.com

Alcohol kills faster than ecstasy

A new drug list was revised by Britain's drug experts to reveal that alcohol and tobacco put your health at greater risk than such dangerous drugs as LSD, cannabis and ecstasy.

Experts conducted a new all-compassing research with the government top advisory committee involved to make a shocking conclusion on the harm of regular tobacco and alcohol.

A modern classification of drugs doesn't reflect the real situation on harmful substances. Thus more than 20 drugs were tested on their social and individual impact and results lead to revision of ABC system.

A team of 29 psychiatrists took part in the the study to classify all drugs into nine groups that were analyzed on the physical harm, addiction and social danger. Another group consisted of 16 experts did the research in several fields including chemistry, pharmacology, psychiatry and legal field to say a final word on drug ranking.

According to this new drug list, alcohol is named A drug. It slightly outruns heroin and cocaine. Tobacco was placed ninth and fell within a category B drug, after amphetamine. Such dangerous drugs as cannabis, LSD, ecstasy were left far near the end of the drug list.

This latest study raised the question that government's drug policy was not paying enough attention to modern state of affairs and didn't take notice of the scientific findings.

There should be no surprise that ecstasy drug was placed almost at the end of the list. One person a day dies from acute alcohol poisoning in comparison to 10 people a year who die from ecstasy overdose.

A new classification brings to light many issues concerning drug policy with a more thoughtful approach and corresponding legal response.

Tea -- Best Teas Come from Asia

Tea is produced in over thirty countries around the world, though the finest comes from just five: India, Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan and Japan. Home to most of the world's tea drinkers, these countries continue to pay much attention to how tea is grown and processed. In many, tea continues to be produced by hand in accordance with age-old traditions.

China
is the birthplace of tea and continues to produce more intricate varieties than any other country. Prior to WWII, nearly half the world's output originated here, but now it accounts for less than ten percent, and has fallen into second place, behind India. Green teas account for almost two-third of Chinese crop. The relatively short tea season is divided into three pickings: 'first spring' in April when the delicate leaf buds appear, 'second spring' in early June when the bushes are full, and the less interesting 'third spring' in July. The most famous Chinese teas are Keemun, (black), Dragonwell (green) and Ti Kuan Yin (oolong).

India
is the world's largest tea producer, accounting for about a third of the world's total. However, the size of its population, and the latter's large appetite for tea, means that only about half of it is available for export. Famous growing regions include Darjeeling, Assam and Nilgiri, and they produce nearly all black tea. Tea continues to be cultivated on small family plots, which number close to forty thousand.

Sri Lanka
often called Ceylon - its old colonial name, is the third largest producer of tea in the world. It is a relative newcomer, growing tea for little over one hundred years. The three famous growing regions are Dimbula, Uva and Nuwara Eliya. Most of the Ceylon tea gardens are situated at elevations between 3,000 and 8,000 feet, where the hot and steamy weather makes the tea bushes flush every seven to eight days. The teas are generally classified by altitude; higher-grown generally regarded as superior.

Japan
is a sizeable producer of almost exclusively green tea. However, because it is a nation of many (and voracious) tea drinkers, only about 2 percent of Japan's crop is available for export. The most famous of teas to escape are Sencha, Genmai Cha and Gyokuro. Japan's role in the world of tea, however, is disproportionate to the size of its crop. Tea plays a very import role in this country's art, philosophy, history and daily life. World famous is its spiritual dedication to the esthetics of tea, known as the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Taiwan
is often called Formosa, a name given it by Portuguese traders, meaning "beautiful island." The bulk of the tea produced here is oolong, a cross between black and green. In the early years of its economic growth, much of Taiwan's tea was exported. However, recent economic prosperity had produced a local population with a taste for what many consider to be the world's finest oolongs. Presently, only about two percent of the island's famous teas are exported. These fall into three categories: dark oolongs, jade oolongs, and the almost-green pouchong tea.

source: http://www.adagio.com

Tea -- Must to Know

Gourmet vs. Supermarket Tea

Remember when your choice of coffee ranged from Folgers to Sanka? And then Starbucks came along to show how much better it can be. The same is true of tea. The varieties on offer in your supermarket are the bottom of the barrel: low-quality bags containing tea dust - the tiny leaf particles that break off when tea leaves are processed. They'll add color to your cup, but not much flavor. A far cry from the abundance of flavor and intoxicating aroma found in a cup of full-leaf gourmet tea. Chances are, you are no longer drinking Sanka. Once you try our teas, you will not wish to drink anything sold in the supermarket either.

Keep Air and Light Out

Tea tastes best when consumed within a year after production. To shield tea against the damaging effects of air and light, it should be stored in opaque and airtight canisters. Metal tins seem to function best in this role. Most of our teas, including the one-ounce samples, are available in the airtight, UV-blocking tins pictured here.

Two Factors: Time and Temperature

Suggested ratio is one teaspoon of leaves per cup of water. However, the light and voluminous teas will taste best with twice that. To steep, please use boiling water (212F) when preparing black, dark oolong and herbal teas. And it's important to use cooler (180F) water when steeping green, light oolong and white teas. And remember to not over-steep, or your tea will taste bitter. Rule of thumb is 5 min. for most black, 7 min. for dark oolong and white, and only 3 min. for light oolong and green teas.

Assuring the proper temperature for green tea is easy with our variable-temperature kettle and electric tea maker. Both permit you to set the goal of 180F to assure a perfect cup of green or white tea.

source: http://www.adagio.com

Tea -- Various of

Determine final classification

How the leaves are processed will determine their final classification as black, green, and oolong teas. The main difference between the many tea varieties is how much oxygen the leaves are allowed to absorb during processing.

• Much oxygen produces dark-colored black teas.
• Little oxygen results in green tea.
• Unprocessed leaves are called white tea.

Varieties of tea

Black tea
Undergoes a full fermentation process composed of four basic steps - withering, rolling, fermenting, and firing (or drying). First, the plucked leaves are spread out to wither. The withered leaves are then rolled, in order to release the chemicals within the leaf that are essential to its final color and flavor. The rolled leaves are spread out once more to absorb oxygen (oxidize), causing the leaves to turn from green to coppery red. Finally, the oxidized leaves are fired in order to arrest fermentation, turning the leaf black and giving it the recognizable tea scent.

Green tea
is often referred to as "unfermented" tea. The freshly picked leaves are allowed to dry, then are heat-treated to stop any fermentation (also referred to as oxidation). In China, traditional hand-making methods are still employed in many places, particularly in the manufacture of the finest green teas you'll find offered here.

Oolong tea
is generally referred to as "semi-fermented" tea and is principally manufactured in China and Taiwan (often called Formosa, its old Dutch name). For the manufacture of oolongs, the leaves are wilted in direct sunlight, then shaken in bamboo baskets to lightly bruise the edges. Next, the leaves are spread out to dry until the surface of the leaf turns slightly yellow. Oolongs are always whole leaf teas, never broken by rolling. The least fermented of oolong teas, almost green in appearance, is called Pouchong.

White tea
is produced on a very limited scale in China and India. It is the least processed of its many varieties. The new tea buds are plucked before they open and simply allowed to dry. The curled-up buds have a silvery appearance and produce a pale and very delicate cup of tea. We invite you to view photos and descriptions of individual white teas.

Scented tea
is created when the additional flavorings are mixed with the leaf as a final stage before the tea is packed. For Jasmine tea, whole jasmine blossoms are added to green or oolong tea. Fruit-flavored teas are generally made by combining a fruit's essential oils with black tea from China or Sri Lanka. We invite you to view photos and descriptions of individual flavored teas.

source: http://www.adagio.com
picture: http://buywellness.com

Tea -- Common Ingredients

LOOSE vs BAGS
Tea made from loose leaves has more antioxidants than tea bags, which tend to have lower-quality, powdered leaves. Prevention, April 2003

BLACK vs GREEN
Black tea is turning out to be just as healthful as green tea. Univ of California Wellness Letter, March 2002

One cup of black or green tea has more antioxidant power than a serving of broccoli, carrots, or spinach. Prevention, Aug 1998

DECAF TEA
Tea decaffeinated using a natural CO-2 process retains 90% of its cancer-fighting properties. Prevention, Feb 2000

Java junkies, perk up: Substituting tea for coffee will cut your caffeine intake by more than half. Prevention, May 96

WHITE TEA
White tea appears to have more potent anticancer qualities than green tea. Reuters Health, March 30, 2000

Tea -- The Benefits

Tea is good for you. What are the scientifically recognized benefits of tea? The following is a brief synopsis of the latest findings.

AGING
If you are the type to fret over the appearance of wrinkles, age spots and other signs of growing old, oolong tea may be the answer to your worries. In a recent experiment carried out jointly by researchers from the US, Taiwan and Japan, mice which were fed tea displayed fewer signs of aging than mice that were fed water. The Straits Times, Sept. 24, 01

ALLERGIES
The wonder cup just got even more wonderful. Green tea, rich in antioxidant treasures that protect against heart disease and cancer, now shows promise as an allergy fighter. In laboratory tests, Japanese researchers have found that the antioxidants in green tea, block the biochemical process involved in producing an allergic response. Green tea may be useful against a wide range of sneeze-starting allergens, including pollen, pet dander, and dust. Prevention, April 2003

ARTHRITIS
Green tea catechins are chondroprotective and consumption of green tea may be prophylactic for arthritis and may benefit the arthritis patient by reducing inflammation and slowing cartilage breakdown. The Journal of Nutrition, Mar 2002

Green tea may be useful in controlling inflammation from injury or diseases such as arthritis. Boston Globe, April 26, 99

BONE STRENGTH
Tea flavonoids may be bone builders. A report in this week's Archives of Internal Medicine looked at about 500 Chinese men and women who regularly drank black, green, or oolong tea for more than 10 years. Compared with nonhabitual tea drinkers, tea regulars had higher bone mineral densities, even after exercise and calcium-which strengthen bones-were taken into account. U.S. News & World Report, May 20, 2002

CANCER
"Tea is one of the single best cancer fighters you can put in your body," according to Mitchell Gaynor, MD, director of medical oncology at the world-renowned Strong Cancer Prevention Center in New York City and co-author of Dr. Gaynor's Cancer Prevention Program. The latest tea discovery? Strong evidence that both green and black tea can fight cancer-at least in the test tube-though green tea holds a slight edge. In a new study, both teas kept healthy cells from turning malignant after exposure to cancer-causing compounds. Prevention, May 2000

People who drink about 4 cups of green tea a day seem to get less cancer. Now we may know why. In recent test-tube studies, a compound called EGCG, a powerful antioxidant in tea, inhibited an enzyme that cancer cells need in order to grow. The cancer cells that couldn't grow big enough to divide self-destructed. It would take about 4 cups of green tea a day to get the blood levels of EGCG that inhibited cancer in the study. Black tea also contains EGCG, but at much lower concentrations. Prevention, Aug 1999

CHOLESTEROL
Tea can lower 'bad' cholesterol levels. Researchers at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland, asked test subjects to eat low-fat, low-calorie prepared meals and drink five cups of caffeinated tea or caffeinated and non-caffeinated placebos that mimicked the look of tea. Levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol dropped 10 percent among the test subjects who drank tea. Vegetarian Times, Jan 2003

HEART DISEASE
Drinking black tea may lower the risk of heart disease because it prevents blood from clumping and forming clots. In a recent study, researchers found that while drinking black tea, the participants had lower levels of the blood protein associated with coagulation. Better Nutrition, Jan 2002

Better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one,� says a Chinese proverb. Research is showing it may just be true. Dr. Kenneth Mukamal of Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center reported that out of 1,900 heart-attack patients, those who drank two or more cups a day reduced their risks of dying over the next 3.8 years by 44 percent. Newsweek, May 20, 2002

WEIGHT LOSS
Trying to lose weight? Reach for a cup of green tea instead of a diet beverage. Compared to the placebo and caffeine, green tea extract consumption produced a significant 4% increase in 24-hour energy expenditure. If you consume 2,000 calories per day and don't gain or lose weight (you're in energy balance), an increase of 4% would translate roughly into an 80-calorie daily difference. Over a year, this could result in 89 pounds of weight loss. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Nov 1999

Recent evidence shows that in the battle of fat loss, green tea may be superior to plain caffeine. According to a new study, green tea appears to accelerate calorie burning - including fat calories. Researchers suggest compounds in green tea called flavonoids may change how the body uses a hormone called norepinephrine, which then speeds the rate calories are burned. Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness, April 2000

source: http://www.adagio.com
picture: http://www.wrapables.com

Alcohol -- Top 10 Consuming Countries

Top 10 Alcohol Consuming Countries on per capita Basis Country / Consumption in Gallons of absolute or pure alcohol.

1. Portugal 2.98

2. Luxembourg 2.95

3. France 2.87

4. Hungary 2.66
5. Spain 2.66
6. Czech Republic 2.64
7. Denmark 2.61
8. Germany 2.50
9. Austria 2.50
10. Switzerland 2.43

Source: http://www2.potsdam.edu

Alcohol -- Facts & Fiction

This page corrects common alcohol and drinking myths, with research based facts and statistics.

Myth: Alcohol destroys brain cells.
Fact:
The moderate consumption of alcohol does not destroy brain cells. In fact it is often associated with improved cognitive (mental) functioning.

Myth: White wine is a good choice for a person who wants a light drink with less alcohol.
Fact:
A glass of white or red wine, a bottle of beer, and a shot of whiskey or other distilled spirits all contain equivalent amounts of alcohol and are they same to a Breathalyzer. A standard drink is:

* A 12-ounce bottle or can of regular beer
* A 5-ounce glass of wine
* A one and 1/2 ounce of 80 proof distilled spirits (either straight or in a mixed drink).

Myth: A "beer belly" is caused by drinking beer.
Fact:
A "beer belly" is caused by eating too much food. No beer or other alcohol beverage is necessary.

Myth: Switching between beer, wine and spirits will lead to intoxication more quickly than sticking to one type of alcohol beverage.
Fact:
The level of blood alcohol content (BAC) is what determines sobriety or intoxication. Remember that a standard drink of beer, wine, or spirits contain equivalent amounts of alcohol. Alcohol is alcohol and a drink is a drink.

Myth: Drinking coffee will help a drunk person sober up.
Fact:
Only time can sober up a person...not black coffee, cold showers, exercise, or any other common "cures." Alcohol leaves the body of virtually everyone at a constant rate of about .015 percent of blood alcohol content (BAC) per hour. Thus, a person with a BAC of .015 would be completely sober in an hour while a person with a BAC of ten times that (.15) would require 10 hours to become completely sober. This is true regardless of sex, age, weight, and similar factors.

Myth: Drinking long enough will cause a person to become alcoholic.
Fact:
There is simply no scientific basis for this misperception, which appears to have its origin in temperance and prohibitionist ideology.

Myth: Drinking alcohol causes weight gain.
Fact:
This is a very commonly believed myth, even among medical professionals, because alcohol has caloric value. However, extensive research around the world has found alcohol consumption be does not cause weight gain in men and is often associated with a small weight loss in women.

Myth: Alcohol stunts the growth of children and retards their development.
Fact:
Scientific medical research does not support this old temperance scare tactic promoted by the Women's Christian Temperance Union, the Anti-Saloon League, the Prohibition Party, and similar groups.

Myth: Binge drinking is an epidemic problem on college campuses.
Fact:
Binge drinking is clinically and commonly viewed as a period of extended intoxication lasting at least several days during which time the binger drops out of usual life activities. Few university students engage in such bingeing behavior. However, a number sometimes consume at least four drinks in day (or at least five for men). Although many of these young people may never even become intoxicated, they are branded as binge drinkers by some researchers. This practice deceptively inflates the number of apparent binge drinkers. In reality, the proportion of college students who drink continues to decline, as does the percentage of those who drink heavily.

Myth: Men and women of the same height and weight can drink the same.
Fact:
Women are affected more rapidly because they tend to have a slightly higher proportion of fat to lean muscle tissue, thus concentrating alcohol a little more easily in their lower percentage of body water. They also have less of an enzyme (dehydrogenase) that metabolizes or breaks down alcohol, 9 and hormonal changes during their menstrual cycle might also affect alcohol absorption to some degree. 10

Myth: A single sip of alcohol by a pregnant woman can cause her child to have fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
Fact:
Extensive medical research studying hundreds of thousands of women from around the world fails to find scientific evidence that light drinking, much less a sip of alcohol by an expectant mother, can cause fetal alcohol syndrome. Of course, the very safest choice would be to abstain during the period of gestation.

Myth: People who abstain from alcohol are "alcohol-free."
Fact:
Every person produces alcohol normally in the body 24 hours each and every day from birth until death. Therefore, we always have alcohol in our bodies. 11

Myth: Alcohol abuse is an increasing problem among young people.
Fact:
Heavy alcohol use among people in the US 17 years of age or younger actually dropped by an amazing two-thirds (65.9 percent) between 1985 and 1997, according to federal government research. 12 The proportion of young people who consumed any alcohol within the previous month dropped from 50% to 19% in about the same period. 13 Other federally funded research also documents the continuing decline in both drinking and drinking abuse among young people. 14 Similarly, alcohol-related traffic injuries and fatalities among young people continue to drop. Deaths associated with young drinking drivers aged 16 to 24 decreased almost half (47%) in a recent 15-year period.

Myth: People in the US are generally heavy consumers of alcohol.
Fact:
The US isn't even among the top ten alcohol consuming countries. Top 10 Alcohol Consuming Countries on per capita Basis Country / Consumption in Gallons of absolute or pure alcohol: At a consumption rate of only 1.74 per person, the US falls far down at 32nd on the list. 16

Myth: The US has very lenient underage drinking laws.
Fact:
The US has the most strict youth drinking laws in the Western world, including the highest minimum drinking age in the entire world. 17 And this is buttressed by a public policy

Myth: Alcohol advertising increases drinking problems.
Fact:
Hundreds of scientific research studies around the world have clearly demonstrated that alcohol advertising does not lead to increases in drinking abuse or drinking problems. Alcohol advertising continues because effective ads can increase a brand's share of the total market.

Myth: Bottles of tequila contain a worm.
Fact:
There is no worm in tequila. It's in mescal, a spirit beverage distilled from a different plant. And it's not actually a worm, but a butterfly caterpillar (Hipopta Agavis) called a gurano. 19

Myth: People who can "hold their liquor" are to be envied.
Fact:
People who can drink heavily without becoming intoxicated have probably developed a tolerance for alcohol, which can indicate the onset of dependency. 20

Myth: Many lives would be saved if everyone abstained from alcohol.
Fact:
Some lives would be saved from accidents now caused by intoxication and from health problems caused by alcohol abuse. However, many other lives would be lost from increases in coronary heart disease. For example, estimates from 13 studies suggest that as many as 135,884 additional deaths would occur each year in the US from coronary heart disease alone because of abstinence.

Myth: Drunkenness and alcoholism are the same thing.
Fact:
Many non-alcoholics on occasion become intoxicated or drunk. However, if they are not addicted to alcohol, they are not alcoholic. Of course, intoxication is never completely safe or risk-free and should be avoided. It is better either to abstain or to drink in moderation. While consuming alcohol sensibly is associated with better health and longer life, the abuse of alcohol is associated with many undesirable health outcomes.

Myth: Alcohol is the cause of alcoholism.
Fact:
As a governmental alcohol agency has explained, "Alcohol no more causes alcoholism than sugar causes diabetes." The agency points out that if alcohol caused alcoholism then all drinkers would be alcoholics. 22 In fact, a belief common among members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is that people are born alcoholic and are not caused to be alcoholic by alcohol or anything in their experience. They argue that many people are born and die alcoholic without ever having had a sip of alcohol. Of course, a person can't be a drinking or practicing alcoholic without alcohol.

Myth: If alcohol were less available there would be fewer alcoholics.
Fact:
This is an idea that has been tested through prohibition in the US and a number of other countries. There is no association between the availability of alcohol and alcoholism.

Myth: College life leads to drinking by most students who enter as abstainers.
Fact:
According to Federal statistics, most students arrive at college with prior drinking experience and te proportion of drinkers doesn't increase greatly during college.

Myth: Although not totally incorrect, but certainly not the whole truth, is the assertion that the younger children are when they have their first drink the more likely they are to experience drinking problems.
Fact:
Generally speaking, people who on their own begin drinking either much earlier or much later than their peers begin are more likely to experience subsequent drinking problems. 27 This appears to result from the fact that either behavior tends to reflect a tendency to be deviant. Therefore, delaying the age of first drink would not influence the incidence of drinking problems because it would not change the underlying predisposition to be deviant and to experience drinking problems. 28 And, of course, children who are taught moderation by their parents are less likely to abuse alcohol or have drinking problems.

Prohibition problems

Unfortunately, prohibition leads to a number of alcohol and other problems such as death and disability from contaminated illegal alcohol, the growth of organized crime, an increase in heavy drinking when alcohol can be obtained, a serious loss of tax revenue, the discouragement of moderation in consumption, a widespread disrespect for the law, and many other social ills.

Even if it were somehow possible to prohibit the consumption of alcohol, people who have emotional or psychological problems and need a "crutch" would simply turn to the abuse of other, frequently illegal, substances.

Source: http://www2.potsdam.edu

Caffeine -- Myths and Facts

People throughout Asia have enjoyed foods and beverages containing caffeine for thousands of years. Whether green, black or oolong, tea has been savoured in Asia for almost 5,000 years. Coffee, a relative newcomer discovered some 1,000 years ago, continues to bring people together in the coffee houses and cybercafes springing up across the region. Over the last hundred years, cola drinks, ready-to-drink tea and coffee beverages and a new crop of "energy drinks" have steadily gained in popularity.

All these beverages have a common ingredient - caffeine. Although products containing caffeine have been enjoyed all over the world for centuries, there are still many misperceptions about this common food component. Food Facts Asia looks at some of the more common myths regarding caffeine.

MYTH: Caffeine's effects are addictive.

FACT: People often say they are "addicted" to caffeine in much the same way they say they are "addicted" to shopping, working or television. The term "addiction" actually refers to a strong dependence on a drug characterised by severe withdrawal symptoms, tolerance to a given dose and the loss of control or the need to consume more and more of the substance at any cost. Addicts tend to exhibit anti-social behaviour or even commit crimes to perpetuate the abuse. Consumers of caffeine-containing beverages do not fall into this category. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (1994), a document that characterises various addictions, does not list caffeine as a substance that causes addiction. According to the World Health Organization, "There is no evidence whatsoever that caffeine use has even remotely comparable physical and social consequences which are associated with serious drugs of abuse."

MYTH: Pregnant women should avoid caffeine.

FACT: Just as with nearly everything else they do, pregnant women can take caffeine in moderation. Many women find they experience taste changes during pregnancy and cannot drink tea or coffee. For those who continue to enjoy their tea and coffee, most physicians and researchers agree that moderate amounts of coffee daily will have no adverse effects on the outcome of the pregnancy or the infant's health.

MYTH: Caffeine is a risk factor for osteoporosis.

FACT: The established risk factors for osteoporosis are insufficient dietary calcium and vitamin D, high protein diets, smoking, the onset of menopause, low oestrogen levels, low body weight and a lack of physical activity. Several well-controlled studies have concluded that consuming moderate amounts of caffeine does not increase the risk of developing osteoporosis. A 1994 National Institute of Health Consensus Statement on optimal bone health does not list caffeine amongst the risk factors which modify calcium balance and influence bone mass. A study by Penn State Medical School found that lifetime consumption of caffeine (up to 800 mg daily or the equivalent of 6-7 cups of coffee a day) had no effect on bone density in 188 post-menopausal women.

Nevertheless, caffeine does cause a small amount of calcium to be lost in the urine – about the amount in one to two tablespoons of milk per cup of tea or coffee. For this reason, nutritionists recommend that women take their coffee with added milk, drink one extra glass of milk daily or take a calcium supplement if they are heavy coffee drinkers (over 5 cups of coffee daily).

MYTH: Caffeine increases the risk of heart disease.

FACT: Despite previous controversy on the subject, scientists now agree that regular caffeine use has little or no effect on blood pressure, cholesterol levels or risk of heart disease.

Studies show that while first-time caffeine use can cause a slight increase in blood pressure (similar to that experienced when walking up stairs), the changes are minimal and disappear with regular use.

It has also been found that only boiled, unfiltered coffee, such as that taken in some Scandinavian countries, elevates cholesterol. It seems the oils in the coffee that are not filtered out are responsible for this effect, not the coffee or caffeine. Consumption of caffeine-containing beverages does not typically affect cholesterol levels.

MYTH: Caffeine causes cancer.

FACT: Substantial scientific evidence demonstrates that caffeine is not a risk factor for cancer. A number of human epidemiological studies have examined the risk of developing cancer at different locations in the body. Two studies of large numbers of people in Norway and Hawaii found no relationship between regular coffee consumption and cancer risk. Two projects conducted on caffeine - one in Japan and the other in Germany - demonstrated no link between caffeine consumption and the incidence of tumours in test animals. This confirms the position of the American Cancer Society, that states, "Available information does not suggest a recommendation against the moderate use of coffee. There is no indication that caffeine, a natural component of both coffee and tea, is a risk factor in human cancer."

MYTH: Caffeine adversely affects the health of children.

FACT: Children generally consume much less caffeine than adults do, since soft drinks and tea are their primary sources of caffeine. Children generally have the same ability to process caffeine as adults. Studies have shown that foods and drinks containing caffeine, when taken in moderate amounts, have no detectable effects on activity levels or attention spans in children.

MYTH: Caffeine has no health benefits.

FACT: Recent research has found some surprising health benefits associated with caffeine consumption. Many caffeine-containing beverages, most notably tea and more recently coffee, have been found to contain antioxidants. Antioxidants may have health benefits in terms of heart health and cancer prevention.

Caffeine is well recognised as increasing both alertness levels and attention spans. A cup of coffee or tea is often recommended to counter sleepiness, especially for those driving long distances and many people resort to an afternoon "cuppa" to get back on top of their workload.

Recent reports suggest that caffeine may be useful in treating allergic reactions due to its ability to reduce the concentration of histamines, the typical body response to an allergy-causing substance. More research is needed in this area before conclusions can be drawn. Caffeine has long been known to help many people suffering from asthma.

There is also evidence to suggest that caffeine may reduce the risk of kidney stones.

source: http://www.afic.org
picture: http://dining.caltech.edu

Coffee -- The Common Ingredients

Caffeine

Call it food or beverage, coffee is free of any nutritional value. As indecent as it may sound, we consume it exclusively for pleasure.

Yes, the caffeine content in coffee is partly responsible for that pleasure. Caffeine acts as a mild stimulant across the central nervous system. It leads to a better memory, better judgments and idea associations, better coordination of body movement.

A single-serve espresso contains between 80 and 120 milligrams of caffeine. A normal cup of coffee (even drip coffee) contains about 100 - 150 milligrams of caffeine. Common sense calls this moderate consumption at one sitting. Within several hours (although this may vary from one person to another) caffeine is eliminated from the body. Average coffee drinkers can have three or four cups of coffee every day without from any health risk.

As with other foods and beverages, the effects of coffee consumption vary with the dose. Moderate coffee-drinking can be medicinal. Excessive coffee-drinking can be poison. The average female coffee drinker can experience ill-effects after ingesting 550 milligrams at one session. The amount for males is 700 milligrams. These effects refer to headaches, nausea and petulance. Ten grams of caffeine constitutes an overdose. This would be impossible to reach exclusively by drinking coffee. You would need to ingest 100 cups at one session. If you ever do, this may be the last thing you will ever do.

Coffee consumption is not recommended when certain health problems arise. While we have no solid proof for this it is wise to avoid unwanted risks.

Acidity

Acidity describes the sour component of the coffee taste. It is particularly strong in Arabica coffee and in light roasts. It may have a negative effect on digestion. People less tolerant of acidity but who still wish to drink coffee, can choose a decaffeinated coffee or a natural low-acidity coffee from Brazil, India or the Caribbean.

Other effects noted (for example, in pregnant women) have not been proved to be significantly negative. The medical community today has tended to clear coffee of long-term negative effects upon human health.

The beneficial effects of coffee

Coffee has proved beneficial for asthma sufferers. Two to four small cups of coffee throughout the day will help to reduce the recurrence of astma-attacks, and moderate their intensity.

Coffee contains natural antioxidants called 'flavonoids' which are widely known as disease protectors.

The beneficial effects of moderate caffeine consumption are widely recognised: caffeine works on alertness, mood, sensorial activity and memory. Of course, you may choose to take your daily caffeine ration from other foods and beverages, such as chocolate, carbonated drinks based on coca-nut extract, or tea.

source: http://ezine.tiosam.com
picture: http://www.oliverray.ca

Milk Reduces The Health Benefits of Tea

An Online paper in the January 7th issue of the European Heart Journal points out that it is better to drink tea without added milk. Researchers from the Charité Hospital, Berlin have found that the beneficial effects of tea are greatly reduced upon adding milk.

It appears that proteins in milk bind to some of the substances present in tea, leading to a vast reduction of their beneficial effects.

The researchers asked healthy women volunteers to drink either freshly brewed 500 ml of black tea, black tea with (skimmed) milk, or boiled water as control.

Studies showed that drinking tea with milk was no better than drinking water.

Vessels relaxed

Their blood vessels (arteries) were monitored before and continually after they drank, for two hours using high- resolution ultrasound measurements. Black tea was found to relax the vessels significantly while water did nothing.

This result confirms many earlier studies, which have suggested that drinking tea is beneficial to, among others, the cardiovascular system.

The surprise came when they monitored the blood vessels of women who drank tea with milk. Drinking tea with milk was no better than drinking water!

The first author of the paper, Dr. Mario Lorenz, is reported to have said: "We found that whereas drinking tea significantly increased the ability of the artery to relax and expand to accommodate increased blood flow compared with drinking water, the addition of milk completely prevents the biological effect. To extend our findings to a functional model, we determined vasodilation (relaxation of blood vessels) in rat aortic rings by exposing them to tea on its own and tea with individual milk proteins added, and got the same effect".

Musical names

In other words, the proteins in milk are the benefit-killers here. The researchers theorise that these proteins bind to the biologically active ingredients of tea, making them unavailable for action.

These ingredients belong to what is called the catechin class of molecules. Their names have a chant-like intonative or rhythmic ring to them: catechin, epicatechin, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, catechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, gallocatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin gallate.

The name catechin comes from its origin in tropical plants (catechu), and the family belongs to the class of flavonoids, since these molecules are responsible for the flavour. Catechinoids have been shown to offer a variety of health benefits. They are good anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, and protect cells from general wear and tear.

They are thus helpful against age-related disorders such as cataract and some retinal diseases of the eye, cardiovascular and neuromuscular disorders. They activate some enzymes that help relax blood vessels. There is also some evidence of their anti-cancer activity. In short, tea catechinoids have multivalent health benefits.

China's gift to the world

The Chinese, who introduced it to the world two millennia ago, have always held that tea is an all-purpose tonic. They consume two varieties: green tea and oolong, which is prepared by mild fermentation of green tea. The rest of the world uses black tea; we in India grow and pluck tea leaves and do the three-part process called CTC (curl, twist and cure) to it. Fermentation modifies the catechins and offers a slightly acidic and pungent flavour.

Black tea too has the catechins slightly modified; heating in the CTC step generates tannins; hence the darker colour (and also the unpleasant sour after-taste upon boiling it in water).

Tannins are not that healthy; they bind to the iron and other micronutrient metals in the diet, and remove them from circulation (so, do not overboil your tea, nor overdrink it). The lighter hued green tea and oolong, free of tannins, are safer. Tea came to India quite early.

The late Dr. K. T. Achaya remarks in his "A Historical Dictionary of Indian Food" (OUP, 1998) that I Ching, a Chinese traveller in India in the fifth century AD, described its use here. (Tea antedates coffee, brought here by Arab merchants 1100 years later).

While the Orientals drink tea straight, people in 17th century Surat were reported to drink black tea with `conserved lemons' (and no sugar). They also took tea with some spices added as treatment against headache, kidney and bowel troubles. Tibetans drink tea with the butter of the animal yak. Kashmiris drink it as kahwah, adding almonds and cardamom.

Gujaratis make tea with milk and add ginger; they also make a special masala, a pinch of which is added while making tea.

Adding milk to tea seems to have come from the colonial British ad Dutch. The other more popular way to drink tea is to add lemon or lime rather than milk.

Synergy and dysergy

That the added milk acts as a confounding factor tells us another thing, namely the effect of one component on that of another in a mixture.

Traditional medicine differs from allopathy or molecular medicine in that it more often than not uses multi-component mixtures as extracts.

In a mixture, component A might be the one that confers benefit; what each of the other components (B, C,…) does — enhance or confound the benefit — is an issue that needs study.

A substance that enhances the effect of another is said to act in synergy, while that which decreases this effect is said to act in dysergy.

Put it another way. Now that the Berlin study has shown that while milk in tea adds taste but kills the benefits, we need to study what the other additives do.

Adding lemon juice to black tea lightens the colour; does it modify the effects of the catechinoids?

Summer project

What are the effects of added butter, salt, ginger, cardamom, the Gujarati masala and other spices? Here is a nice little summer project for a student!

Let us not forget coffee, the morning staple of many in peninsular India. While it has far more caffeine and other types of anti-oxidants than tea, it is still known to be beneficial in small doses.

Does added milk synergise or dysergise? Are the Americans, Eastern Europeans and the Turks wiser in drinking it black and thick?

Some papers claim, however, that the cholesterol-lowering effect of coffee is not affected by added milk. Can this be confirmed? Add this as another aim of the summer project.

source: www.hindu.com

Issues around Hydrosols or Hydrolats

Hydrosols or hydrolats are the isolated distillation condensate waters, either intentionally produced or produced as a by-product to essential oil production, where aromatic materials are steam or hydro- distilled. Hydrosols are used by aromatherapists, and are used in nebulisers, cosmetics & shampoos and to a limited extent in foodstuffs.

Popular hydrosols include lavender water, orange flower water, kewda water etc. In India for example, kewda water (produced from male spadices of Pandanus odoratissmus flowers) is used for flavouring syrups, soft drinks & Moghlai cuisine. Little chemical data exists on the chemical make-up of many hydrosols, but an interesting paper by Platto A. & Roberts D. (2001) "The Aroma Quality of Lavender Water: a Comparative Study" Perf. & Flav. 26(3), 44-64 compared lavender waters from several different origins & determined amongst other things) that genuine lavender water distillation condensate could be differentiated from reconstituted water (diluted essential oil in water) by the absence of acetate esters.

Customers of hydrosols should always demand a "Certificate of Naturalness" from the supplier. This will have a section showing the total percentage of the natural involved, and a listing of the percentages and identification of each additive, if any. If the product is truly 100% botanically derived from the named source by a purely physical process (i.e. steam distillation) then it will indicate this fact - If the supplier is unable to do this, change to someone more professional [a template of a typical Naturalness certificate is available from Cropwatch on demand].

Production

The production of hydrosols varies enormously depending on distillation techniques and countries of origin. For example, in the large production units such as in Turkey and Egypt, the plant material is distilled in closed equipment. The hydrosols never sees the light of day and atmospheric contamination is unlikely. In addition, the heat of distillation will pasteurise the water making its immediate use safe.

With small scale 'on-the farm' production, the hydrosols can become contaminated by the atmosphere or by the unhygienic conditions in which many stills are located. It is common to see barrels being filled in the open air that previously were stored over filthy drainage channels or in dirty barns.

With essential oils contamination is unlikely to be a problem due to their general inability to support most bacterial or fungal growth. However, with distillation waters this is another matter as hydrosols make an ideal growth medium for bacteria and fungi.

Saferty and Toxicity Issues

Subsequent bottling can turn a contaminated hydrosol into a safe one. For example they can be pasteurised in the same way as drinks or milk, or they can be finely filtered to remove organisms and other contaminants. This is all fine if the hydrosol is kept in a sealed bottle, but once opened they can quickly become contaminated again and the greatest care must be taken to avoid this. To prevent this contamination causing a health problem, larger commercial suppliers will add a preservative. The preservatives are often the same as those commonly used in foods. This idea goes against those who say they "must have a 100% natural product", but in reality, many hydrosols do contain a preservative without it being declared. Thank goodness they do as 'natural' does not equal safe.

There are other methods used to produce what is called a hydrosol or distillation water, but which are not genuine. They can be home-produced simply by making an infusion of the herb, filtering it and selling it as a hydrosol. They can be produced from freeze dried herbal extracts reconstituted with water (common). This may even be done in the country of origin making detection difficult. They can be made by dissolving some essential oil in water by using a surfactant to permit the oils emulsification. Finally, in some cases, they can be a synthetic perfume compound added to water. This is not uncommon with rosewater sold in pharmacies, or beauty shops.

Toxicity

Several people have raised the issue of toxicological effects of hydrosols. This really is unrealistic because many of the herbs from which hydrosols are made are permitted food additives. With most of the commonly available hydrosols one would need to drink the stuff by the gallon for days to even come anywhere near a toxic dose. That even holds good for animals who might lick it off their coats. If hydrosols were toxic then so is a cup of tea or coffee, most canned fruit drinks and many human and animals foods that contain herbs and essential oils. Also, many herbs that hydrosols are made from, have known toxicology from tests done on mice and rats by food safety advisors such as the World Health Organisation.

Microbial Contamination

The biggest hazard from using hydrosols is their potential bacterial contamination. When the product is just used on the skin, this may not cause problems as long as the bacteria can't get into the mouth. However, some dangerously incompetent authors and therapists advocate their internal consumption. If the product being used has not been properly preserved or processed then this represents a significant health hazard.

For those who wish to check the hazards associated with bottled waters below is some essential reading.

http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/bwinx.asp

http://www.pacificro.com/Bottled3.htm

The above reports contain information on the contamination that has been found in ordinary bottled waters. In one survey of 103 brands up to a third of samples were contaminated. Cryptosporidium, Giardia and other cysts have been found and these led to 4000 people being hospitalised. Dateline NBC, September, 1994. The NRDC'S study of water found many different kinds of bacteria capable of causing illness.

You may be thinking "what has this got to do with hydrosols"? Well most hydrosols are mainly water with minute traces of a variety of plant chemicals. Rarely are those plant chemicals occurring at a high enough level to inhibit bacterial or fungal growth, despite the hype you will see written on this.

The Law

Most products intended for retail sale for human or animal consumption come under food safety laws and veterinary medicine laws. Hydrosols seem to be slipping through this safety net which would not matter if they were just being used as cosmetic products. However, increasingly people are being advised by quack practitioners to drink them for medical conditions, or being advised to give them orally to animals

Strongly advise any aromatherapist to check their insurance position on this. Many aromatherapy policies do not permit the therapist to practice herbal medicine. If you advise someone in a professional setting to consume a hydrosol for a medical reason, then you are practising as a herbalist. In some countries that would also classify you as an "unlicensed medical practitioner".

How Do I Know If what I’m Buying Is Safe?

The only way you can hope to find out is to ask the supplier pertinent questions (as follows), and do not believe woolly or misleading marketing hype.

1. Does this hydrosol contain a preservative? If the answer is a categorical "no" then see next.

2. Do you have any evidence that this product has been tested for microbial contamination?

3. Can I see copies of test results?

4. Where is the product bottled, i.e. by the distiller or later in the supply chain?

5. Do you repack the hydrosol from bulk barrels or other bulk storage?

6. Do you produce it yourself? If so how is it stored and how do you ensure it is not contaminated?

7. If you advocate its consumption have you been certified as a food preparation premises?

What To Be Wary of

Some hydrosols can be very useful for a limited range of ailments. For example, rose, chamomile, lavender, neroli, and a few others can make wonderfully cooling applications for a variety of skin problems. Indeed in some cases they are better than the same plants essential oil. However, unlike with essential oils, there is hardly any research base behind such uses. It is mainly traditional information and how accurate that information is depends on the depth of knowledge of the person advocating its use. Herbalists in the past rarely used hydrosols because they preferred to use herbal teas or decoctions which (when freshly prepared) were not contaminated by microbes. Therefore, there is very little information to be found on hydrosols in good books on herbal medicine. When in certain societies they did use hydrosols, you should always remember they used the fresh product. They did not use it from a bottle that had been shipped round the world with the time and conditions suitable for microbial growth (unless a preservative is used).

Beware of hydrosols made from plants on which there is no safety data on their essential oils. For example, verbenone type rosemary, ravensara, thyme chemotypes, etc. Also beware of hydrosols made from plants with known dangers, for example the sensitisation reactions associated with fresh Verbena and Yarrow. These hydrosols may be safe on the skin but I am not aware of any formal testing having been done.

Traditional healers rarely used hydrosols because they did not generally undertake distillation, although there are a few exceptions. So one has to ask where all this information entering the market in recent years has come from? The simple answer is a typical one for aromatherapy: The suggested uses are frequently based on how teas and suchlike were and still are used by herbalists. Also, in many cases, the uses have simply been invented by certain aromatherapy authors.

I have to add something very important here. Please never forget that very few aromatherapists are trained in physical diagnosis, in the medical sciences or in herbal medicine. Therefore, the aromatherapists advocating the use of hydrosols can make some enormous blunders on what they write about and teach. Some of the claims on web sites are outrageously misleading and are often illegal under their countries own laws. Canada is particularly bad in this respect.

Beware of those who make references to uses based on the books of certain French aromatherapy authors. With one book in particular, the information is not properly referenced and it is known some of the text was not written by the claimed authors, but rather by editors. Therefore, medicinal claims made in such a book should be viewed with the utmost scepticism. One web site in Canada is using information from this book and the site owner is being promoted as "a world leader on the subject", in reality far from the truth.

Hype and Lies Designed to Mislead

Never accept the following statements without any evidence of their truthfulness. What follows and other answers are just hype and lies designed to mislead.

• " I have been selling this for 20 years and never had a problem".

• "I am a leading authority on the use of hydrosols",

• "such and such teacher says",

• "I am working with 4 chemists around the world",

Other hype:
"They are like homeopathic essential oils".
No, this is complete hogwash. Anyone that says this must be totally ignorant of homeopathy. To be homeopathic the preparation MUST be manufactured in a specific manner and hydrosols are not done like that.

"Homeopathic flower remedies use alcohol as a preservative"
Yes, they do, but the alcohol is around 60% and thus an effective preservative. Also, one only gives a few drops at a time, and see below.

"Adding a little grain alcohol acts as a preservative".
Again hogwash. Such a statement proves the person saying it has absolutely no knowledge of what is required of a preservative. It takes at least 25% alcohol by volume to inhibit most (but not all) micro-organisms. Therefore, if you add a couple of teaspoons of alcohol to a pint of hydrolate all it will do is make the bugs merry!

So Are Hydrosols of Any Use at All?

Yes, they can be if they are properly treated to ensure no contamination. They can be very good for treating most kinds of skin inflammation. Rosewater in particular is wonderful for that. They can be excellent cosmetic agents for treating things like overactive sebum production. Some can be great for subduing the inflammation of acne and similar conditions. Some are the ideal solution to sore eyes or minor convunctival infections. They can be an ideal cooling application for nipple soreness from early breastfeeding, as they can for soothing external vaginal damage from childbirth. There are many other examples involving damaged skin that they are ideal for, but only if the product can be proven to be bug free.

Should I Drink Them?

No You should not. If you wanted a herbal preparation you would rather make a fresh herbal tea which contains far more of the herbs active constituents than most hydrosols.

Green Tea -- A Cup of Good Health

When most of us think of green tea, we always think of the most well known benefits of drinking green tea, namely assisting the immune system in the prevention of colds during the winter months because of its high level of antioxidants.

This is, however, only one of the many benefits of drinking green tea. Recent research into green tea has shown its medicinal value and power in preventing disease, thus the reason the Japanese believed in its ability to prolong life

Another one of the possible benefits of drinking green tea is its potential as a cancer preventive. One of the main ingredients in green tea is catechin, and studies performed at the National Cancer Institute in Tokyo have shown that catechin use lowers the incidence of cancer by more than 50% if consumed in sufficient quantities. This is linked to both the catechin as well as the antioxidants that are found in green tea, and since the Japanese customarily drink at least two to three cups of green tea per day, and the cancer rate is lower in Japan, the link is established.

The benefits of drinking green tea also include its potential to restrict the excessive build up of the "bad" cholesterol. This function is also performed because of the catechin that is the main ingredient in green tea. Other benefits of drinking green tea include one or more of the following:

• Controlling high blood pressure
• Lowering blood pressure
• Suppressing aging
• Refreshing the body
• Deterring food poisoning
• Preventing and treating skin disease
• Preventing cavities
• Fighting viruses
• Acting as a bio-regulatory food

A better understanding of these health benefits can help a person make an informed choice. Incorporate more green tea into your diet and you may reap the same benefits!

A Cup of Hot Tea = A Cup of Good Health.

Tea Consumption Linked to Numerous Body Benefits. A hot cup of tea may do more than relax you. Research shows tea consumption may help prevent a wide range of ailments.

The latest medical research is finding potential healing powers in this ancient beverage. Recent research, for instance, suggests drinking tea may help prevent everything from cavities to Parkinson's disease. And some studies indicate it may even save lives.

The benefits of tea consumption may extend throughout the body, experts believe. Here is a partial list of conditions some research has shown may be prevented or improved by drinking tea:

Arthritis: Research suggests that older women who are tea drinkers are 60 percent less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than those who do not drink tea.

Bone Density: Drinking tea regularly for years may produce stronger bones. Those who drank tea on a regular basis for 10 or more years had higher-bone mineral density in their spines than those who had not.

Cancer: Green tea extracts were found to inhibit the growth of bladder cancer cells in the lab — while other studies suggest that drinking green tea protects against developing stomach and esophageal cancers.

• Sipping on a cup of hot tea may be a safeguard against cancer. Population studies have linked the consumption of tea with a reduction in risk for several types of cancer. Researchers speculate that the polyphenols in tea may inhibit certain mechanisms that promote cancer growth. Both green and black teas have been credited with cancer-inhibiting powers.

Flu: You may be able to boost your fight against the flu with black tea.
Your best defense against contracting the flu is to wash your hands often and get vaccinated against the influenza virus. Black tea may further bolster your efforts to stay healthy. In a recent study, people who gargled with a black tea extract solution twice per day showed a higher immunity to flu virus compared to the people who did not gargle with black tea.

Heart Disease: A recent study published in the journal Circulation found that drinking more than two cups of tea a day decreased the risk of death following a heart attack by 44 percent. Even less spirited tea drinkers were rewarded: Consuming just two cups a day decreased the risk of death by almost a third.
Tea is a rich source of the flavonoids quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin, and research shows that high dietry intake of these compounds is associated with a reduced risk of fatal heart attacks. In one study, people who drank about a cup and a half of tea per day were almost 40% less likely to suffer a heart attack compared to tea abstainers.

High Blood Pressure: Tea lovers may be surprised to learn their beverage of choice touts yet another health benefit: blood pressure control. Drinking a half-cup of green or oolong tea per day reduced a person's risk of high blood pressure by almost 50% in a new study. People who drank at least two and a half cups per day reduced their risk even more. Their risk was reduced even if they had risk factors for high blood pressure, such as high sodium intake.

Parkinson's Disease: Tea consumption may be protective against developing this debilitating neurological disorder.

Oral Health: Rinsing with tea may prevent cavities and gum disease.