Tea good for the bones

Scientists have come up with yet more evidence of why tea is good for your health - it helps to keep the bones strong.

The latest research follows recent studies that suggest the popular beverage can help to reduce the risk of cancer, heart attack and Parkinson's disease.

A team from the National Cheng Kung University Hospital in Tainan, Taiwan, fould that habitual tea drinking over several years preserves bone density in both men and women.

The researchers believe that the key could be the high fluoride content in tea, especially green tea.

They believe that other ingredients such as flavonoids and phytoestrogen may also help preserve bone density.

Other ingredients in tea may inhibit bone resorption and boost metabolic creation of bone.

The researchers believe it is not the amount of tea a person drinks that counts, but how long they have been a regular drinker.

The effect was most pronounced in the bones of people who had drank tea regularly for more than a decade.

Source BBC News

Heart attack victims 'should drink tea'

Heart attack victims may live longer by drinking plenty of tea, according to doctors.

A study of patients with heart disease has found those who are heavy or even moderate tea drinkers live substantially longer than those who don't have a regular cuppa.

Research by doctors in Israel found heavy drinkers - those who drank more than 14 cups of tea a week - had a 44% lower death rate than non-tea drinkers in the three and a half years following their heart attacks.

Moderate tea drinkers - those who consumed less than 15 cups a week - had a 28% lower rate of dying over the same period, according to the study, published in the journal Circulation.

Source BBC News

Red wine 'protects from colds'

Another health benefit has been attributed to red wine - fighting off the common cold.

According to scientists in Spain, drinking wine, especially red, stops people from developing colds.

Something in wine seems to have a protective effect because the same was not seen with beer and spirits.

The evidence comes from a year long study of 4,000 volunteers.

Experts at five universities found that people who drank more than two glasses of red wine a day had 44% fewer colds than teetotallers.

Drinking one glass of red wine a day also protected against colds, but to a lesser extent.

Source BBC News

White wine good for lungs

Drinking wine - and in particular white varieties - may help to keep lungs healthy, research suggests.

A team from the University at Buffalo has found that drinking wine appears to be linked to better lung function.

The scientists believe that wine may contain certain nutrients that help keep the tissues of the lung in good working order.

The research was carried out on a random sample of 1,555 people from New York.
In each case, researchers carried out lung function tests and collected information about alcohol consumption.

Researcher Dr Holger Schunemann said: "Red wine in moderation has been shown to be beneficial for the heart, but in this case the relationship was stronger for white wine."

Dr Schunemann said it was most likely that white wine contained ingredients called anti-oxidants that stop the creation of harmful molecules called free radicals, which can wreak havoc on the lung tissues.

Source BBC News

Research says cider 'healthy' drink

Drinking cider may be good for your health, according to research which suggests the drink is rich in antioxidants.

Scientists at Brewing Research International's laboratories in Surrey have found as many antioxidants in cider as red wine.

Antioxidants are thought to help stop cell damage called oxidation, which can contribute to cancer and degenerative diseases like dementia.

Vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene (vitamin A) are all antioxidants.

Red wine and green tea are among foods rich in these compounds.

John Thatcher, of Sandford in Somerset, Chairman of the National Association of Cider Makers, said: "I have spent a lifetime making cider, enjoying a regular glass or two.

Now I can enjoy it all the more knowing it is helping to keep me healthy."

Dr Caroline Walker, a scientist at Brewing Research International, said: "For those who enjoy a glass of cider it is reassuring to know it may be healthy too.

"But it is important that no-one drinks more than the recommended daily intake of alcohol.

Source BBC News