Thursday August 21, 2008 | 6 comments
It’s no mystery that one part of T Ching’s mission is to help improve health, on a large scale, through the promotion of increased tea consumption instead of sugar laden beverages. Coming from a healthcare background, I can tell you first hand that it is no easy task to make changes in people’s health and wellness on an individual basis, let alone on a large scale. You can imagine that I was excited to read that the University of Arizona’s College of Public Health just appointed a new dean who happens to be a proponent of the benefits of tea.
Dr. Iman Hakim is a noted research scientist that is now in a position to influence the direction of public health education (at least in Arizona) and to direct the interests of future generations of healthcare providers and researchers. Her current research projects include the chemopreventive effects of tea consumption, research on green tea and lung cancer, the effects of tea consumption on the damaging effects of smoking as well as looking into the prevention of weight gain in women with breast cancer.
Let’s hope that Dr. Hakim can help educate more health educators and consumers on the improved quality of life that regular tea consumption can offer. Hopefully, now Arizona Tea will mean something more than just a convenient bottled beverage filled with high fructose corn syrup.
Having said that, it appears that Dr. Hakim will have her work cut out for her. It may not be easy for her to practice what she may be preaching. The University of Arizona has become a perfect example of the push and pull that occurs, all over the world, between what we know is best for our health and the corporate and political machinations that make practical implementation of that knowledge very difficult.
Just about the same time that Dr. Hakim was appointed as Dean to the College of Public Health, U of A
signed a huge contract with the Coca-Cola corporation, to be exclusive sellers and promoters of coke. Assuming Dr. Hakim will be advocating for and educating professionals and the public about how to live a healthy lifestyle which includes tea, it should prove very interesting how her research and recommendations play out in the political arena with this new corporate behemoth looking over the university’s shoulders. Time will tell.
MAIN IMAGE:
IMAGE: 1: IMAGE 2:
Let’s hope Dr. Hakim has the integrity to continue to support whole leaf tea – despite the contract with Coke.
According to the article on the deal with Coke, at least some of the proceeds from this contract will “fund wellness and diversity issues.” Coca Cola has certainly recognized the profit possibilities to be had with tea – recently purchasing the RTD Honest Tea, and their promotion of Pue’rh at the Olympics. Coke is no stranger to tea; and Dr. Hakim is an accomplished tea researcher. Sounds like a relationship that could be very good for the student body (pun accidental, but now intended) at U of A. Thanks, Sandy, for pointing out the irony!
Hey Sandy,
I am conducting my own studies concerning the effects of bacteria that cause tooth decay and cavities on different types of teas. My initial experiment was based on testing the effect of green tea on cancer. I hope that my studies will benefit people all over the world by acknowledging them the simple remedies that will prevent various diseases. However in your opinion, which tea will have the greatest effect on destroying the bacteria, green tea, white tea, or black tea?
Thanks for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Mahreen Gestroui
My understanding is that white tea will do the best job in the oral cavity.
Why? I mean, with all due respect, what properties does white tea have, that it can be considered to have the greatest effect in destroying such bacteria?
Hi Mahreen. That is a very good question. I know that Dr. Schiffenbauer has done a great deal of research on the antimicrobial properties of tea and found them all to have positive effects against viruses, bacteria and fungi. He found that white tea killed 99% of all bacteria in the mouth. He was pretty astounded by the particular effects of white tea, but they all had good anti-microbial effects. You can read an interview that Michelle did with Dr. Schiffenbauer 2 years ago.
If you look at what has been written about why white tea has had a greater effect, you will notice that they all keep stating that it is probably because white tea is the least processed and has the highest polyphenol content. It is true that white tea is the least processed, but it is not the least oxidized, and I think people often confuse the two. There has also been many studies that show much variation in polyphenol content between white and green tea. If white tea does, in fact, have more catechins, it may have more to do with the fact that the buds that are used to make white tea have higher concentrations of polyphenols to begin with. Even though they go through slight oxidation during withering (which green tea does not), the end net result may still be that there are higher amounts. However, given the numerous research studies that show that green tea can have higher levels of catechins and given that Dr. Schiffenbauer found good anti-microbial effects from all tea, I suspect there are other factors involved.
I hope that answers your question, although I suspect not. I’m excited to hear that you are pursuing this line of research and very much look forward to hearing more about it once you get going. Good luck and keep us posted.