Tea is palliative. We turn to it for comfort. To relax. But it can also be an analgesic, particularly after an evening of drinking, which, admittedly, has become a more popular pastime as we wait out Covid-19.
The after-effects of alcohol include:
- Dehydration
- Electrolyte imbalances
- Low blood sugar
- Stomach and intestine inflammation
- Headaches & Muscle Aches
- Sleep disturbance
When the body breaks down alcohol, lactic acid levels increase. This causes a drop in blood sugar levels, which can contribute to a hangover. It leaves the body with fatigue, nausea and muscle aches.
It is because alcohol stimulates production of free radicals, which cause oxidative stress. Free radicals play a role in dementia, heart disease, cancer and degenerative processes like inflammation. Oxidative stress from free radicals may be a root cause of our aging processes.
Antioxidants help resolve hangovers. Antioxidants are compounds that help mop up free radicals. They can stabilize blood sugar. They reduce pain. They act as anti-inflammatories. Reduce inflammation caused by alcohol and you relieve the headaches and muscle aches. Antioxidants are common in black tea. They are more common in green tea.
Imagine a Hojicha Kombucha, high in antioxidants; the perfect calming drink to help heal your body after an evening of over-imbibing.
Free Radicals and Antioxidants Simplified
When your body digests food, it uses oxidation to break down food molecules to get to their energy. But oxidation also creates Free Radical molecules that can damage DNA and protein molecules. If too many are damaged, the cell can malfunction or die. Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation and terminate its chain reactions. They protect cells from free radicals and help reduce inflammation. They boost your immune system.
Plants have a naturally occurring antioxidant call Flavonoids. This compound protects the plant from disease and environmental threats and helps them recover from injury.
Tea is loaded with flavonoid antioxidants, including four molecules called catechins that can prevent cell damage. Green tea is about 30% flavonoids by weight. Catechins comprise 80-90% of the flavonoids in green tea.1 These water-soluble compounds are extracted from the leaves into the water, which is consumed as tea.2
The flavonoids reduce the formation of free radicals, protecting molecules, cells and body tissue from damage. They corral cell-damaging free radicals and metallic ions which can reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, asthma and stroke. They may play a special role in protecting the brain. 3
Research published over the past decade shows that flavonoid antioxidants may also suppress viruses.
Green tea is considered the best source for ‘EGCG’, a specific catechin molecule. It is a potential therapeutic agent for preventing neurodegenerative, inflammatory diseases. It is attributed to their antioxidant, free radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory properties. EGCG in tea is said to promote healthy aging, suppress cognitive dysfunction, increase the ability to learn and reduce oxidative damage in the brain. 4 That’s quite a lot to ask from a Kombucha!
New Kombucha Idea: The After-Sport Drink
Antioxidants also help athletes recover from extreme sports performance. Whether it is competitive soccer, friendly Ultimate, marathons or triathlons, athletes recover more quickly and with less muscle soreness by ingesting antioxidants. There is no food richer in antioxidants than green tea.
Oxidation is an outcome of high-performance athletics. Green tea catechins provide the antioxidants to help the body recover more quickly. Are you offering your customers a high-performance Kombucha?
Mana Organics offers three Assam Green Teas if you are interested in blending and testing a Kombucha product to cure hangovers.
- Gunpowder
- Hojicha
- Super Twist
For availability contact
Georgie Rhein, Sales@mana-Organics.com 951.816.5439 in South Carolina
Ryan Hixenbaugh RyanH@Mana-Organics.com 206.310.5144 in Seattle
- Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2018 Jan 10: 210:296-310. Doj; 10.1016/j.jop.2017.08.035 Epub 2017 Aug 31. Molecular understanding of Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases Eng QY1, Thanikachalam PV1, Ramamurthy S2.
- Chinese Medicine. 2010; 5: 13. Published online 2010 Apr 6. doi: 10.1186/1749-8546-5-13 PMCID: PMC2855614 PMID: 20370896 Beneficial effects of green tea: A literature review Sabu M Chacko corresponding author1 Priya T Thambi,1 Ramadasan Kuttan,2 and Ikuo Nishigaki1.
- Research analysis led by Kamal Patel. Reviewed by Examine.com Team Updated: Oct 7, 2019
- Singh, N.A., Mandal, A.K.A. & Khan, Z.A. Potential neuroprotective properties of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Nutr J 15, 60 (2015).