Medicinal Uses

<h2 >Medical uses</h2>

<div class="rellink relarticle mainarticle" >Main article:&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_tea" title="Health effects of tea" >Health effects of tea</a></div>

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<li >The leaves have been used in&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_medicine" title="Traditional Chinese medicine" >traditional Chinese medicine</a>&nbsp;and other medical systems to treat<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asthma" title="Asthma" >asthma</a>&nbsp;(functioning as a&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronchodilator" title="Bronchodilator" >bronchodilator</a>),&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angina_pectoris" title="Angina pectoris" >angina pectoris</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral_vascular_disease" title="Peripheral vascular disease" >peripheral vascular disease</a>, and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronary_artery_disease" title="Coronary artery disease" >coronary artery disease</a>.</li>

<li >Tea extracts have become a field of interest, due to their notional antibacterial activity. The preservation of processed organic food and the treatment of persistent bacterial infections are particularly being investigated.</li>

<li >Green tea leaves and extracts have shown to be effective against bacteria responsible for bad breath.</li>

<li >The tea component&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicatechin_gallate" title="Epicatechin gallate" >epicatechin gallate</a>&nbsp;is being researched because&nbsp;<i>in vitro</i>&nbsp;experiments showed it can reverse&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methicillin" title="Methicillin" class="mw-redirect" >methicillin</a>&nbsp;resistance in bacteria like&nbsp;<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staphylococcus_aureus" title="Staphylococcus aureus" >Staphylococcus aureus</a></i>. If confirmed, this means the combined intake of a tea extract containing this component might also enhance the effectiveness of methicillin treatment against some resistant bacteria&nbsp;<i>in vivo</i>.</li>

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<h2 >See also</h2>

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<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_herbology#50_fundamental_herbs" title="Chinese herbology" >Chinese herbology</a></li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_tea_extract" title="Green tea extract" >Green tea extract</a></li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Code_of_Nomenclature_for_Cultivated_Plants" title="International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants" >International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants</a></li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3103" title="ISO 3103" >ISO 3103</a>, a method of brewing tea according to the&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Organization_for_Standardization" title="International Organization for Standardization" >ISO</a></li>

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<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaempferol" title="Kaempferol" >Kaempferol</a>&nbsp;a flavanoid found in tea and associated with reduced risk of heart disease</li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tea_companies" title="List of tea companies" >List of tea companies</a></li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasseography" title="Tasseography" >Tasseography</a>, a method of&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divination" title="Divination" >divination</a>&nbsp;by reading tea leaves.</li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Classics" title="Tea Classics" class="mw-redirect" >Tea Classics</a></li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka" title="Tea production in Sri Lanka" >Tea production in Sri Lanka</a></li>

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