Evergreen, branched, 50-150 cm tall shrub of the tea family. The leaves are alternate, elongated-oval, whole, 6-7 cm long, 3.5-4 cm wide, sharp-toothed, dark green on top, light green on the bottom, with a short blunt, sometimes bifurcated apex and a wide wedge-shaped base. The flowers are regular, bisexual, 2.5-3 cm in diameter, single or 2-5 in leaf axils; petals (5-9 of them) are white, rarely pink. The fruit is a box. Blooms in June – July.
Spread. The homeland of tea is the mountain forests of South China and the Indochinese Peninsula. In the territories of the former USSR (Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Krasnodar region of Russia), tea has long been introduced into culture.
Raw. Tea is grown for the apical parts of the shoots with 2-3 underdeveloped leaves (flashes). If the leaves and stems are dried immediately after harvesting, green tea is obtained. To obtain black tea, the raw materials are first subjected to fermentation, and only then dried. Store tea in well and tightly closed jars or cans.
Chemical composition . Chinese tea leaves contain tannins (up to 35%), up to 5% alkaloids (caffeine, theophylline, theobromine, xanthine, adenine, hypoxanthine, isatin, and others), flavonoids, essential oil, ascorbic acid (up to 250 mg), vitamins B 1 , B 2 , K 1 , P, RR, mineral salts.
Pharmacological properties and use. The healing properties of tea are determined by the entire complex of substances that it contains. A large part of the available physiologically active substances, including vitamins, passes from the tea into the hot infusion. The red-brown color and astringent astringent taste are given to the infusion mainly by tannins, and the aroma by essential oil (the essential oil that creates the “bouquet” of tea is believed to contain more than 500 chemical compounds). The stimulating properties of tea are due mainly to caffeine. Depending on the type and method of brewing tea, a glass of strong drink contains from 0.02 to 0.1 g of caffeine. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and the activity of the heart, increases blood pressure, expands the blood vessels of the brain, liver, and kidneys, and increases diuresis. Taking this into account, tea consumption is useful for weakness and exhaustion, fatigue and reduced mental activity. For the purpose of providing first aid, tea is given for poisonings that cause depression of the central nervous system, weakening of heart activity and breathing (poisoning with alcohol and other narcotic substances). Alkaloids theophylline and theobromine have a mild stimulating effect on the central nervous system, but significantly increase diuresis. Tea tannins — catechins, which are similar in structure to vitamin P, contribute to the assimilation of ascorbic acid by the body, increase the strength of capillaries, and reduce the permeability of their walls. Three glasses of tea cover the human body’s daily need for vitamin R. Tea tannins have an astringent and bactericidal effect, improve digestion. That is why tea is prescribed to patients with acute diarrhea and other disorders of intestinal activity. must remember that strong tea infusion is not recommended for use in case of increased excitability, insomnia, organic diseases of the cardiovascular system, atherosclerosis, hypertension, glaucoma. It is not advisable to use too strong tea even for completely healthy people, as it can cause overexcitation of the nervous system, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, feeling of fear and other painful phenomena. A strong tea infusion is used as an external remedy. In the form of compresses, lotions and washes, it is used for sunburns, inflammation of the eyes, as a cosmetic for flabby and dry skin to clean and increase its elasticity, strengthen the walls of small vessels, prevent the formation of subcutaneous hemorrhages, etc. Green tea also has healing properties. Green tea infusion stimulates hematopoiesis, promotes the formation of prothrombin in the liver, activates oxidation-reduction processes, normalizes water-salt metabolism, tones the heart muscle, increases the elasticity and reduces the permeability of the walls of blood vessels, lowers blood pressure and the amount of cholesterol in the blood, improves the well-being of patients with atherosclerosis, rheumatism and chronic hepatitis, acts as a radioprotector (tea catechins bind and remove strontium 90 from the body, preventing its penetration into the bone marrow), contributes to a significant reduction in the amount of water drunk in the hot period of the year. Green tea infusion is used as a preventive measure, but in combination with other medicines, it acquires therapeutic value. Green tea decoction has pronounced antimicrobial properties and is successfully used for dysentery, enterocolitis, colitis, and dyspepsia. tones the heart muscle, increases the elasticity and reduces the permeability of the walls of blood vessels, lowers blood pressure and the amount of cholesterol in the blood, improves the well-being of patients with atherosclerosis, rheumatism and chronic hepatitis, acts as a radioprotector (tea catechins bind and remove strontium 90 from the body , preventing its penetration into the bone marrow), contributes to a significant reduction in the amount of water drunk in the hot period of the year. Green tea infusion is used as a preventive measure, but in combination with other medicines, it acquires therapeutic value. Green tea decoction has pronounced antimicrobial properties and is successfully used for dysentery, enterocolitis, colitis, and dyspepsia. tones the heart muscle, increases the elasticity and reduces the permeability of the walls of blood vessels, lowers blood pressure and the amount of cholesterol in the blood, improves the well-being of patients with atherosclerosis, rheumatism and chronic hepatitis, acts as a radioprotector (tea catechins bind and remove strontium 90 from the body , preventing its penetration into the bone marrow), contributes to a significant reduction in the amount of water drunk in the hot period of the year. Green tea infusion is used as a preventive measure, but in combination with other medicines, it acquires therapeutic value. Green tea decoction has pronounced antimicrobial properties and is successfully used for dysentery, enterocolitis, colitis, and dyspepsia. improves well-being of patients with atherosclerosis, rheumatism and chronic hepatitis, acts as a radioprotector (tea catechins bind and remove strontium 90 from the body, preventing its penetration into the bone marrow), contributes to a significant reduction in the amount of water drunk during the hot season. Green tea infusion is used as a preventive measure, but in combination with other medicines, it acquires therapeutic value. Green tea decoction has pronounced antimicrobial properties and is successfully used for dysentery, enterocolitis, colitis, and dyspepsia. improves well-being of patients with atherosclerosis, rheumatism and chronic hepatitis, acts as a radioprotector (tea catechins bind and remove strontium 90 from the body, preventing its penetration into the bone marrow), contributes to a significant reduction in the amount of water drunk during the hot season. Green tea infusion is used as a preventive measure, but in combination with other medicines, it acquires therapeutic value. Green tea decoction has pronounced antimicrobial properties and is successfully used for dysentery, enterocolitis, colitis, and dyspepsia. Green tea infusion is used as a preventive measure, but in combination with other medicines, it acquires therapeutic value. Green tea decoction has pronounced antimicrobial properties and is successfully used for dysentery, enterocolitis, colitis, and dyspepsia. Green tea infusion is used as a preventive measure, but in combination with other medicines, it acquires therapeutic value. Green tea decoction has pronounced antimicrobial properties and is successfully used for dysentery, enterocolitis, colitis, and dyspepsia.
Medicinal forms and applications .
Internally – infusion of green chago (2 teaspoons of raw material per 200 ml of boiling water, infuse for 10 minutes, strain) 60-80 ml 3 times a day;
1.5 g of dry green tea is brewed in 1 liter of boiling water, infused and drunk as tea to quench thirst;
100 g of dry green tea is poured with 2 liters of water, infused for 30 minutes, boiled, stirring periodically, for 1 hour, filtered, and the remainder (brew) is again poured with 1 liter of water, boiled for 40 minutes and filtered, after which both filtrates are mixed , pour into clean bottles and sterilize.
The sterilized decoction can be stored at room temperature for 3 months, and in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. It is taken 1-2 tablespoons 4 times a day 20-30 minutes before meals (for children under 1 year, the decoction is dosed with teaspoons, and with dessert spoons for older children). With acute dysentery, the course of treatment lasts 5-10 days, and with chronic – 15-20 days.
Externally – compresses, lotions and washing with infusion (1 teaspoon of dry black tea is poured with a glass of boiling water, infused for 5 minutes, filtered, cooled to room temperature).