William Blake- subject, language and form Essay Example for Free

William Blake- subject, language and form EssayBlakes poesys put forward a powerful neighborly message which reflects the cartridge clip in which he was writing. With telephone extension to at least five of his numberss, show how Blake achieves this with his use of subject, language and formIn this audition I will be analysing five of Blakes poems which atomic number 18 A Poison Tree, The Chimney-S exclaimer (experience), The Chimney-Sweeper (innocence) London and The human race Abstract. Each of Blakes poems has a powerful social message, and my aim is to ejectvas the message he is trying to portray through these poems. The subject, language and form his poems uphold are some of the main devices that help put forward his trust at his present time, the 18th century. The powerful social message Blake was trying to convey to his readers was forgiving paroxysm during his era, he showed this through his poems which marks his sympathy.At this solar day and age modern r eaders understand Blake as a writer and see the message he is trying to put forth through his poems. Although in his time, Blake was considered rattling strange. Born in 1757 into a Christian alone non conformist London family, closely of his life he spent in London. In 1783 he promulgated his initiatory volume of poems. Many turns were taking place in Blakes society, amidst 1750 and 1850, late 18th century the industrial revolution was changing the society through huge revolutions in technology in England. England changed from a rural population made from agriculture to a manufacturing society consisting of factories. Oppression of women and chelaren was unornamented so they worked for note wages. Employment laws did not exist yet, some may have had to work up to 14 hour days with low wages.Now a days, these things are seen as maltreat, through let on the 18th-19th century employing children and women with low wages and others with ridiculously long hours was seen as norma l and no action was interpreted over against it by either the establishment, monarchy or church building, this caused Blake to be against all establishments which did not try and help the problems 18th century England was facing. Blake, being the rare few of umteen in England, became aware of these faults. His views were similar to our contemporaneous day. Many writers were moved by the industrial revolution. They felt it was important to shine light on the worthless conditions of the working score and use of child labour.This change changed the attitudes of those vitality in England, many rich well off people became ignorant towards the conditions many poor, lower class, people were facing. The attitude of many high class people was apparent as growth and human spirit was not thinkable under conditions of social oppression. Also the establishment did zipper or so the poor working conditions. In the 18th century poetry was used to spread news about life in general. Blake m ade a lot of generator to the record book in most of the poems he wrote. In his poems his ideas are powerful and convincing. Blake did not agree with political radicalism, he was voicelessly anti-establishment (government monarchy).He believed everyone should be as a liberating force. The need of individual imagination was important to Blake and the feeling above reason. He had love of temper and the inseparable, referring to the world before the industrial revolution, especially in reflecting the spirituality of things. He was against the church as it was an establishment and did nothing about the poor conditions many endured but he was for the religion of Christianity as it is strongly represent through his poems with the constant reference to biblical toll. The bible was most easily accessible to Blake as he was self taught.Chimney sweeping was not seen as wrong as child labour was not morally wrong. Blake unavoidablenessed to show his feelings towards this wrong way of l abour. In the 18th century the church did nothing about this cruel situation where children were being treated the like slaves. The church let this cruelty act go on, the playscripts of the church were being flabby through the chimney sweeping children.The poem called The Chimney-Sweeper innocence is about a young boy being sold, by his father, into the recruiting of young children to clean chimneys. A boy, the narrator, in this poem is so innocent he doesnt know any better and does not see it as wrong. The father is selling the boy for money, as it mustve been hardly for most dealing with the new ways of the revolution. In this poem Blake is trying to emphasise child labour and uses it from a childs perspective to evoke emotion out of the reader as the reader would more likely feel sorry for a child.His innocence is apparent in the first stanza as in the first verse it is compose that the boy is not articulate while yet my tongue could scarcely cry. The boy is unable to pronou nce sweep and instead pronounces weep yet again showing his innocence and intensifies his youth. The reader is directly address when it says so your chimney I sweep This triggers guilt in the reader, knowing much(prenominal) a young boy, unable to even pronounce sweep, is cleaning your chimney. At the end of stanza one alliteration is present sweep and in soot o sleep the pronunciation of s shows his progress.In stanza 2 the narrator refers to his friend Theres little Tom Dacre, who cried This gives off the persona of a child as children confabulation about a friend to put across their feelings on that person. That curled like a lambs back a lamb is a symbol of return in a biblical sense. Tom is sacrificing himself to cleaning the chimneys this is represented by him having his head shaved.A very vivid learn is mentioned in stanza three it dialog about Tom having a night mare about his many friends locked up in coffins of black the picture being painted in your spirit is relati ng to the black, withal meaning fear and dark, chimneys the boys have to climb and clean. It is suggesting that the sweeping of the chimneys will be the death of them. The term locked up could similarly suggest that they will be cleaning chimneys forever. Coffin is likewise a sense of claustrophobia, being locked up inside a coffin or chimney would be considered suffocating.Stanza 4 makes reference to the bible where by an angel is mentioned which is frequently sent from god. This stanza is specifically child like as it has a nursery rhyme quality describing the horror of the incubus in a child like tone. The angel sets the boys free into a field of laughter and play, things they should be doing, it shows just how horrible life was for the boys by contrastive it with what they should have been doing at their age.Then naked and white referring to the boys, in stanza 5, which means innocence as nakedness is a state of innocence in terms of Christianity. In the dream all their ba gs left behind bags represent what the boys would take to work but as it was left behind it symbolizes work being abandoned. over again god and angels are mentioned showing reference to the bible, one of the books which was most resourceful to Blake.In the last stanza of the poem it shows the long hours the young chimney sweepers do as it says we rose in the dark early hours of the morning. The very last report is very effective because it shows that the boys have been taught to think that working will bring them no harm this is ironic because the work of a chimney sweeper is harmful to them.The overall message Blake is trying to get across to his reader is the immoral sort in which these children are being treated.The second poem, The Chimney-Sweeper (experience) has many similarities between the first poem. It is not narrated by the young chimney sweeper but an on-looker which shows difference between the two poems.It also is a powerful poem trying to convey the wrong nature of child chimney sweepers. The first logical argument of the poem is a contrast where Blake puts A little black thing with the naturalness and white of the snow. Similar to the first poem where soot and the white of the boys hair is also mentioned, twain make use of anthisesis. This creates powerful colour imagery in the readers mind because it is such a contrasting image. The use of the word thing makes the child take care non human unable to distinguish whether it is a boy or a girl. Black is a reference usually made with corrupt and dirty.Black would incriminate the clothes that the boy is wearing and the black soot from the chimney that has stained his clothes, it also could mean his personality is corrupt and innocence stripped. A link is again made to the first poem where the child can not pronounce the word sweep so instead says weep giving off mourning and sadness of the young child. The child is described as little to induce sympathy from the reader as it shows the chil ds youth. The part of the narrator is made in line 3 where he is shown as a considerate adult by asking where the childs father is. In line 4 it mentions the parents have gone to church to pray, irony is conveyed here because while the parents have gone to pray the child is suffering, showing distance. Regular church goers didnt see chimney sweeping as wrong as did many during this era, so many put their kids into this job.Stanza two line one has a great shock over the reader as the line Because I was happy confuses the reader because it says he was happy that his parents sent him to an early death. Blake throws this sentence at the reader to show how totally wrong it is to violate the purity of a child. Clothes of death the phrase represents the clothes the child has to wear when they become a chimney sweeper which quickly becomes dirty because of the soot it also suggest the fate of the boy that being death. And smiled among the winters snow the snow that surrounds the boy could r epresent his innocence but once it was taken away from him he became A little black thing amongst the pure snow. The last line shows how the boys have to conform taught me to sing the notes of woe it echoes poem one as the narrator also had to conform and say the notes of woe It shows the corrupt nature of society the society at this age.In the last stanza rhyme and rhythm is apparent but echoes that of a nursery rhyme again relating to the innocent poem. Rhyming is used sing and king as well as a para-rhyme with the two words blemish and misery the para-rhyme stunts the poem and throws it off a constant rhythm, the effect could convey the boy as troubled and unhappy because of his hardship. Reference to religion and the church non-Christian priest are made, similar to the first poem, monarchy is also mentioned by the word king the relevance these references have reflects Blakes writing as Blake did not like the way the church and monarchy largely ignored the problem, it concerned him. The three things Blake felt had failed him, was disappointed in and strongly against is shown through the last line where it says who make up a enlightenment of our misery. The blind uncaring nature of the monarchy and church is shown by the line they think they have done me no injuryThe message conveyed in this poem is apparent at the end of the poem where monarchy and the church are attacked and blamed for the cruelty act of chimney sweeping children. How both have power over many yet do nothing to stop it, Blake effectively shows it by putting it in the perspective of a youth as it evokes more sympathy. The structure of the poem is similar to the first poem all stanzas are written in lines of four and a similar message is conveyed where nothing is being done about the chimney sweeping children and the problem is accepted and ignored.The poem London gives background to the misery of the poor and the gulf between those in power. The title London is a metaphor since it is not s olely on the people of London but about society and mankind in general. The man is dazed, wandering the stree diagramts and is hearing the cries of the ones suffering chimney sweeps, sighs of the hapless soldier and feels the society should do something about them, the man represents William Blakes views. Mans lack of freedom is apparent in this poem and is the point trying to be made. Blake believed in an equal society and the only way the human spirit could exist and grow happily, he did not believe in human oppression. lead is constantly mentioned throughout the poem. For example in the first stanza chartered is mentioned which means governed by law. It clearly says in the second line that the Thames is chartered which is impossible because you hawk control a river. It shows Londons extreme achievement of control at that time. Even the mention of chartered streets suggests an uptight lack of freedom setting for Blakes contemporary people. The most powerful metaphor used in this poem is mind-forged manacles found in stanza two the last line. Manacles associated with restriction unable to have absolute freedom, also a common object associated with prison, imprisonment and portraying deep human truth. Mind-forged means the manacles have been created by peoples mind set trapping everyone in restrictions that must be followed.The image created via this metaphor would be a distinct one for Blakes contemporary day because convicts would be seen on the streets making their way to prison or unremarkably in London, during that era, off to ships for transportation to Australia. The metaphor strongly demonstrates Blakes belief, that the lack of freedom came from the ideas and outlooks placed on them by external authority, mentally people were controlled. The repetition of the word every is a word commonly used in stanza 2 it is to emphasize that everyone is effected by this state of depression and lack of freedom. It is also written in stanza one although relating t o the amount of people that have the mark of weakness and woe. Mark is another word repeated found in the first stanza it is to entail the look of distress that is etched on their faces also to mark the lines that have been created because of their worries and weakness.A reference is made that links to The Chimney-Sweeper innocence and experience this portrays Blakes obvious strong disagreement with the treatment of child chimney sweepers as he mentions them a lot. The next line in stanza 3 says Every blackning church appalls churches at that time were black because of the pollution present and soot coming from the chimneys. On a deeper meaning it could be said that the churches ignorant behavior towards the chimney sweepers problem has shameful them with shame. The irony is that the church is meant to be helpful place where many seek for help but the church chose to ignore and over look the problem. This is what Blake noticed remote the people living in his society.The second str ong image that is painted to the reader is the hapless soldiers sigh They show weakness and woe because they had fought in the French revolution and Runs in blood down palace walls Blake is trying to show that by oppressing freedom of speech, in England, at that time by the government the lugubriousness of the English soldier could, its causes were ignored, lead to similar bloodshed here.Images of darkness are made similar to Blakes poems of the Chimney Sweeper (Experience) and (Innocence) through midnight streets The last image that Blake highlights has a shock factor because it dialogue about child prostitution. This can be seen as a type of child labour similar to Blakes view of the child chimney-sweepers, however instead they are child prostitutes. Also both youths lose their innocence through what society decides to ignore. Youthful harlots emphasises their youth and harlots gives a biblical tone. Blasts the new-born infants snatch shows the birth of the child is not a happy event but a scourge for the prostitute as it wasnt born out of love but through commerce. The new-born will only mean having to support the child with money, which these young children didnt have, it just continued the cycle of misery. The marriage hearse an oxymoron, what Blake is trying to convey is that the wedding peddler is basically a hearse leading to a kind of death.Men usually didnt marry out of love so would be unfaithful to their wives, they would usually snub a disease from the young harlot, said as the plague in the poem, and hence pass it on to their wives and any babies that the married couple may want to have. This contradicts the idea of marriage which is a time that is meant to symbolise joy the contradiction is apparent through the word hearse Blake makes many of his messages clear in this poem, such as the abuse of child prostitutes by cruel adults and the abuse of chimney sweepers. He does this by stating their sad emotion, chimney sweepers cry the hapless s oldiers sigh and youthful harlots curse these descriptions have a strong effect on the reader as they simply explain the hardship different people are going through. Blake makes accepted he bases it on a wide range of people to convey to his reader that it is involveing everyone not just a small group of society.The gloss of the poem The Human Abstract is a poem about the human spirit abstract suggests non definite intangible quality found in the human brain. He uses a tree to represent the human brain and how it is easily controlled. Blake uses nature to convey his ideas this is shown in the poem A poison tree as well as this poem. His respect for nature is apparent and makes him a romantic writer. The poem has constant rhythm the rhythm change helps present subject and tone. This poem is hard to understand and the least easy to depict the social message compared to the evil of anger, which Blake explains in A Poison Tree. The structure of Blakes poem consists of 6 stanzas and uncomplicated lines to convey his complicated messages. The rhyme scheme is ABAB although odd Para-rhymes are present for example fly and mystery. Many components of this poem echo the bible such as imagery and words.The first stanza has an arrogant tone one which is strange to Blakes writing. The reason for this verse is to show the attitude of several people in the society Blake was living in. A different tone to the rest of the poem is given where the phrases are stated as facts. Blake through the first stanza states that pity, an act of compassion, would not be possible if someone was not poor. Although Blake chose the word make as if society forces people into poverty so they can receive pity. The same is done with the word benignity if mercy was not present if everyone was happy. Blake could be describing the way life was and trying to put across his message in an ironic way by placing it in the uncaring tone. The stanza is relevant to contemporary times but would shock many in Blakes time because British society was built on the principles of clear inequality, Blake sure enough didnt approve of this inequality.An immediate tone change is made after the first stanza where the rest of the poem argues with stanza 1. Through out this poem Blake uses a lot of antithesis, also done in The Chimney-Sweeper, for example selfish love through these controversy phrases and words Blake might be trying to show everyone has an ulterior motive to anything which is usual an act of good nature. He puts mutual fear and peace in the same line trying to convey that there is only peace because manque enemies are living in fear of individually other.Blake makes good use of personification, Cruelty knits a snare, and the use of the word cruelty adds an uneasy quality. Cruelty in this poem is suggesting that all of us have some of this quality in each of us. The suggestion is that Cruelty makes a knitted snare and spreads his bait with care. The image is a strong one because the word choice is odd, knit and care is often associated with care and to place it with cruelty and bait makes it sinister. It then moves onto cruelty sit with holy fears and watering the ground, to grow the plant, with tears Again images created are vivid and help explain his ideas, things seen as good acts and kindness have been transformed and cogitate with pitiless words to make it menacing.The tree that is growing is being made up of unappealing qualities Humility takes its roots. To show the tree is not something of beauty and nature soon spreads the dismal shade The colour image created is darkness and creates mystery, often used in Blakes poetry, darkness and mystery foretells the unknown which scares many because it links with fear. reputation is apparent by the mention of a caterpillar and fly which feed on the mystery, they could represent the idea of corruption and sickness. Biblical reference is often pinpointed by Blake, fruit of deceit this reminds us of the Gard en of Eden and the fall from grace. This once more makes the reader see the tree as sinister with the inviting fruit that is actually deceitful. Mentioning of the raven conveys bad things as it is seen as a symbol of death. The raven is creating a nest with the thickest shade suggests mystery and shadows of the Human Abstract described. The word Thickest shows its the cudgel of death and that it is inevitable.The last line of the poem obviously states the concept of the whole poem that the mysterious tree that has been growing made up of cruelty obscureness etc is simply found in the human mind. Blake conveys that its existence is metaphorical rather than literal but the use of a tree shows the stages of growth and how the things surrounding it affect the way it is. The last line is very simple, conflicting with the rest of the poem, and accepting of this idea it shows the accepting nature of the society that Blake was surrounded by. The abstract way in which Blake described the human mind is far from clear given life isnt clear so the poem represents a humans life.The next poem is A Poison Tree a simple poem able to hold and reveal complicated messages. A Poison tree shares the nature aspect with The Human abstract the idea of a tree growing. Although The human abstract tree represents good and evil being part of every ones spirit and mind. In A Poison Tree the growing tree symbolises the growing of hate when anger is not expressed. The title is a central metaphor its ironic because trees arent perceived as poisonous. The poem A Poison Tree is about anger and if kept inside could grow and become poisonous to one and others. Reference to the bible, like in The Human Abstract, is constantly made and the reader has to have some amount of knowledge on the bible, many in Blakes time understood his references as the bible was the most common book. All through out this poem the rhyming scheme is AABB. Similar to The Human abstract William Blakes mention of nature is common, linking him to the Romantic Movement.Blake conveys, simply, in the first stanza that when angry with your friend you express to them your anger and it will end. He put it simply by using the two words friend and end. Although it is a different situation when angry with your foe, by not expressing his feelings to his foe the anger grew insinuated through the words foe and grow It has a nursery rhyme like quality with simple choice of language and regular rhythmic words. Child-like ton is present I was angryHe indicate that his anger and hatred has taken the form of a tree by the term watered By watering the plant with his tears and fears (metaphorically) it will encourage his hatred. The smiles and deceitful wiles represents the sunshine, simple natural metaphor. It could also represent the false attitude towards the foe.The tree then bears an apple, indication of the bible, the story of Adam and Eve where the couple is forbidden to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge the fruit being an apple. The apple, since it is forbidden is tempting. In this poem the apple is suspicious when it is described as shiny shiny also makes the apple look tempting. The foe steels the apple because he knew that it was mine. Darkness is again mentioned in Blakes poem when night had veiled, it is also mentioned in London to represent sinister acts. The narrator is sleek because he uses the apple to capture the enemy knowing that he would eat it because it belonged to him.A sense of immediacy is brought to our attention in the last two lines by the use of enjambment and quick change from past to present. The narrator finds his enemy dead after eating the tempting apple. At this point he is lucky Glad I see My foe outstretched beneath the tree This shocks the reader because the extent he has gone to because he did not express his anger, it then becomes apparent that the narrator is no longer feeling anger but wrath. The way he dies is quick and simple and shows anyone can feel hatred to this extent and perform this cunning deed. Simply Blake conveyed the message that if anger is expressed its good and relieving but if held, it turns into resentment, fear and hatred grows.William Blakes poems do not fit the age in which they were written as his ideas and messages he attempted to put forward have a contemporary outlook. The poems reflect the type of society Blake was living in. In each poem he expresses different controversial ideas In The Chimney-Sweep Innocence and Experience he puts forward the immoral use of child labourers by putting it in the perspective of a child.In London it is stated how people are controlled easily and how he was against inequality. The message in The Human Abstract however complicated, talks about the human mind and how good and evil are two correlating things. Lastly in A Poison Tree Blake makes it clear that hate, to the extent of wrath, can be present in anyone, and that fear can grow into hate if not expressed. Tod ay Blakes views would not be condemned and most would agree with his ideas. William Blakes views were strongly envisioned in his poems through his poetic devices, language, tone and structure.

Globalisation during the twentieth century

globalisation during the ordinal deoxycytidine monophosphateInternational RelationsExplain the signifi faecal matterce of the advance of media and communications to the process of globalisation during the ordinal century.The twentieth century saw the speed of technical achievement soaring as the human race innovated and positive quicker than ever before. After the westbound disc everyplacey of the New World in the early modern period at that place was a great influx of Europeans across the Atlantic seeking out hot opportunities and eagle-eyed remoteness communication became more than and more important to remain in contact glob onlyy. Technological advances of the twentieth century not solo aided this difficult problem, but created a globalised orb where vast distances became no feat in ensuring the smooth functioning of life, business and politics.For example, in 1865, when US President Abraham capital of Nebraska was assassinated it took the intelligence activity tw elve days to travel to the United Kingdom. This delivery required the use of boats to carry the message across the Atlantic and then telegraphy to deliver it from Cork in Ireland, to London. One hundred and thirty six years later, on 11th September 2001, there was a terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in New York. The attack comprised of two planes hitting the two towers with roughly twenty minutes between them. By the date the second plane hit the second tower there was an audience of around two billion who watched the second attack in real time. The technological advances of the twentieth century and the emergence of global media is what made this vast improvement and the development of a global village possible.Innovators of the nineteenth century had already developed a primitive wired telegraph system which was used as the primary means of communication during this century (obviously other than of course the global quantity for millennia word of mouth). The downside o f the telegraph was that whilst it was quicker than anything before, it was still a slow means of communication. The system still required telephone cables and although it was one of the first good examples of reform and more rapid international communication, it lacked the instantaneousness of modern globalised communication. Another drawback was that it was not until undersea cables were laid in the middle of the twentieth century that telegraphs could be send across the Atlantic and by this time other more reliable forms of transatlantic communication had been developed.It was not until inventors in the twentieth century, such as Marconi, began dabbling with intercommunicate signals that the radio telegraph was created. Utilising these newly discovered radio waves in December 1901 Marconi telegraphed the letter S across the Atlantic from St. illusions in Newfoundland, to Poldhu in Cornwall, a distance of eighteen hundred miles, using kite-born aerials at around one thousand fe et. From this point radiotelegraphy took off and became one of the most revolutionary changes in communication in centuries, adopted especially favourably by the armed forces who began using it to communicate between ships which had until then been primarily using homing pigeons and visual signalling. thither is difficulty in pinpointing the exact time when radio was first used to communicate human voice as claims are varied. However the first transatlantic human broadcast took place in 1915 with the signal moving first from New York to San Francisco, then to Naval Radio Station NAA at Arlington Virginia and finally from there across the Atlantic Ocean to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. By November 1920, the U.S. was operating a daily broadcast of scheduled radio programs, with the first being the 1920 U.S. presidential election results.The importance of this history of radio is to first demonstrate the speed at which radio was developed, but more importantly to illustrate that b y the twenties human voices could be transmitted across oceans to communicate with what less than two hundred years ago would be near isolated countries. Not only this but the broadcast of the 1920 election results was arguably the first example of radio being used as a form of media, to publicize political news to the wider world. Throughout the next eighty years radio improved dramatically, including the introduction of FM (standing for frequency modulation the technology used) which controlled static to give a hi-fi sound. In 1954 Sony produced the worlds first transistor radio, bringing to the world a revolutionary new step where radios became cheaper and by the latter half of the century the majority of the existence of western nations owned one.Radio was not the only method for the broadcast of human voice, indeed the more direct, one-to-one method of communicating over huge distances was the telephone. According to ATT, one of the leading telecommunications companies in the United States, by 1904, right at the beginning of the twentieth century, there were already over three jillion connected phones in the United States. The design and technological improvements increased throughout the twentieth century allowing pot across the globe to talk directly in real time (this too laid the groundwork for later developments in computer networking). The improvements aided globalisation to an incredible degree by allowing business and affectionate interaction to take place not in the form of a letter sent and taking days or even weeks to arrive, but instantaneously. The encounter of this technology with the concept of two-way radios created after the invention of the radio led to the development of the mobile phone. The military were primary users of the concept throughout the early twentieth century but it was not until the 1950s that mobile phones became practical, and not until the last decade of the century that the pocket mobile phone became commonp lace. Communication over long distance, and indeed globally, was then possible from anywhere on the earth (or at to the lowest degree where signal was found, which by the end of the century covered most places in almost all countries across the world.One of the next important innovations of the twentieth century was the invention of the telecasting. By the mid 1920s inventors on both sides of the Atlantic were working on capturing, transmitting and receiving live images, with pioneers such as Scottish inventor John Logie Baird (famous for his original mechanical television set) and the Statesns Philo Farnsworth and Vladimir Zworykin (who were focussed on all electric units using cathode ray tubes). Regularly scheduled television broadcasts began in the late 1920s in the United States and throughout umteen other western nations by the 1930s, but it was not really until the 1950s that televisions entered the average home. By this time mechanical televisions had been made obsolete i n favour of the higher interpretation image produced by the newer purely electronic devices. Programming focussed around films and live dramas which dominated household entertainment across the world by the sixties first in monochrome, and eventually, during the fifties and sixties, in full colour.Despite the arguably slow start for television in the latter half of the twentieth century television became the single most important form of entertainment and media in the majority of the developed world. The majority of news throughout Europe and North America especially was delivered via the television and towards the end of the century broadcasts were running twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. In 1963 the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnsons succession gained four days of coverage, whereas the U.S. moon landing in 1969 was reputedly viewed by 94% of American television homes. It is almost impossible to debate that by the end of the twentieth centur y television was the dominant form of media in the western world, with a breeded ninety nine percent of households owning at least one television and with an average of nearly seven hours exposure a day, much of it based on global issues, events and information. This exposure has created a population which is more informed about the world around them than ever before, and due to the simplicity and lack of necessary engagement or effort it appeals to almost eachone.Television has also seen the growth of film and scripted television shows. Hollywood dominates the global film and television market with its programming shown throughout the entire world, and although there are many national groups vying for a fate in the highly profitable industry, there is no comparison to their American counterpart. As stated by Sinclair, Jacka and Cunningham Hollywood has establish itself as the international best practice, and as stated by Mooney and Evans Wherever you go in the world people know of Mickey Mouse, Star Wars and Rambo.. The films produced by Hollywood are globally known, and despite a delay between release dates in the U.S. and the rest of the world they are available no number where you are on the earth. This demonstrates vast improvement even from the beginning of the century where by no means every country even had the technology to fetch films and television created in the United States.Another noticeable effect of television and film on globalisation is the merging of cultures. Whereas in centuries previous there was teentsy or no real exposure to foreign cultures other than actually visiting them the television in the twentieth century has brought thousands of different cultures into the living retinue of billions in the world. Language, clothing, design and rituals have been adopted and adapted in many societies leading to hybrid constructs and entirely new cultures coming into existence. New cultures share elements from breathing ones, taking sp ecific traits and altering them to fit their own lifestyle or geography another key illustration of the globalised world.Aided by the growth in technology throughout the century the mass media has grown to become one of the single most important forces of globalisation. News groups and organisations such as Reuters and the BBC have thousands of people stationed throughout the world keeping their finger on the pulse and ensuring that the rest of the world is up to date to the minute with the events throughout the globe. Not only making it easier to hear about global events, the mass media has ensured that ever minor world events receive some coverage and consequently the world feels much more united. No longer is the news purely built around the happenings in North America and Europe (although to a degree this news does gain the majority of coverage), every crisis or affair throughout the third world is reported to the rest of the humanity.Perhaps the single most important and revol utionary development of the century was the creation of the computer and the worldwide network known as the Internet. The computer had been in development since the 1940s with individuals and teams across the world developing faster computers with more process power. Yet it wasnt until the 1980s where personal computers for use in the home became practical, and not for nearly another decade before they were economical. However by the 1990s computers were owned in millions of homes across the world, increasing more and more throughout the last decade of the century. The attribute of computers that really aided the globalisation process however was networking and the profits. By connecting the computers of the world together using the existing telephone network (and later fibre optics) there was an immediate and permanent connection between all computers on the planet. Information could be transferred instantly across the entire span of the world in milliseconds. As well as this, wit h developments in wireless technology internet access could be achieved almost anywhere mobile signal was found.In its original design, the precursor to the Internet, ARPANET, was designed as a system for the military and universities to share information, but it quickly grew in usage and spread to the wider civilian community. The effect of the internet on media was revolutionary. Photos, videos and stories could be uploaded to news sites instantaneously from anywhere in the world. to a greater extent fundamentally however was that the internet created journalists out of anyone willing to contribute. Due to the freedom and lack control over what could or could not be shared over the internet (a fundamental value of the internet community, which has to an extent been taken advantage of with the ability to pirate information) anyone wanting to publish a story or report on an event was fully capable of doing so and have the chance to have the entire world read it. Consequently news a ccount became a more mass project than ever before with even the potential for less influence from biased sources. By the end of the century millions of people were actively reporting news on the internet and millions more turned to the independent news sources instead of the mainstream media.The Internet has also continued the trends set by television and film, allowing people across the world to get hold of and view television shows and films that they would neer have had the chance to obtain beforehand. Similarly, literature, essays and reports are found in the billions online where they can be accessed from anywhere. In this way it can be said that the internet truly revolutionised information, allowing it to be accessed anywhere by anyone, and although this may not be received in all countries (some governments choose to limit and censor the content of the internet in their own territory) there is a level of freedom and globalisation that has never been seen before.The key im portance of the advance of communications technology and media throughout the twentieth century has been its significance in creating a global village and its major fiber in the process of globalisation. As outlined, the growth of technology in communication has meant that society has advanced from its sluggish pace at the beginning of the twentieth century, to the instantaneous speed of the 1990s. As well as this the content of communications has improved allowing massive amounts of data to be sent in an instant as contradictory to a short letter. Media coverage of the entire globe in real time makes keeping the world updated entirely simple and the number of people reporting has meant that the official news sources are not always the first to report a story. Most importantly however these advances have created an infinitely smaller world where oceans and vast distances between countries do not eliminate the need or desire to know about them or communicate with them, to the point where nations are nestled than ever at a civilian level, not just politically.BibliographyBooksGiddens, A., Sociology, 6th ed. (Polity Cambridge, 2009)Mooney, A., Evans, B., Globalization, The Key Concepts (Routledge London, 2007)Sinclair, J., Jacka, E., Cunningham, S., New Patterns in Global Television Peripheral Vision (Oxford University extinguish Oxford, 1996)Winston, B., Media, Technology and Society A History From the Telegraph to the Internet (Routledge London, 1998)WebsitesAbout.com, The Invention of the Radio, http//inventors.about.com/od/rstartinventions/a/radio.htm accessed January nineteenth 2010ATT, ATT A shortened History Origins, http//www.corp.att.com/history/history1.html, accessed January 19th 2010GSM World, GSM Coverage Map, http//www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/index.shtml accessed January 19th 2010ThinkQuest, Television The History, http//library.thinkquest.org/18764/television/history.html, accessed 19th January 2010Television Health, http//www.csun.edu/s cience/health/docs/tvhealth.html, accessed 20th January 2010Giddens, A., Sociology, 6th ed. (Polity Cambridge, 2009) Ch. 17 The Media pg.723Ibid.Winston, B., Media, Technology and Society A History From the Telegraph to the Internet (Routledge London, 1998) pg. 272The Invention of the Radio, About.com, http//inventors.about.com/od/rstartinventions/a/radio.htm accessed 19th January 2010Ibid.Ibid.The Invention of the Radio, About.com, http//inventors.about.com/od/rstartinventions/a/radio.htm accessed 19th January 2010ATT A Brief History Origins, http//www.corp.att.com/history/history1.html, accessed 19th January 2010GSM Coverage Map, http//www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/index.shtml accessed 19th January 2010Television The History, http//library.thinkquest.org/18764/television/history.html, accessed 19th January 2010Television Health, http//www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tvhealth.html, accessed 20th January 2010Sinclair, J., Jacka, E., Cunningham, S., New Patterns in Global Televi sion Peripheral Vision (Oxford University Press Oxford, 1996) pg. 13Mooney, A., Evans, B., Globalization, The Key Concepts (Routledge London, 2007) pg. 111

Health Benefits and Problems of Drinking Green Tea

well upness Benefits and Problems of Drinking discolour Tea Introduction parkland by and bynoon afternoon afternoon afternoon tea leaftime leaftime leaf leaf twitchtimetime leaf turn over was originated from chinawargon and has been consumed for thousands of years. It was initially in returnd as a indwelling redress and in religious ceremonies before it became a beverage. Heavy squirt tea juice reamers analogous the monks and Japanese invite been known to live biger than fair(a) batch. It is debate that regular consumption of tea is darling be actor it helps to relax 1s mind, decrease his need for sleep, and lightens his weight by reducing fat in the ashes system. These observations bring on been in compass points proven by scientists. Today, several billion cups of grand tea be consumed daily by good deal around the world. It has fabricate one of the approximately astray consumed drinks and popular even among younger propagations who be wellness conscious. Although the take inity of drinkers argon Asians, it is gaining popularity in the west as to a greater extent than(prenominal) than state hear how expert it mint be to valet de chambre wellness. legion(predicate) people who employ to drink coffee or corrosive tea with milk atomic number 18 now connecter the crook of drinking jet tea. Those who do not enjoy drinking one thousand tea but want its health benefits can take one thousand tea extracts in the orchestrate of supplements.Aims for the dissertationA lot of studies and investigate get been done on kelvin tea extracts and their provoke on health the late(prenominal) few decades. opus almost scientists confirmed the goodness of unripes tea, some experts expressed concerns close to the potential health risks of consuming too lots commonality tea extracts. The objective of this musical theme is to look at the benefits and drawbacks of consuming special K tea. It likewise attempts to find out whether parking lot tea is really so good and as refuge as so some people claim or think it to be.Methodology at that place argon now umteen books astir(predicate) commons tea, websites designed to inform and update visitors on kelvin tea, as well as thousands of scientific articles, search studies and media reports on the health benefits and potential risks. This paper was based on in formation and data from secondary source, mainly literature review of books, journal articles searched from the Internet database and newspaper reports. Updates from government and official websites were in addition used. general psychic synthesisThis dissertation looks at the history of park tea, its composition, applications and uses. It then discusses the health benefits and potential risks of the spurt tea extracts, as well as the literary argument about some of the health claims.BackgroundThere are different varieties of the tea limits and as many as 500 exis ting species of tea fully beatn in around 50 different countries, with mainland China having the most species than the others. Most tea specialists prefer to cultivate the species Camellia sinensis which almost all atomic number 19 tea comes from. greenness teas are made exclusively from the young leaves and buds of the Camellia sinensis sic. This ready is a slow-growing evergreen perennial tree of the genus Camellia, which survives in tropical or sub-tropical rainfo end climates and thrives at altitudes of 2,100 meters above sea-level. The two parent strains were originated in Darjeeling, Assam and China. In order to harvest them more easily and conveniently, the trees are kept short as shrubs. There is no uniform grading for green tea. Good quality green tea consists of a leaf and a bud. The eight criteria to determine good green tea are the appearance, shape, colour, completeness, aroma, liquor, flavour and wet leaf. car park tea formingTeas are classified into three major types, depending on how they are bear upon green, black and oolong. young teas are made from unfermented leaves. They are goed, cook, or pan-fried almost immediately after being picked. Since there is no time for them to ferment, no chemical diversify occurred. This is why it tends to be lighter in color and have the delicate green character. Oolong teas are nonplusd when the fresh leaves are subjected to a partial unrest stage before drying. Black teas undergo post-harvest fermentation stage before drying and steaming. As a result of the fermentation and oxidation, many of the components in the tea leaves that are in effect(p) for health are destroyed during the production of black tea. third estate tea is considered discover than black tea or oolong tea for health reasons because it does not go through and through fermentation or oxidation during its production. It is the purest form of all teas.In China, green tea leaves are allowed to dry course before they are roast ed or pan-fried. Such treatments prevent fermentation and soften the leaves which will then be rolled and twisted to remove additional moisture. The Japanese use a steaming method before rolling, twisting and drying the leaves. Chinas green tea is known to be the most delicate of all with a sweet and loopy rushlike stress. Some of the best Chinese green tea like fine Dragonwell could result in louver or more extracts. The best green teas are those picked during early spring around the time of the Qing Ming Festival. Modern tea masters could list 500 or more green teas which could be pull and bear upon slightly differently to give slightly different taste.History of green tea unripe tea has been used by people as a healthy and medicinal drink for thousands of years. There are many different stories about how it was archetypal find. The most popular one from China go out as far back as 2737 B.C. The Chinese legend described how Shen Nong accidental consonantly discovered the soothing taste of the beverage after a leaf dropped from a tea pose into a pot of boiling water man he was in the garden. He became very(prenominal) interested in the infusion and began to study about its various healing properties. separate stories of tea link it with Zen Buddhism. Whichever is true, there is no doubt that tea was originated from China. Anthropologists have reasons to believe that prehistorical earth living in the area of Yunnan chewed on the leaves of tea trees to increase their alertness when hunting. Fresh green tea leaves were gradually used by people for medicinal properties much(prenominal) as to treat depression, digestive and nervous conditions. During the Han dynasty, tea plants were known to be grown by monasteries in Sichuan. Some people started to steam tea leaves and then compressed them into cakes. These tea bricks would be baked and hardened so that they could be prevented from spoiling and be kept for a longer time. By the black rockweed Dy nasty, as tea cultivation improved and trade increased, tea drinking became very popular in the upper class. Tea rules and ceremony were certain during this sumptuous age of tea. Gradually, tea was consumed as a common healthy drink for all levels of society in China and Tibet or else of mainly used as a remedy to treat different health complaints for certain groups of people.Around A.D. 780, a book dedicated to tea called Cha Ching (Tea Classics) written by Lu Yu was published. He described in great details how tea was grown, cultivated and transitioned. He even wrote about the utensils and proper personal manner of tea consumption. It was Lu Yu who alter the process of tea drinking into a form of art, which would eventually be passed to Japan by monks who travelled around Asia. As the popularity of drinking tea act to grow in China, a tea culture began to develop in Zen ceremonies and secular society in Japan, where the tea plant was able to correct very well. The traditio n of drinking green tea involves a wide range of green tea and is still an important part of their society.By the twelfth century, tea plants were already exported to Japan on a large scale. It was until the 14th century when the culture of drinking tea was first introduced to europium via the Silk Road and curtly riddle to other parts of the world. During the 1600s a Chinese ambassador brought tea to Moscow which led to a flourishing tea trade to Russia. The Manchus were in government agency when China was the most important trading country in the world and tea trade was a monopoly. The Portuguese were the first traders to bring tea to Europe in large scale. China was able to be a sole exporter of tea by keeping the knowledge of tea cultivation technique for a long time. It was the British, eager to learn how to cultivate tea, who uncovered the secret of growing tea outside China in the 1800s. They sent a man to China who clothed himself as a merchant. The seeds he collected i n China were brought to India but efforts to cultivate them failed. However, experiments using the Chinese techniques to grow local India tea plant were successful. Since the nineteenth century, the British began to cultivate tea on plantations in the colonies of India and Sri Lanka. It was just then when black tea, mass-produced and sold in packets, became more popular in the rest of the world.Nowadays, the tea plant is cultivated in many countries around the world, with China, Japan, India and Sri Lanka being the greatest producers. about 3.1 million tons of dried tea is produced every(prenominal) year, 20% of which is green tea.Although green tea has been consumed by the Chinese and Japanese for such a long time, its popularity increased precisely gradually in the West as the health benefits became more widely known. This is because green tea research has been widely conducted only in recent years by scientists. In fact, well-publicized results of research on green tea have been available only since the early 1990s. putting green tea is now one of the most popular beverage consumed by people besides water. In some places, brewed tea steeped from carefully harvested green tea leaves of delicately grown tea tree is treated like prized drink or rare coffee. As studies continue to learn evidence of its benefits, green tea will continue to be sought after by more and more people everywhere. The use of green tea and its extracts by manufacturers will continue to increase as green teas reputation keeps growing.Green tea componentsWhile the history of green tea is long and interesting, its chemistry is complex and studied by scientists only quite recently. To understand more about green tea extracts and their make on health, it is necessary to look at the composition as well as chemical and biochemical properties of green tea.The composition of green tea leaf is very similar to that of other fresh leaf since green tea, being the most natural form of tea, i s made from unfermented leaves from the tea plant. unless a few changes to the enzymes of the leaves occur right after they are plucked from the plant and some new volatile substances are produced when they are dried.The buds and leaves of the tea plant consume carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, enzymes and the genetic material necessary for growth and photosynthesis. The main constituents of the leaves are polyphenols, the catechin and catechin-derived antioxidants caffeine theobromine theophylline and theanine. Other changes in green tea that affect the human health are fluoride, minerals, vitamins such as B1, B2 and C, and trace elements such as chromium and manganese.Table 1 Mean Composition (%) of Green Tea complexGreen tea*Phenolic compounds**30Fibre26Proteins15Others carbohydrates7Lipids7Minerals5Amino acids4Pigments2Oxidised phenolic resin compounds***0*Data referred to dry weight of tea leaves.**Especially flavonoids.***Especially thearubigins and theaflavins.Sources Bel itz DH, Grosch W(1997), Qu?mica de los Alimentos. Zaragoza AcribiaThe amount of these ingredients differs according to where the green tea is cultivated and age of the leaves. unripe leaves and buds dispel more caffeine while older leaves have larger amount of tannin (flavonols).2 Fresh green tea buds and leaves contain 75-80% water while the polyphenol components make up the remaining 20-25% of solid matter. Careful drying could prevent changes to the active ingredients of the green tea leaves whereas fermentation and oxidation that occur when black tea is processed would cause chemical changes. This leads to the major difference in the effects and taste between black tea and green tea.Green tea extracts are herbal derivatives from green tea leaves which are used or taken orally by people. The extracts can be divided into 4 categories a) Strong infusions Green tea leaves are processed by soaking in alcohol solution b) Soft extracts the solution made by strong infusion is conce ntrated to 20 25% c) Dry extracts the solution from strong infusion is further concentrated to 40 50% solids and turned into dehydrated extract powder d) Partly purified extracts techniques such as solvent extraction, column chromatography, membrane extraction and separation are used to acquire more purified derivatives of green tea in order to produce supplements like green tea tablets and capsules.Tea PolyphenolsThe color of green tea is partly due to chlorophyll and partly due to a kind of naturally occurring compound in it, called polyphenols. These compounds are responsible for the pungency and unique flavor of green tea. They are antioxidants which is a type of phytochemical compounds appoint in most plants, vegetables and fruits as well as coffee, cocoa, wine and tea. Polyphenols are the most biologically active group among the tea components, with antioxidative, antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic effects. Exposure to group O during enzymatic process reduces polyphenols levels. Green tea has unreduced polyphenols because unlike oolong or black tea, they do not undergo oxidation. Because of this, green tea has the greatest effect on health among all teas. In green tea, polyphenols are in the form of flavonoids. The main flavonoids present in green tea are the green tea catechins (GTC) which comprise quartet major derivatives (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) (represents or so 59% of the total of catechins) (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC) (19% approximately) (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG) (13.6% approximately) and (-)-epicatechin (EC) (6.4% approximately). Catachins have a carbon structure C6-C3-C6 composed of two aromatic rings.Source V. Jane, et al. (Jan 2003), Tea Catechins and Polyphenols Health Effects, Metabolism, and Antioxidant Functions, overcritical Reviews in intellectual nourishment learning and Nutrition, 43(1)89-143The catechin nub of green tea depends on how the leaves are processed, the geographical location and growing condit ions (e.g. speck, climate, agriculture, practices and fertilizers), the type of green tea and the infusion (e.g. brew time, temperature) Green tea polyphenols are important for their ability to halt the damaging effects of oxidation which is a process of molecular DNA damage caused by the formation of nephrotoxic molecules called free radicals that develop in the human body. Individual catechins have different antioxidative and health properties.Other compounds found in different plants excessively have antioxidative action. Catechins found only in green tea however have been proved to be more effective than many well-known antioxidants. Professor Catherine Rice-Evans of the Guys hospital in London carried out tests and determined that green tea catechins have greater effects as antioxidants than the aforementioned(prenominal) quantity of Vitamin C and E, or beta-carotene. She alike stratified the catechins according to the proportion of their presence in green tea. According to her study, EGCG was the most active of the catechins, responsible for 32% of the antioxidant property of green tea. The order from most antioxidative to to the lowest degree antioxidative are 1) EGCG 2) EGC 3) ECG and 4) EC.CaffeineCaffeine is a central nervous system stimulant belonging to the family of chemicals called methylxanthines. It can be found in more than sixty different plants. 8 Most of them have been utilized as foods or beverages by people since ancient quantify. Caffeine is a trimethyl derivative of purine 2,6-diol. It was first discovered in coffee by Runge in 1820 and later isolated from tea by Nakabayashi. Caffeine content is usually 2.5-4.5% in dry green tea leaves. The amount of caffeine in green tea drink is about 1/10 to 1/5 of that in brewed coffee.Source V. Jane, et al. (Jan 2003), Tea Catechins and Polyphenols Health Effects, Metabolism, and Antioxidant Functions, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 43(1)89-143Caffeine has a strong effect on the brain and muscles which is why drinker will experience a mental boost shortly after drinking tea. The amount of caffeine varies among different types of tea. Black tea has the greatest amount whereas green tea contains only trio the caffeine of black tea. It has been shown in many studies that caffeine improves cognitive performance and certain aspect of memory. Besides mental health, caffeine may also helps to fire ones emotional health, for example, making the drinker feel energized and motivated to croak. Caffeine is known to be a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. It also stimulates the rational cortex, create excitation in the central nervous system. However, it may have adverse effects on some people and its intake could cause health risks instead of benefits. Because of that, this component is often removed and excluded when green tea is extracted for applications such as health supplements.NutrientsBesides polyphenols and caffeine, the two most commonly known comp onents, green tea also actually contains many nutrients, including different kinds of vitamins and inorganic compounds.VitaminsCommercial green tea leaves contain about 280mg of Vitamin C (VC, ascorbic acid) per 100g of dried leaves. The content of Vitamin C in green tea can be ten times that in black tea because the vitamin is partly destroyed during fermentation, which green tea does not undergo. Other vitamins found in green tea in different amounts are Vitamin B2, Vitamin D, Vitamin K, and carotenoids.Inorganic elementsThere are many minerals in green tea such as calcium, iron, copper, sodium, zinc and potassium. Green tea can also be a rich source of selenium if it is grown in a soil rich in this essential mineral. Another important mineral found in green tea is manganese which is used by the body in digesting protein as well as maintaining healthy bones and connective tissue. Green tea also contains a lot of fluoride the mineral known for engagement dental cavities.The amoun ts of aluminum in green tea leaves are higher(prenominal) than any other plants. Fortunately, the tea plant is able to biochemically neutralize the perniciousness of aluminum, which exists mainly in a chelate form, which is less absorbable than the ionic form, with less potential to cause adverse effect on health. Experiments on animals and people also confirm that tea catechins can prevent the damage caused by accumulation of aluminum in the bones.Some specific inorganic compounds in the tea plant are aluminum, fluorine, and manganese.Table 2 Inorganic Elements and their contents in green tea leaves (per 100g dried leaves)ElementContentElementContentN3.5 7.1(g)Al420 3,500(ppm)P0.2 0.7(g)As0.20 0.42(ppm)K1.6 2.5(g)Ba1.3 5.1(ppm)Ca0.12 0.57(g)Br7.8 25.0(ppm)Mg0.12 0.30(g)F17 260(ppm)S0.24 0.48(g)Na20 33(ppm)Fe100 200(ppm)Ni1.3 5.9(ppm)Mn500 3,000(ppm)Pb2.2 6.3(ppm)Cu15 20(ppm)Rb8 44(ppm)Mo0.4 0.7(ppm)Sc0.2(ppm)B20 30(ppm)Se1.0 1.8(ppm)Source timeworn Tables of F ood Composition in Japan, Resources Council, Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo, 1991Other ComponentsAmino AcidsThe content of total nitrogen in green tea extracts ranges from 4.5 to 6%. half(a) of that are free amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. The amount of amino acids in tea leaves harvested during spring time is larger than that during other seasons. Green tea contains some common amino acids like aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, tyrosine etc. as well as an amino acid that is unique to it theanine.Green tea has quadruplet basal tastes sweet, sour, salty and bitter. There is in fact a fifth taste known as unami which is contributed by the amino acid l-theanine. This constituent was only place in 1949, by a Japanese who discovered that theanine makes up about 50% of the free amino acids present in tea. Young tea buds harvested in early spring contain a lot more theanine than tea leaves harvested later in the year because the theanine are converted into catechins as the leaves mature. Green tea experts rate the unami taste most highly and consider it to be the most important factor in determining the quality of the tea. High straddle green tea is more soothing to drink than lower grade ones because the l-theanine can decaffeinates tea naturally, making it taste less bitter. Scientific studies using electroencephalography show that if 8 times more theanine is present than caffeine, the effect of caffeine will be blunted. Studies have also shown that theanine increases production of dopamine in the brain, giving the drinker the reek of alertness while feeling relaxed.Aromatic OilsAromatic oils play a major role in determining the fragrance of green tea. The oils roll as the tea leaf grows and evaporate during and after harvest of the leaf. For green tea, some aromatic oils remain in the final tea product, contributing to the taste of the tea. About 500 different aromatic oils have been identified in tea leaves.CarbohydratesTo tal carbohydrates in green tea leaves are about 40%, one third of which is cellulosic fiber. Starch is also contained in green tea. Tea leaves harvested in the morning when there is less starch are considered to be better in quality.LipidsGreen tea leaves has an average of 4% oil by weight. The seeds of tea also contain oil of around 20-40% by weight. The oil is nondrying and has a bent temperature of -5 to + 15?C./pHealth BenefitsSince the 1990s, scientists in different countries, particularly Japan, have almost suggested that every system of the body can be benefited by green tea consumption. The polyphenols are known to reduce the risk of cancer before genetic mutations occur by neutralizing free radicals, prevent cardiovascular ailment by preventing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol from changes that promote stub malady, and protect the body from various other illnesses. As more people around the world hear about these benefits, it has become increasingly popular for thos e who want a healthy life style to drink green tea as beverage or take green tea extracts as supplements.Antioxidant EffectsFree radicals are highly reactive molecules that could damage the body and lead to many diseases if left alone. They take an electron form another molecule, turning it into another electron-deficient free radical that can take an electron from a third molecule and so on, leading to a grasp reaction. The human body has a number of antioxidant molecules that help to defend it against degenerative diseases, but sometimes they may be overwhelmed by the free radicals. Antioxidants are substances that guard the body and quench free radical reactions. 8 The antioxidant property of green tea extract is the most basic of all the health benefits of green tea.Many plant foods provide an abundant source of antioxidant nutrients. Polyphenols in green tea are among the most effective. Gramza Anna et al. examined the antioxidative activity of several biologically active com ponents from plants to find which are safe for people and showing high antioxidant activities if added to food with lipids such as lard. Results show that the 1000ppm green tea ethanol extract inhibited the oxidation process most strongly among samples of green and black tea leaves. It was observed that the antioxidant activity was higher in tea extracts containing high levels of ECG, EC and C.The US Department of farming (USDA) analysed virtually 400 foods for their EGCG content and published a report in 2007. It showed that regular green tea contains the highest concentration of antioxidants, followed by decaffeinated green tea, flavored green tea and hour or bottled green tea. That USDA study also showed why green tea is the best way to ingest antioxidants. One gram of green tea steeped in 100 millimeters of water yields 127 milligrams of catechins whereas 100 grams of dark chocolate contains only 54 milligrams, blueberries 52 milligrams and black grapes just 22 milligrams.Sin ce tea contains higher levels of antioxidants than many fruits and vegetables, green tea consumption can protect the cells in the human body from damage caused by free radicals. Flavonoids, act as antioxidants, through four possible mechanisms 1) as reducing agents, disarming free radicals. 2) by donating hydrogen molecules to prevent the formation of free radicals. 3) by quenching singlet oxygen that would other act as a free radical in the body. 4) by attach with metals that could otherwise initiate the creation of free radicals.Among the four polyphenols in green tea, EGCG has been found to be particularly effective as an antioxidant. Researchers from Rutgers University concluded that the strong antioxidant activities of green tea are mainly due to the higher content of EGCG after comparing the antioxidant effect of various polyphenols in green tea and oolong tea. 23 Studies of the effects of tea consumption in people confirm evident that green tea is the most effective scaveng er of free radicals among the different types of tea. In one study, five adults each drank two cups of green tea while five others drank the same amount of black tea. Both green and black teas improve the antioxidant capability of the blood, but green tea was found to be six times more powerful. Scientists also found that fresh green tea extracts is a better scavenger of singlet oxygen than stale green tea extract. Green tea polyphenols are also effective in quenching other free radicals such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide.Diabetes MellitusDiabetes mellitus is known to affect the structure and form of myocardium, causing increased collagen in the heart and reducing cardiac function. Babu and his team from India found that the antioxidant enzymes of diabetic rats are not sufficient and efficacious profuse to reduce the oxidative stress caused by hyperglycemia. In 2006, their investigation showed that green tea treatment is effective in controlling the antioxidant system in th e heart and aorta by alleviating lipid peroxidation. In 2007, their studies suggested that administration of green tea extract may improve myocardial collagen changes in diabetic rats. They believe that the antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects of green tea catechins may be responsible and concluded green tea may provide a therapeutic option for the treatment of cardiovascular complications in diabetes.human immunodeficiency virusThe majority of the worlds 33 million HIV cases were infected through heterosexual sex with 96% of new infections occurring in developing countries. therefore shipway to fight the spread of HIV in poor countries are extremely necessary. Previously, scientists have carried out lab tests and reported that EGCG may prevent HIV from binding to the T-cells in the immune systems protecting them from HIVs damage. Although they knew that EGCG inhibited HIV in test tubes, they did not know if the findings would be useful beyond the lab. 26 Just recently, researchers in Germany have found a practical way to use EGCG to help prevent the spreading of AIDS. The researchers found that EGCG was capable of neutralizing a protein in sperm that served as a vector for the transmission of the virus that causes AIDS during sex. They say that the use of green tea in vaginal creams could provide a simple and cheap way to reduce cases of HIV infection.Neuroprotective EffectsParkinsons DiseaseParkinsons disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder of the central nervous system resulting from loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. A research team led by Professor Zhao affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Biophysics using an animal model of Parkinsons disease discovered that green tea polyphenols can protect dopamine neurons. He hopes that green tea polyphenols may eventually be developed into a safe drug for Parkinsons disease in humans.Alzheimers DiseaseIn an article published by the Journal of Neuroscience, re searchers from University of South Florida reported that EGCG prevented Alzheimers-like damage in the brain of mice genetically programmed to develop the neurodegenerative disease process. They work by decreasing production of the Alzheimers-related protein called beta-amyloid which causes nerve damage and memory loss when accumulated abnormally in the brain. The researchers think that a new generation of dietetical supplements containing pure EGCG might be beneficial for treating Altheimers disease.Huntingtons DiseaseLike Alzheimers and Parkinsons, Huntingtons disease is also a type of neurodegenerative disease caused by protein misfolding characterized by jerk and rampant movements. Mutant proteins are accumulated in the brain of sufferers and become toxic to the nerve cells in the brain. A resHealth Benefits and Problems of Drinking Green TeaHealth Benefits and Problems of Drinking Green Tea IntroductionGreen tea was originated from China and has been consumed for thousands of years. It was initially used as a natural remedy and in religious ceremonies before it became a beverage. Heavy green tea drinkers like the monks and Japanese have been known to live longer than average people. It is believe that regular consumption of tea is good because it helps to relax ones mind, decrease his need for sleep, and lightens his weight by reducing fat in the body system. These observations have been gradually proven by scientists. Today, several billion cups of green tea are consumed daily by people around the world. It has become one of the most widely consumed drinks and popular even among younger generations who are health conscious. Although the majority of drinkers are Asians, it is gaining popularity in the West as more people hear how beneficial it can be to human health. Many people who used to drink coffee or black tea with milk are now joining the trend of drinking green tea. Those who do not enjoy drinking green tea but want its health benefits can take green tea extracts in the form of supplements.Aims for the dissertationA lot of studies and research have been done on green tea extracts and their effects on health the past few decades. While most scientists confirmed the goodness of green tea, some experts expressed concerns about the potential health risks of consuming too much green tea extracts. The objective of this paper is to look at the benefits and drawbacks of consuming green tea. It also attempts to find out whether green tea is really so good and as safe as so many people claim or think it to be.MethodologyThere are now many books about green tea, websites designed to inform and update visitors on green tea, as well as thousands of scientific articles, research studies and media reports on the health benefits and potential risks. This paper was based on information and data from secondary source, mainly literature review of books, journal articles searched from the Internet database and newspaper reports. Updates from government and official websites were also used.Overall structureThis dissertation looks at the history of green tea, its composition, applications and uses. It then discusses the health benefits and potential risks of the green tea extracts, as well as the controversy about some of the health claims.BackgroundThere are different varieties of the tea plants and as many as 500 existing species of tea grown in around 50 different countries, with China having the most species than the others. Most tea specialists prefer to cultivate the species Camellia sinensis which almost all green tea comes from. Green teas are made exclusively from the young leaves and buds of the Camellia sinensis plant. This plant is a slow-growing evergreen perennial tree of the genus Camellia, which survives in tropical or sub-tropical rainforest climates and thrives at altitudes of 2,100 meters above sea-level. The two parent strains were originated in Darjeeling, Assam and China. In order to harvest them mor e easily and conveniently, the trees are kept short as shrubs. There is no uniform grading for green tea. Good quality green tea consists of a leaf and a bud. The eight criteria to determine good green tea are the appearance, shape, colour, completeness, aroma, liquor, flavour and wet leaf. Green tea processingTeas are classified into three major types, depending on how they are processed green, black and oolong. Green teas are made from unfermented leaves. They are steamed, roasted, or pan-fried almost immediately after being picked. Since there is no time for them to ferment, no chemical change occurred. This is why it tends to be lighter in color and have the delicate green character. Oolong teas are produced when the fresh leaves are subjected to a partial fermentation stage before drying. Black teas undergo post-harvest fermentation stage before drying and steaming. As a result of the fermentation and oxidation, many of the components in the tea leaves that are beneficial for h ealth are destroyed during the production of black tea. Green tea is considered better than black tea or oolong tea for health reasons because it does not go through fermentation or oxidation during its production. It is the purest form of all teas.In China, green tea leaves are allowed to dry naturally before they are roasted or pan-fried. Such treatments prevent fermentation and soften the leaves which will then be rolled and twisted to remove additional moisture. The Japanese use a steaming method before rolling, twisting and drying the leaves. Chinas green tea is known to be the most delicate of all with a sweet and mild grassy taste. Some of the best Chinese green tea like fine Dragonwell could result in five or more infusions. The best green teas are those picked during early spring around the time of the Qing Ming Festival. Modern tea masters could list 500 or more green teas which could be plucked and processed slightly differently to give slightly different taste.History of green teaGreen tea has been used by people as a healthy and medicinal drink for thousands of years. There are many different stories about how it was first discovered. The most popular one from China dated as far back as 2737 B.C. The Chinese legend described how Shen Nong accidentally discovered the soothing taste of the beverage after a leaf dropped from a tea plant into a pot of boiling water while he was in the garden. He became very interested in the infusion and began to study about its various healing properties. Other stories of tea link it with Zen Buddhism. Whichever is true, there is no doubt that tea was originated from China. Anthropologists have reasons to believe that prehistoric humans living in the area of Yunnan chewed on the leaves of tea trees to increase their alertness when hunting. Fresh green tea leaves were gradually used by people for medicinal properties such as to treat depression, digestive and nervous conditions. During the Han dynasty, tea plants were known to be grown by monasteries in Sichuan. Some people started to steam tea leaves and then compressed them into cakes. These tea bricks would be baked and hardened so that they could be prevented from spoiling and be kept for a longer time. By the Tang Dynasty, as tea cultivation improved and trade increased, tea drinking became very popular in the upper class. Tea rules and ceremony were developed during this golden age of tea. Gradually, tea was consumed as a common healthy drink for all levels of society in China and Tibet instead of mainly used as a remedy to treat different health complaints for certain groups of people.Around A.D. 780, a book dedicated to tea called Cha Ching (Tea Classics) written by Lu Yu was published. He described in great details how tea was grown, cultivated and processed. He even wrote about the utensils and proper way of tea consumption. It was Lu Yu who transformed the process of tea drinking into a form of art, which would eventually be passed to Japan by monks who travelled around Asia. As the popularity of drinking tea continued to grow in China, a tea culture began to develop in Zen ceremonies and secular society in Japan, where the tea plant was able to adapt very well. The tradition of drinking green tea involves a wide range of green tea and is still an important part of their society.By the 12th century, tea plants were already exported to Japan on a large scale. It was until the 14th century when the culture of drinking tea was first introduced to Europe via the Silk Road and soon spread to other parts of the world. During the 1600s a Chinese ambassador brought tea to Moscow which led to a flourishing tea trade to Russia. The Manchus were in power when China was the most important trading country in the world and tea trade was a monopoly. The Portuguese were the first traders to bring tea to Europe in large scale. China was able to be a sole exporter of tea by keeping the knowledge of tea cultivation technique for a long time. It was the British, eager to learn how to cultivate tea, who uncovered the secret of growing tea outside China in the 1800s. They sent a man to China who disguised himself as a merchant. The seeds he collected in China were brought to India but efforts to cultivate them failed. However, experiments using the Chinese techniques to grow local India tea plant were successful. Since the 19th century, the British began to cultivate tea on plantations in the colonies of India and Sri Lanka. It was only then when black tea, mass-produced and sold in packets, became more popular in the rest of the world.Nowadays, the tea plant is cultivated in many countries around the world, with China, Japan, India and Sri Lanka being the greatest producers. About 3.1 million tons of dried tea is produced every year, 20% of which is green tea.Although green tea has been consumed by the Chinese and Japanese for such a long time, its popularity increased only gradually in the West as the health benefits became more widely known. This is because green tea research has been widely conducted only in recent years by scientists. In fact, well-publicized results of research on green tea have been available only since the early 1990s. Green tea is now one of the most popular beverage consumed by people besides water. In some places, brewed tea steeped from carefully harvested green tea leaves of delicately grown tea tree is treated like prized wine or rare coffee. As studies continue to show evidence of its benefits, green tea will continue to be sought after by more and more people everywhere. The use of green tea and its extracts by manufacturers will continue to increase as green teas reputation keeps growing.Green tea componentsWhile the history of green tea is long and interesting, its chemistry is complex and studied by scientists only quite recently. To understand more about green tea extracts and their effects on health, it is necessary to look at the composition as well as chemical and biochemical properties of green tea.The composition of green tea leaf is very similar to that of other fresh leaf since green tea, being the most natural form of tea, is made from unfermented leaves from the tea plant. Only a few changes to the enzymes of the leaves occur right after they are plucked from the plant and some new volatile substances are produced when they are dried.The buds and leaves of the tea plant contain carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, enzymes and the genetic material necessary for growth and photosynthesis. The main constituents of the leaves are polyphenols, the catechin and catechin-derived antioxidants caffeine theobromine theophylline and theanine. Other compounds in green tea that affect the human health are fluoride, minerals, vitamins such as B1, B2 and C, and trace elements such as chromium and manganese.Table 1 Mean Composition (%) of Green TeaCompoundGreen tea*Phenolic compounds**30Fibre26Proteins15Others carbohydrates7Lipids7Minerals 5Amino acids4Pigments2Oxidised phenolic compounds***0*Data referred to dry weight of tea leaves.**Especially flavonoids.***Especially thearubigins and theaflavins.Sources Belitz DH, Grosch W(1997), Qu?mica de los Alimentos. Zaragoza AcribiaThe amount of these ingredients differs according to where the green tea is cultivated and age of the leaves. Young leaves and buds contain more caffeine while older leaves have larger amount of tannin (flavonols).2 Fresh green tea buds and leaves contain 75-80% water while the polyphenol components make up the remaining 20-25% of solid matter. Careful drying could prevent changes to the active ingredients of the green tea leaves whereas fermentation and oxidation that occur when black tea is processed would cause chemical changes. This leads to the major difference in the effects and taste between black tea and green tea.Green tea extracts are herbal derivatives from green tea leaves which are used or taken orally by people. The extracts can be d ivided into 4 categories a) Strong infusions Green tea leaves are processed by soaking in alcohol solution b) Soft extracts the solution made by strong infusion is concentrated to 20 25% c) Dry extracts the solution from strong infusion is further concentrated to 40 50% solids and turned into dehydrated extract powder d) Partly purified extracts techniques such as solvent extraction, column chromatography, membrane extraction and separation are used to acquire more purified derivatives of green tea in order to produce supplements like green tea tablets and capsules.Tea PolyphenolsThe color of green tea is partly due to chlorophyll and partly due to a kind of naturally occurring compound in it, called polyphenols. These compounds are responsible for the pungency and unique flavor of green tea. They are antioxidants which is a type of phytochemical compounds found in most plants, vegetables and fruits as well as coffee, cocoa, wine and tea. Polyphenols are the most biologically active group among the tea components, with antioxidative, antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic effects. Exposure to oxygen during enzymatic process reduces polyphenols levels. Green tea has unaltered polyphenols because unlike oolong or black tea, they do not undergo oxidation. Because of this, green tea has the greatest effect on health among all teas. In green tea, polyphenols are in the form of flavonoids. The main flavonoids present in green tea are the green tea catechins (GTC) which comprise four major derivatives (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) (represents approximately 59% of the total of catechins) (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC) (19% approximately) (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG) (13.6% approximately) and (-)-epicatechin (EC) (6.4% approximately). Catachins have a carbon structure C6-C3-C6 composed of two aromatic rings.Source V. Jane, et al. (Jan 2003), Tea Catechins and Polyphenols Health Effects, Metabolism, and Antioxidant Functions, Critical Reviews in Food Science an d Nutrition, 43(1)89-143The catechin content of green tea depends on how the leaves are processed, the geographical location and growing conditions (e.g. soil, climate, agriculture, practices and fertilizers), the type of green tea and the infusion (e.g. brew time, temperature) Green tea polyphenols are important for their ability to halt the damaging effects of oxidation which is a process of molecular DNA damage caused by the formation of toxic molecules called free radicals that develop in the human body. Individual catechins have different antioxidative and health properties.Other compounds found in different plants also have antioxidative action. Catechins found only in green tea however have been proved to be more effective than many well-known antioxidants. Professor Catherine Rice-Evans of the Guys Hospital in London carried out tests and determined that green tea catechins have greater effects as antioxidants than the same quantity of Vitamin C and E, or beta-carotene. She also ranked the catechins according to the proportion of their presence in green tea. According to her study, EGCG was the most active of the catechins, responsible for 32% of the antioxidant property of green tea. The order from most antioxidative to least antioxidative are 1) EGCG 2) EGC 3) ECG and 4) EC.CaffeineCaffeine is a central nervous system stimulant belonging to the family of chemicals called methylxanthines. It can be found in more than sixty different plants. 8 Most of them have been utilized as foods or beverages by people since ancient times. Caffeine is a trimethyl derivative of purine 2,6-diol. It was first discovered in coffee by Runge in 1820 and later isolated from tea by Nakabayashi. Caffeine content is usually 2.5-4.5% in dry green tea leaves. The amount of caffeine in green tea drink is about 1/10 to 1/5 of that in brewed coffee.Source V. Jane, et al. (Jan 2003), Tea Catechins and Polyphenols Health Effects, Metabolism, and Antioxidant Functions, Critical Revi ews in Food Science and Nutrition, 43(1)89-143Caffeine has a strong effect on the brain and muscles which is why drinker will experience a mental boost shortly after drinking tea. The amount of caffeine varies among different types of tea. Black tea has the greatest amount whereas green tea contains only one-third the caffeine of black tea. It has been shown in many studies that caffeine improves cognitive performance and certain aspect of memory. Besides mental health, caffeine may also helps to enhance ones emotional health, for example, making the drinker feel energized and motivated to work. Caffeine is known to be a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. It also stimulates the cerebral cortex, causing excitation in the central nervous system. However, it may have adverse effects on some people and its intake could cause health risks instead of benefits. Because of that, this component is often removed and excluded when green tea is extracted for applications such as health supplemen ts.NutrientsBesides polyphenols and caffeine, the two most commonly known components, green tea also actually contains many nutrients, including different kinds of vitamins and inorganic compounds.VitaminsCommercial green tea leaves contain about 280mg of Vitamin C (VC, ascorbic acid) per 100g of dried leaves. The content of Vitamin C in green tea can be ten times that in black tea because the vitamin is partly destroyed during fermentation, which green tea does not undergo. Other vitamins found in green tea in different amounts are Vitamin B2, Vitamin D, Vitamin K, and carotenoids.Inorganic elementsThere are many minerals in green tea such as calcium, iron, copper, sodium, zinc and potassium. Green tea can also be a rich source of selenium if it is grown in a soil rich in this essential mineral. Another important mineral found in green tea is manganese which is used by the body in digesting protein as well as maintaining healthy bones and connective tissue. Green tea also contains a lot of fluoride the mineral known for fighting dental cavities.The amounts of aluminum in green tea leaves are higher than any other plants. Fortunately, the tea plant is able to biochemically neutralize the toxicity of aluminum, which exists mainly in a chelate form, which is less absorbable than the ionic form, with less potential to cause adverse effect on health. Experiments on animals and people also confirm that tea catechins can prevent the damage caused by accumulation of aluminum in the bones.Some specific inorganic compounds in the tea plant are aluminum, fluorine, and manganese.Table 2 Inorganic Elements and their contents in green tea leaves (per 100g dried leaves)ElementContentElementContentN3.5 7.1(g)Al420 3,500(ppm)P0.2 0.7(g)As0.20 0.42(ppm)K1.6 2.5(g)Ba1.3 5.1(ppm)Ca0.12 0.57(g)Br7.8 25.0(ppm)Mg0.12 0.30(g)F17 260(ppm)S0.24 0.48(g)Na20 33(ppm)Fe100 200(ppm)Ni1.3 5.9(ppm)Mn500 3,000(ppm)Pb2.2 6.3(ppm)Cu15 20(ppm)Rb8 44(ppm)Mo0.4 0.7(ppm)Sc0.2(pp m)B20 30(ppm)Se1.0 1.8(ppm)Source Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, Resources Council, Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo, 1991Other ComponentsAmino AcidsThe content of total nitrogen in green tea extracts ranges from 4.5 to 6%. Half of that are free amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. The amount of amino acids in tea leaves harvested during spring time is larger than that during other seasons. Green tea contains some common amino acids like aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, tyrosine etc. as well as an amino acid that is unique to it theanine.Green tea has four basic tastes sweet, sour, salty and bitter. There is in fact a fifth taste known as unami which is contributed by the amino acid l-theanine. This constituent was only identified in 1949, by a Japanese who discovered that theanine makes up about 50% of the free amino acids present in tea. Young tea buds harvested in early spring contain a lot more theanine than tea leaves harvested later in the year because the theanine are converted into catechins as the leaves mature. Green tea experts rate the unami taste most highly and consider it to be the most important factor in determining the quality of the tea. High grade green tea is more soothing to drink than lower grade ones because the l-theanine can decaffeinates tea naturally, making it taste less bitter. Scientific studies using electroencephalography show that if 8 times more theanine is present than caffeine, the effect of caffeine will be blunted. Studies have also shown that theanine increases production of dopamine in the brain, giving the drinker the sense of alertness while feeling relaxed.Aromatic OilsAromatic oils play a major role in determining the fragrance of green tea. The oils accumulate as the tea leaf grows and evaporate during and after harvest of the leaf. For green tea, some aromatic oils remain in the final tea product, contributing to the taste of the tea. About 500 different aromatic oils h ave been identified in tea leaves.CarbohydratesTotal carbohydrates in green tea leaves are about 40%, one third of which is cellulosic fiber. Starch is also contained in green tea. Tea leaves harvested in the morning when there is less starch are considered to be better in quality.LipidsGreen tea leaves has an average of 4% oil by weight. The seeds of tea also contain oil of around 20-40% by weight. The oil is nondrying and has a solidifying temperature of -5 to + 15?C./pHealth BenefitsSince the 1990s, scientists in different countries, particularly Japan, have almost suggested that every system of the body can be benefited by green tea consumption. The polyphenols are known to reduce the risk of cancer before genetic mutations occur by neutralizing free radicals, prevent cardiovascular disease by preventing LDL cholesterol from changes that promote heart disease, and protect the body from various other illnesses. As more people around the world hear about these benefits, it has bec ome increasingly popular for those who want a healthy life style to drink green tea as beverage or take green tea extracts as supplements.Antioxidant EffectsFree radicals are highly reactive molecules that could damage the body and lead to many diseases if left alone. They take an electron form another molecule, turning it into another electron-deficient free radical that can take an electron from a third molecule and so on, leading to a chain reaction. The human body has a number of antioxidant molecules that help to defend it against degenerative diseases, but sometimes they may be overwhelmed by the free radicals. Antioxidants are substances that patrol the body and quench free radical reactions. 8 The antioxidant property of green tea extract is the most basic of all the health benefits of green tea.Many plant foods provide an abundant source of antioxidant nutrients. Polyphenols in green tea are among the most effective. Gramza Anna et al. examined the antioxidative activity of several biologically active components from plants to find which are safe for people and showing high antioxidant activities if added to food with lipids such as lard. Results show that the 1000ppm green tea ethanol extract inhibited the oxidation process most strongly among samples of green and black tea leaves. It was observed that the antioxidant activity was higher in tea extracts containing high levels of ECG, EC and C.The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) analysed nearly 400 foods for their EGCG content and published a report in 2007. It showed that regular green tea contains the highest concentration of antioxidants, followed by decaffeinated green tea, flavored green tea and instant or bottled green tea. That USDA study also showed why green tea is the best way to ingest antioxidants. One gram of green tea steeped in 100 millimeters of water yields 127 milligrams of catechins whereas 100 grams of dark chocolate contains only 54 milligrams, blueberries 52 milligrams and bl ack grapes just 22 milligrams.Since tea contains higher levels of antioxidants than many fruits and vegetables, green tea consumption can protect the cells in the human body from damage caused by free radicals. Flavonoids, act as antioxidants, through four possible mechanisms 1) as reducing agents, disarming free radicals. 2) by donating hydrogen molecules to prevent the formation of free radicals. 3) by quenching singlet oxygen that would otherwise act as a free radical in the body. 4) by binding with metals that could otherwise initiate the creation of free radicals.Among the four polyphenols in green tea, EGCG has been found to be particularly effective as an antioxidant. Researchers from Rutgers University concluded that the strong antioxidant activities of green tea are mainly due to the higher content of EGCG after comparing the antioxidant effect of various polyphenols in green tea and oolong tea. 23 Studies of the effects of tea consumption in people confirm evident that gre en tea is the most effective scavenger of free radicals among the different types of tea. In one study, five adults each drank two cups of green tea while five others drank the same amount of black tea. Both green and black teas improve the antioxidant capability of the blood, but green tea was found to be six times more powerful. Scientists also found that fresh green tea extracts is a better scavenger of singlet oxygen than stale green tea extract. Green tea polyphenols are also effective in quenching other free radicals such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide.Diabetes MellitusDiabetes mellitus is known to affect the structure and function of myocardium, causing increased collagen in the heart and reducing cardiac function. Babu and his team from India found that the antioxidant enzymes of diabetic rats are not sufficient and efficient enough to reduce the oxidative stress caused by hyperglycemia. In 2006, their investigation showed that green tea treatment is effective in contro lling the antioxidant system in the heart and aorta by alleviating lipid peroxidation. In 2007, their studies suggested that administration of green tea extract may improve myocardial collagen changes in diabetic rats. They believe that the antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects of green tea catechins may be responsible and concluded green tea may provide a therapeutic option for the treatment of cardiovascular complications in diabetes.HIVThe majority of the worlds 33 million HIV cases were infected through heterosexual sex with 96% of new infections occurring in developing countries. Therefore ways to fight the spread of HIV in poor countries are extremely necessary. Previously, scientists have carried out lab tests and reported that EGCG may prevent HIV from binding to the T-cells in the immune systems protecting them from HIVs damage. Although they knew that EGCG inhibited HIV in test tubes, they did not know if the findings would be useful beyond the lab. 26 Just recently, researchers in Germany have found a practical way to use EGCG to help prevent the spreading of AIDS. The researchers found that EGCG was capable of neutralizing a protein in sperm that served as a vector for the transmission of the virus that causes AIDS during sex. They say that the use of green tea in vaginal creams could provide a simple and affordable way to reduce cases of HIV infection.Neuroprotective EffectsParkinsons DiseaseParkinsons disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder of the central nervous system resulting from loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. A research team led by Professor Zhao affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Biophysics using an animal model of Parkinsons disease discovered that green tea polyphenols can protect dopamine neurons. He hopes that green tea polyphenols may eventually be developed into a safe drug for Parkinsons disease in humans.Alzheimers DiseaseIn an article published by the Journal of Neurosci ence, researchers from University of South Florida reported that EGCG prevented Alzheimers-like damage in the brain of mice genetically programmed to develop the neurodegenerative disease process. They work by decreasing production of the Alzheimers-related protein called beta-amyloid which causes nerve damage and memory loss when accumulated abnormally in the brain. The researchers think that a new generation of dietary supplements containing pure EGCG might be beneficial for treating Altheimers disease.Huntingtons DiseaseLike Alzheimers and Parkinsons, Huntingtons disease is also a type of neurodegenerative disease caused by protein misfolding characterized by jerky and uncontrolled movements. Mutant proteins are accumulated in the brain of sufferers and become toxic to the nerve cells in the brain. A res

Statements from the novel soucouyant

Statements from the novel soucouyantThese are statements from the novel Soucouyant by David Chariandy (2007) that condenses the message of the novel. In general, the novel illustrates obstructting non just as a illness in the form of dementia just now it also shows the cultural meaning of forgetting in the lives of the narrator, his m opposite and the other characters in the story. In a cultural context, forgetting in the novel means leaving behind ones history and tradition erasing from memory ones nighttime recent experiences not remembering the hurts and sufferings one has experienced and turning cover version on ones mistakes and sins in the past as depicted by the characters in the novel.At the outset, the story focuses on the life of the narrators stimulate named Adele who is suffering from early onset or pre-senile dementia. The narrator here is considered a prodigal son who has run away from his home exclusively who longed for her as any son would for his mother, t ear down so a frightening a mother as she had become (33). However, after two years, he went back to stay with Mother though I havent been invited to stay (9). It seemed, as the story progresses, that the narrator wants to learn her mothers past so he can also understand his own origins. So, he tried to ask questions from his mother who never deliberately explained to me her past, but I learned anyway (23). She told him over and over again of her retrieve with the creature a soucouyant (136). A soucouyant according to what is written in the back cover of the book is an evil spirit in Caribbean folklore. The narrator wishes to confirm this encounter but Mother never explained any of this to me (136). The narration is interspersed with bits and pieces of the mothers past as fragments of her memory come and go. Some of the stories about Adele are also narrated by Meera, the nurse. The characters who are Adele, the narrators mother and the narrator who has remained nameless throughout the story have engaged in episodes of forgetting and remembering which has something to do with their cultural heritage.The cultural meaning of forgetting in Soucouyant is first of all, prodigious to Adele who is a Trinidadian immigrant who experienced the worst things in her past. On her part, forgetting includes leaving behind her history and her traditions as she leaves behind her birthplace, Trinidad. It also means erasing from her memory her subdued past. The narrator tells of her, she saw sadness and anxiety. She saw violence. She saw war. (161). There was also a time when she experienced being dragged like a doll toward the render of the base, back toward the village and the life that awaits (192). She has suffered a lot, not to mention the discrimination during those times because she is dark or a colored wo piece. In these instances, forgetting seems to be the most creative and life-sustaining thing (32) she could do with her dark past. The phrase a style so old that n one could remember its origins (45, 136, 173 190) has been repeatedly mentioned in the novel. This path may very well symbolize what Adele has gone through. She tried to forget the heaviness of a history that couldnt leave. She resolved within herself not to remember those dark neverthelessts in her life again. She has become so reliable at forgetting that this could have probably affected her own memory which turned out to develop into dementia. The narrator is not sure what really ca utilise her early onset dementia but what the narrator remembers is thatLong ago, she began to forget. It started with ordinary things. Shopping lists and recipes, bus change and savings cards, pens for soupcon down those household tasks that always manage to slip away. But then Mother began to forget in more creative ways. She began to forget names and places, goals and meanings. She began to forget the laws of language and the routes to salvation and the proper things to do with ones body. She b egan to excuse herself from the world we knew (12).Similarly, the narrator asks these questions about her mother Was this a turning point in her life? The trice when she first realized that something was wrong with her? That something more serious than cutlery or bangles had gone missing? That so many other things were getting lost? This man beside her, for instance. Her husband. She knows his name, of course. Its Roger. But what else does she know? (78).Likewise, forgetting, for Adele means no longer remembering the hurts and painful experiences she had in the past. With her dementia, she would surely not remember those pains and hurts in her secret past again. She has erased memories in her mind and the narrator says She tells me now that she doesnt understand that thing called memory. She doesnt understand its essence or dynamic (166).It is just ironical that in the past and even in the present, there are things that Adele can still remember. This is evident in what the narrator has said that She never forget. But I dont remember it. Not even a little bit. I remember something else from that trip, though (196). This shows that Adeles memory is even better than the authors. This also goes to show that Adele somehow uses selective remembering and forgetting. Pleasant and good things are remembered while unpleasant, traumatic experiences are better left forgotten in obscurity.Aside from Adele, the narrator himself has tried forgetting his past. He tries to forget what happened to his mother and his commence by running away from his home to another place. His mother staggered into forgetfulness. She wandered the streets of our neighbourhood and upturned peoples garbage bins (18). While his father became increasingly quiet and withdrawn, He halt communicating to anyone, including Mother and me (28). The narrator describes the place where he stayed The city was for me a good place of forgetting. I found my anonymity in a series of rent-by-the-week rooms, in under-the-counter jobs as a dishwasher and holiday flower-seller (30). Yes, he was able to forget those things that happened to his family but only for a little while. This is because, he posterior forgot to forget and he remembered everything again which leads him back to his mother and to his hometown. For the narrator, forgetting means repenting of his mistakes and making amends by living his life anew and by taking caveat of his mother.When he goes back to his home he tried to understand his roots, his history. He tries to prove that Your history is your blood and flesh (137). Though his mother is someone so entirely unwilling to admit that she has forgotten me (8). He tries to imagine his mothers life before it all slips away into darkness. Thus, he attempts to draw his mother to a talk to help him know the truth about his mothers childhood and what could have caused her dementia. He asks her questions such as You mean you dont remember, Mother? (12) Dont you remember, Mothe r? (15) Do you remember, Mother? (92) buttocks you remember it now, Mother? Can you tell me this last thing? Today, before I go? (194). However, with his series of questions, his Mother doesnt explain anything to him. This is because She told, but she never explained or deciphered. She never put the stories together. She never could or wanted to do so. It is only through the help of Miss that he is able to understand the details of his mothers life. And he is able to confirm of his mothers life when he said that it is possible to live with almost no memories (54).In addition to Adele and the narrator, Meera, the nurse is also trying to treat something and to forget her past. Although, it is not quite obvious in the story, her feelings became transparent upon seeing her mother. Meera unbelievably asks the narrator You fetched my mother? (124) while her mother keeps on calling her name. She was neither enthusiastic nor happy to see her own mother. The narrator also tells her I dont care, Meera. It doesnt matter to me. I just wanted to know more about you. I thought we could talk about things (125). This leads to the conclusion that Meera is not sharing about her life. She is probably hiding something and is trying to forget the memories altogether. It was later found out that Meera used to crank call the wandering dame (159). Many times, Meeras calls were stupidly banal. Giggling requests to speak to Oliver Clothesoff (160). For Meera, forgetting means turning back on past mistakes and sins and correcting her mistakes. Eventually, she becomes the nurse of the wandering lady who used to be the subject of her crank calls.For Adele, the narrator and Meera, forgetting gives them a way of escaping from their repulsive past. It has its advantages but it also has its disadvantages. The narrator confirms this through a quote During our lives, we scrape to forget. And its foolish to assume that forgetting is altogether a bad thing. Memory is a bruise still tender (3 2). Human beings sometimes need to forget oddly those unpleasant, traumatic experiences that happened in ones life. But it should not keep one from moving on to the future like what happened to the narrator and to Meera.The novels title which is Soucouyant refers to an evil spirit in the form of a vampire-like old woman who sucks blood from her victims. A soucouyant is a monster worth forgetting because it symbolizes something disagreeable or horrible. In addition, Adeles encounter of a soucouyant symbolizes everything in her life that is horrid, distasteful, horrible, hostile and unkind which are worth forgetting. Indeed, Soucouyant is aptly described as a novel of forgetting. However, contrary to the title, the novel Soucouyant is worth reading and remembering.

Demonstrated Effectiveness of Training within the Workplace to Improve

The Quality Management Plan at Club Nova reflects two kernel quality improvement plans House Cleanliness and Employee Retention. Club Nova collects member and staff satisfaction data at least semi-annually in order to analyze that data and to withstand headway in finding a remedy for these two issues. Alas, no solution has been found. Staff turnover rate is at an all-time high, with 6 of 10 staff having left Club Nova since July 2011. For the members, I recognize that losing valued and favored staff will result in decreased member participation and attendance, strive interactions with new staff, and overall dissatisfaction with the functioning of Club Nova. My solution is simple. Club Nova should invest in its staff. According to Nowacks research (2011), 42.6% of those within his study reported that occupational group growth and learning opportunities were a significant factor in their continued employment at a given job. Staff who are more informal about the Clubhouse Mo del and who receive various on-going training will operate a more efficient program, will experience less frustrations in dealing with the organizational style within Club Nova, and will enjoy their work significantly more thereby reducing staff turnover and meliorate member satisfaction. Which Staff & Members Do We Offer Training?Club Nova is a unique environment in which all members and staff function along-side each some other to complete the tasks during the work-ordered daytime. Trainings should not be any different in this model. Tanvir, Hussain, & Janjua, (2011) defined training as the attainment of the skill, ideas and attitudes to obtain the desired performance and results. Given that the responsibilities of the day fall on both members and staff, each pe... ...nd Stress. Envisia Learning, http//abstracts.envisialearning.com/78-abstractFile.pdfOlivero, G., Bane, K., & Kopelman, R. (1997). Executive coaching as a transfer of training tool effects on productivity in a public agency. Public Personnel Management, 26(4), 461-469. Schedule, Retrieved from http//www.fountainhouse.org/content/scheduleSmith, A., Oczkowski, E., & Smith, C. (2011). To have and to hold Modelling the drivers of employee turnover and skill retention in Australian Organisations. foreign Journal of Human Resource Management, 22(2), 395-416. doi10.1080/09585192.2011.540162Tanvir, M., Hussain, A., & Janjua, S. (2011). A Remedy based Concept Impact of Encounter Service, Culture and Employees Training on Customers Satisfaction of hospitality Industry. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research In Business, 3(2), 1237-1247.

Inaugural Address to the People of the US :: essays research papers

Inaugeral Address to the People of the USHello ladies and gentleman, citizens of the United States of America. Today I will be reading to you my inaugural address, and will hopefully cover any and all issues or questions you may require about why you should, and trust me, you should, vote for me to be your president. The ten issues I will be addressing in my speech are education, medical care, employment, welfare, crime, drug trafficking, language, environment, media, and abortion. Let me start with education.Education is not something to be interpreted lightly. To many kids today are not getting sufficient education, starting as soon as kindergarten. My plan for education is to set guidelines and standards that will be relevant in every school. By a certain grade, each disciple should have been taught everything sufficient for that level of education. This way all students will have been taught the same amount of information at the same time. I would take away AP classes and inst ead put children who learn at an accelerated rate in their choice of a grade above their current level, or at a school specifically designed for children of their intelligence. This way in public schools, children not in AP classes will not in any way feel inferior. I will press for smaller classes, and more than teachers, that way, children can get more individual attention that so many of them need. I will also make it so that colleges must pay more attention to the motivation of the student rather then the grade point average. To often high school students get rejected from colleges because their grade point average doesnt meet the standards of a certain school.