Fluorine: From 2 Different Sources
Trace element. Imparts ‘tone’ to walls of blood vessels and muscles.
Deficiency. A diet deficient in Fluorine induces relaxed conditions: varicose veins, weak ligaments. Bone-wasting diseases – osteoporosis, dental decay.
Body effects. Maintains vascular, bone and dental health.
Sources. Meat, fish (where bones are consumed) sardines, salmon. Plants: Garlic, Watercress.
Note: Excess causes: fluorosis – mottling of teeth, arthritic joints and increased density of the bones. Controversial government policy promotes addition of Sodium flouride to water to achieve a minimum of one part per million.
One of the halogen series of elements. In the form of ?uoride it is one of the constituents of bone and teeth. Supplementing the daily intake of ?uorine diminishes the incidence of dental caries (see TEETH, DISORDERS OF). In America and in Britain, evidence indicates that people who, throughout their lives, have drunk water with a natural ?uorine content of 1 part per million have less dental caries than those whose drinking water is ?uorine-free. All the available evidence indicates that this is the most satisfactory way of giving ?uorine, and that if the concentration of ?uorine in drinking water does not exceed 1 part per million, there are no toxic effects. Several water companies in the UK have added ?uoride to the public water supply, but opponents of this policy, who claim that ?uoride has serious side-effects, have prevented ?uoridation being introduced nationwide.
One of the most popular drinks in China, Dragon Well tea is part of the green teas family, having an inviting and a toasty flavor. A truly enjoyable and spectacular cup of tea.
Description of Dragon Well tea
Dragon Well tea is a type of pan-fried green tea, most commonly named Longjing tea from Hangzhou, Zheijang province in China, where is produced mainly by hand. During the production process, the Dragon Well is dried under a wood-fired Chinese pan called “wok”. This process removes the green, grassy taste and also inhibits enzyme activity. Due to the widespread opinion in China that the Dragon Well tea has a cooling effect, its popularity significantly increases especially during the spring and summer seasons.
Often called the national tea of China, Dragon Well tea is often served to head of states and foreign delegations during their visits in China. Presented as a tribute to many generations, it was given even to Richard Nixon during his memorable encounter with Mao Zedong.
This tea is very popular because of its unique properties: jade color, vegetative aroma, mellow chestnut flavor and singular shape. It has a buttery, nutty, rich texture and an enjoyable dry finish.
Commonly, Dragon Well tea is graded using a scale of six levels from superior quality to low quality so it is advisable to chose wisely when you decide to buy it. When the flavor can barely be sensed, it is clear that you deal with a poor quality.
How to store the Dragon Well tea
If the tea is sealed, keep it in a freezer. Cover with a box to insulate from temperature change. In order to get warm, leave it to room temperature before opening. This prevents condensation.
After opening the package of Dragon Well tea, it is best to keep it away from light, moisture, smell and heat in an airtight container.
Ingredients of Dragon Well tea
Like most green teas, the Dragon Well tea contains amino acids, vitamins, flavonoids, proteins, calcium, iron, fluorine, theine and has one of the highest concentrations of catechins among teas, second only to white teas.
How to brew Dragon Well tea
When it comes to brewing Dragon Well tea, the best choice is a clear glass teacup, so that you can see the beauty of the leaves as they dance and unfurl in the water. It is really spectacular. Quality of tea is related directly to the beauty of the buds. Glass is most suitable also because it disperses heat quickly and prevents over-steeping. If you see that the buds have reached the bottom, this means that the tea is ready to drink.
You should infuse a small amount of leaves in high temperature water for as long as it takes.
Pour hot water at approximately 80 - 90 degrees Celsius. Immerse until most of the tea buds has sink to the bottom of the glass and the tea liquor turns yellow. This will take 5 to 10 minutes for the first infusion. During soaking, the tea brings out a soft, pure aroma, a yellow-green color and a rich flavor.
Decant and leave a small quantity as you may use it as the seed for the next infusion.
Infuse for another 2 to 4 times with progressively shorter steeping time.
Health Benefits of Dragon Well tea
All tea comes from the same plant named Camellia sinensis. The method of production creates the different types of tea. Dragon Well tea contains the highest content of antioxidant compounds. Antioxidants are proven to fight against certain cancers, lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure, reduce the likely-hood of getting the flu and other infections, boosting the immune function of our body and help reduce the signs of aging. It is also a fat burning accelerator so let’s not forget its important benefits for diets. There’s also enough fluoride found in green tea to aid against plaque and other oral bacteria.
Side effects of Dragon Well tea
Like any other green tea, Dragon Well tea may have few side effects like restlessness, palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, increased heart rate, and elevated blood pressure due to the caffeine content. It may also cause pain in the stomach area or reduce the body’s absorption of iron by 25% so it is contraindicated to people with anemia, faintness, gastritis with hyperacidity, stomach and duodenal ulcer.
In spite of few side effects, it is worth trying it and get to know its flavor. The spectacle of drinking this type of tea is truly unique and the flavor really satisfying.... discover the spectacle of dragon well green tea
See FLUORINE.... fluoridation
Dietary minerals. See entries: CALCIUM, CHROMIUM, COBALT, COPPER, DOLOMITE, FLUORINE, IODINE, IRON, MAGNESIUM, MANGANESE, MOLYBDENUM, PHOSPHORUS, POTASSIUM, SELENIUM, SODIUM, SULPHUR, ZINC. ... mineral nutrients
n. a compound of fluorine. The incorporation of fluoride ions in the enamel of teeth makes them more resistant to *dental caries. The ions enter enamel during its formation, and after tooth eruption by surface absorption, forming hydroxyfluorapatite. The addition of fluoride to public water supplies is called *fluoridation. Fluoride may also be applied topically in toothpaste or by a dentist. If the water supply contains too little fluoride, fluoride salts may be given to children in the form of mouthwashes, drops, or tablets.... fluoride
(FDG) n. a variant of normal glucose in the body that is not metabolized and therefore accumulates in areas of high metabolism, such as tumours and areas of infection. It can be labelled with radioactive fluorine-18 and is in common use in PET scanning (see positron emission tomography).... fluorodeoxyglucose
n. an electrically charged particle released in some radioactive decays, notably fluorine-18 or nitrogen-13, that has the same mass as an electron but opposite charge. It has a very short lifetime as it quickly reacts with an electron (annihilation) to produce a pair of *gamma rays, which are emitted in diametrically opposite directions. The energy of each gamma ray is always 511 keV.... positron
(PET) a technique in nuclear medicine for *cross-sectional imaging that enables a noninvasive assessment and localization of metabolic activity to be made. Originally used to study activity in the brain, PET is now also used for investigating the chest and abdomen. Emission of a *positron by a radioisotope results in annihilation of the positron on collision with an electron, and the creation of two gamma rays of known energy travelling in exactly opposite directions. The PET scanner has detectors on each side of the patient to detect the simultaneous arrival of the gamma rays. Images are created using reconstruction *algorithms similar to CT scanning. *Fluorodeoxyglucose, labelled with fluorine-18, is used to examine glucose metabolism, and ammonia, labelled with nitrogen-13, gives information on perfusion. Carbon-11 and oxygen-15 can also be used as radioisotopes for PET scanning. Some diseases result in decreased uptake of the radio-labelled material due to decreased function; others show increased glucose metabolism and concentrate the isotope avidly. In this way functional activity of the tissues can be compared with anatomical images obtained by CT or MRI scanning (see PET/CT scanning). Localized areas of increased glucose uptake revealed by PET scans can sometimes signify functional activity of malignant cells, which use more glucose than normal cells, although other processes, such as infection, can produce similar scans. PET scans can help to localize metastatic disease (see metastasis) that is not identified by other scanning techniques. See also tomography. Compare computerized tomography.... positron emission tomography
a salt of sodium used to prevent tooth decay. Taken in excess by mouth, it may cause digestive upsets and large doses may cause fluorine poisoning. See also fluoridation.... sodium fluoride
an element that is required in minute concentrations for normal growth and development; the body contains a total of <5 g of the element. Trace elements include fluorine (see fluoride), manganese, *zinc, copper, *iodine, cobalt, *selenium, molybdenum, *chromium, and silicon. They may serve as *cofactors or as constituents of complex molecules (e.g. cobalt in vitamin B12).... trace element
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