Black tea leaves before fermentation are green tea, which after processing acquires a dark shade and changes its aromatic and taste properties. Black tea is just as beneficial as green tea. After all, tea leaves are collected from the same tea bush.
Where is the best black tea grown?
tea leaves delicious drink grown in India, China, Ceylon, Korea, Pakistan, Africa, Argentina, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Peru, Vietnam, Indonesia, Georgia and other countries. The birthplace of one of the most delicious teas is Darjeeling and Assam in India. Varieties of local teas became the progenitors of tea trees grown in other countries.
Most teas from India are a mixture of several types of tea leaves. The highest grade of black tea is large-leaf. Depending on the size of the tea leaf, the quality of the drink differs. Only elite black tea has large leaves, while small-leaf tea is made from broken leaves and stems. Tea low grade- these are small leaves, tea dust and crumbs.
According to the true fans of black tea, best tea Made in Darjeeling. And the highest quality varieties are those in which there are buds and upper tea leaves. They are covered with villi of a white or light yellow hue. This gives the tea leaves a special shine and enhances the taste and aroma of black tea. The more villi on the leaves, the higher the quality of the tea. The color of brewed tea from Darjeeling is red-brown.
There are several main varieties of black tea:
- early (spring) with a slight tart taste;
- summer with a strong taste and rich aroma;
- autumn (its taste resembles a mixture of spring and summer).
The total number of varieties of tea from this Indian is about 80. They differ in their smell, taste and the territory in which tea leaves are grown.
Another kind elite tea- Assamese (produced in Assam - a northern Indian state near the Himalayas). Its main difference is the saturation of color, taste and aroma. The best varieties tea leaves are considered to be spring harvest.
All the most interesting about. Who is recommended to drink it, to whom it is contraindicated, beneficial features and ways to use - all in our article.
Useful properties and contraindications when drinking hibiscus tea can be found in our article here:
Black tea contains vitamins A, C, B2, PP, K, P, E, D and minerals (iron, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iodine, sulfur, copper), alkaloids, amino acids, proteins , tannins and antioxidants. Depending on the variety, place of cultivation and time of collection, chemical composition black tea is changing. So, summer and autumn varieties contain more vitamins in their diversity and dosage.
Consider the beneficial properties of black tea and the harm that it can cause to the body.
Useful properties of black tea
The use of black tea stimulates mental work, increases brain activity. Tea vitamins help fight inflammation, normalize work nervous system. And also: strengthen hair, vascular walls and bones, improve vision and are necessary for the prevention of allergic reactions.
Black tea contains caffeine, but 50% less than coffee. But vigor from black tea lasts longer. Caffeine improves performance of cardio-vascular system, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract. Tannin(a type of caffeine), which is part of black tea, fights oxidative processes in the body. It strengthens the walls of blood vessels, improves the absorption of vitamin C and prevents the development of intestinal diseases. Catechins contained in black tea are effective tool in the fight for a healthy heart and blood vessels. Restrains the aging process of the skin.
Good news for those who want lose weight: black tea helps to establish metabolic processes in cells, thereby contributing to the burning excess fat and prevents the absorption of unnecessary carbohydrates. True, for weight loss you need to drink tea without sugar, milk and cream.
American scientists from Arizona have found that drinking black tea with citrus is an effective remedy against melanoma and reduces the likelihood of developing melanoma by 70%. different types cancer. Therefore, those who like to drink tea with lemon can not be afraid for their health. To get the maximum benefit from the drink, it is better to add a slice of lemon to the tea, and not just squeeze the juice from the citrus.
Interestingly, a few centuries ago, tea was considered drug- it was sold by pharmacies as a cure for headaches and diarrhea.
Interesting fact for smokers: get rid of bad smell and the taste of cigarettes in the mouth will help gargling with tea broth. Thanks to flavonoids, whose action is aimed at protecting blood vessels from cholesterol, drinking black tea helps reduce the likelihood of a stroke.
Important: if you add milk to tea, the effect of flavonoids is neutralized, because milk protein inhibits these beneficial elements.
This tea is recognized as an effective remedy for the prevention diabetes and strengthens the immune system, and fluorine has a general strengthening effect.
Black tea with milk - benefits and harms
The tradition of drinking black tea with milk came to us from England. Since ancient times, noble sirs and lords brewed for themselves strong tea
Strong black tea - benefits and harms
Many people like to brew black tea "strong". Is it worth it to do so? Is strong black tea good or bad? Consider the studies that exist on this subject.
Harm of black tea
Large doses of this tea can cause kidney problems, weaken thyroid gland and destroy bone tissue - black tea contains a large dose of fluorine, which, if uncontrolled use, is harmful, not beneficial. Black tea is not recommended for people with caffeine sensitivity.
Daily consumption of more than 5 cups of black tea per day leaches magnesium from the body, which is needed for the normal functioning of the nervous system. As a result, a person may develop general weakness, chronic fatigue, poor sleep, distraction.
This tea increases intraocular pressure. For this reason, it is not recommended to use it often for people with eye diseases.
In moderate doses, it should be drunk by pregnant women, people with heart disease.
Drinking black tea on an empty stomach can cause stomach cramps.
Important: you can not leave the brewing of black tea at night (and even more so for a day). This creates a favorable environment for the development of harmful microorganisms that cause a number of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, black tea can cause infectious diseases and food poisoning.
Like other foods and drinks, black tea can be both beneficial and harmful. It all depends on the rules for its use. If you follow the recommendations of experts and drink black tea in acceptable doses, you can only get acquainted with its beneficial properties, improve your health and strengthen your body.
An invigorating drink that strikes with a variety of varieties and tastes is loved without exception in all countries of the world. Entire special ceremonies are dedicated in China, in England there is the concept of five-hour tea, which is pleasant to have after-dinner conversations, to relax. The English like to add milk to it. Black, Ivan-tea and numerous on herbs are popular among Russians. A samovar was even invented to brew this drink. Many countries have their own tradition associated with this drink.
It cannot be denied that strong tea can be harmful, but the benefits of drinking it are enormous if it is properly brewed and drunk.
The origin has many legends and stories, this energy drink was discovered in the third millennium BC. The word is borrowed from the Chinese language, the country where it was discovered. At first, tea leaves were not considered tea leaves, it was a drug, a cure for many ailments. It was mixed with salt, later they began to grind it into powder with a mortar and mix with a whisk, pouring water.
The Chinese do not call it black, it is considered red there, because after brewing it does not become that color. The Japanese prefer green varieties, distinctive feature which is a sweet or bitter taste, which is not the case with red. The Chinese consider pu-erh to be black.
Green or black?
Green tea contains more caffeine. Feel free to try different variants or mix them. It is impossible to call tea a mixture that is poured inside the bags; it is undesirable to drink this option all the time. A real tea leaf is not cheap. There are special tea shops where a specialist will select a variety that suits you.
It is recommended to choose briquettes or packed inside special packs when the storage conditions are met. Therefore, green or another does not matter, the main thing is that it be real. Otherwise, it will not reveal the aroma, will not enrich it with useful properties.
How to cook
When cooking, it is important to take into account a number of points, neglecting which you can lose the pleasure of taste and aroma.
- Proper water. The water must be purified and oxygenated. In stagnant pipes, the water is dead, in order to somehow save the situation, you need to let it drain for several minutes.
- A ceramic or cast iron kettle retains heat longer. The glass teapot is good because you can watch the tea flower bloom or the tea leaves open.
- Water temperature. Black tea is poured with boiling water, green - hot water with small bubbles.
- Infusion time. 5 minutes. If the leaves are overcooked, many substances will be lost and the taste will become less pleasant, bitter and cloying.
- Additional ingredients. Decorate, transform the taste of some varieties will help the zest of a lemon or orange, dried berries, fruits, flowers
- Nice cup and tea set. Aesthetic pleasure also plays an important role.
Many people like to add sugar, condensed milk, depriving the drink of its true taste. If you add honey, it will not only become tastier, but will acquire properties that increase immunity.
The benefits of strong tea
No one will dispute the truth, which is wonderfully invigorating. In addition to this property, it has a number of other equally pleasant and useful ones:
- It will help to cope with fatigue, concentrate.
- Increases the excretion of water and salts from the body.
- Improves metabolic processes in the stomach, stops diarrhea.
- Reduce or eliminate headaches.
Tea break, tea drinking - all these are wonderful moments that help to relax. Meeting with friends, gatherings in the kitchen, summer evenings at the summerhouse will not do without it. Many people like to drink sweets, but this approach leads to fermentation in the intestines. It is recommended to separate food and liquid intake.
For vessels and brain
It helps to strengthen the heart muscle, is able to cleanse the vessels of fatty plaques and restore them. But not every species is capable of this, only the real one. It is also important to observe the dosage. The body constantly needs clean water, must be supplied to required quantity. And a cup in the morning will become excellent tool prevention of cardiovascular diseases. With recurrent headaches, migraines without aura, it will also be useful.
Harm: is it possible to drink strong tea?
It is difficult to determine why strong tea is harmful, if you drink in moderation, brew it correctly.
There are some moments when it is undesirable.
- During lactation, breastfeeding, caffeine enters the milk and can disturb the sleep of the baby, therefore, when breastfeeding hard brewing is not recommended. Small children also do not need anything, because it contributes to poor absorption of iron and calcium.
- You can not drink medicines, drink at a high body temperature.
- Increases pressure, it is important for the elderly, hypertensive patients to take this into account. People with pain in the stomach is contraindicated, irritates the mucous membrane, can cause spasms.
- With increased anxiety, insomnia, the situation will worsen.
Drinking any liquid other than pure water should not be a daily habit. Do not blame tea leaves for health problems if you drink it once.
It is important to follow a healthy lifestyle, eat healthy food, visit a doctor on time in case of health problems.
If you approach tea drinking wisely and take into account all these factors, the benefits and good mood are guaranteed.
Strongly brewed black tea is a favorite drink for many of us. Flavored drink, highly saturated palatability tea is included in the daily diet huge amount of people. But why do we love the tart taste of strong tea so much? Consider the beneficial properties of strongly brewed black tea and the harm that it can cause to human health.
A Brief History of Tea
The history of tea begins in ancient China. The Chinese quickly examined in a cup strong drink a lot of useful properties. From China, tea leaves spread to the territory of modern England and Europe. Thereafter flavored drink became known throughout the world.
The benefits of strong tea
Tea, in itself, as a drink, is certainly useful. But what do we know about strong tea? Millions of people daily consume a highly concentrated and tart drink, noticing a lot of useful properties. But is it?
Before starting to study the benefits of strong tea, you should pay attention to the main component of strong brewed tea. tea drink- caffeine. From this information, you can build on the disclosure of both useful and harmful properties strong tea.
Strong tea has the following beneficial properties:
・Antibacterial action
· Energizing and invigorating
Fights migraines and headaches
Prevents the development of caries, strengthens tooth enamel
Prevents oxygen starvation of the brain
Eliminates bad breath
Helps fight diarrhea
Eliminates inflammation in the intestines
Removes toxins and slags
Lowers body temperature
Increases low blood pressure
Prevention of viral and infectious diseases
The most important, scientifically proven, useful property of strong tea is the treatment of diarrhea. Strongly brewed tea contains a large amount of tannins, which fix the feces, stopping the further development of diarrhea.
because of high content in strongly brewed fluorine tea, the drink strengthens tooth enamel, prevents the development of caries, eliminates bad breath, due to antibacterial action.
Another famous property of strong tea is the increase in reduced blood pressure. A highly concentrated tea drink is recommended for hypotensive patients. Black tart tea is a good alternative coffee drinks.
Strong tea effectively strengthens the immune system, thereby reducing the risk of viral and infectious diseases. In addition, doctors say that strong black tea is an effective prophylactic for atherosclerosis, especially in the initial stages of development.
Strongly brewed tea strengthens and dilates blood vessels, preventing migraine, stroke and heart attack. Also, drinking strong tea improves blood circulation.
Strongly brewed tea is useful for people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Useful substances contained in strong black tea are able to restore the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, thereby normalizing its microflora.
What harm can strong tea harm human health?
Strong tea of course healthy drink and is able to quickly and effectively help with hypotension or the development of diarrhea. In addition to these advantages, we found out a number of useful properties of strong brewed tea, but what do we know about its dangers and contraindications? In what cases is strong tea contraindicated?
Hypertension
Insomnia and restless sleep
Neurosis and psychological disorders
Diseases of the liver and kidneys in the acute or chronic stage
Magnesium deficiency
Vision disorders (high intraocular pressure, glaucoma)
Pregnancy
The period of lactation
Moreover, a strongly brewed tea drink can cause serious harm to human health:
Causes hand tremors
· Causes insomnia
Disturbs emotional calm
Removes useful substances and minerals from the body
Causes pain and spasms in the intestines (when consumed on an empty stomach)
Causes the process of fermentation in the intestines
darkens tooth enamel
Increases blood and eye pressure
Having studied the issue of the dangers of strong brewed tea, we can come to the conclusion that the drink is useful only in moderation, in the absence of the above diseases.
How to make strong tea?
To preserve all the benefits of strong tea, it is necessary, first of all, to be able to brew it correctly. The result depends on the literacy of preparing a tart drink: it will bring tea, benefit, harm, or not be revealed at all.
The first step is to boil the water without overboiling it. Next, you need to choose dishes that will retain the beneficial properties of the drink. For strong black tea, a porcelain, faience, or ceramic teapot is suitable. Should not be used teapot from metal. After, we warm the teapot by pouring and pouring out of it boiled water.
The proportions of strong tea are quite simple: 1-2 teaspoons per cup of tea. So the tea drink will be strong enough and useful, will not harm health. After pouring boiling water over the tea leaves, wrap the teapot in a warm towel and wait 7-10 minutes. Strong tea is ready.
Strong tea is not the most harmless drink. If we consider possible harm from drinking very strong tea, you can see that the list is quite large. This may not frighten a thing, but you should pay attention to the fact that in the use of any product, compliance with the norm is necessary.
Every drink, especially tea, healing properties which have been known since ancient times, requires careful attention: compliance with the rules of brewing, control of the daily dosage, careful study of contraindications for use. Knowing the rules for drinking strongly brewed black tea, you can not worry about your health and avoid negative impact strong tea drink on the body.
Drinking strong tea daily, it should be remembered that the norm is a maximum of 5 cups of tea per day. If you abuse tea, then you can encounter many of the above-described negative manifestations of an "overdose" of astringent drink.
It is also not recommended to drink strong brewed tea 3 hours before bedtime. Strong tea is rich in caffeine, so if you treat yourself to a cup of tart drink before going to bed, you may not fall asleep at all due to the strong influence of tea on the central nervous system and its tonic effect.
It is recommended to drink strong brewed tea in small sips, as this way of drinking is the most useful and prevents negative manifestations. Do not drink this drink medications. Highly concentrated black tea should be avoided by pregnant women and lactating women.
Strong tea is useful in moderation. Before using it, you should pay attention to contraindications, possible harm.
black tea is bad, although many argue that with moderate use of black tea, the benefits are much greater than the harm.
Have you heard that you should beware of strong, thick or stale (more than two hours) drink? Or, for example, a warning: do not drink tea at night, as it contains caffeine, and you will not be able to sleep. And so on and so forth. It reminds me of a warning about evil. Only these same "warners" most often sell alcohol. It's often the same with tea. A site selling these products warns of the dangers of excessive consumption of the drink.
Who benefits from black tea?
And let's agree this way: if you are sitting under a bush of Ceylon tea or a bush of coffee and have lived in that climate for a sufficient period to acclimatize. Do you like it like this - eat directly from the bush, or make decoctions - but who will stop you? No wallet, no traditions, no other speculation - just your own sense of proportion.
Remember, in childhood, in summer and autumn, you run along the street (more often a village or a southern city), which tree you saw with ripe or not very ripe fruits - you plucked it - you ate it. And after all, you didn’t overeat - you run further and play with the guys. And then for some reason your parents or grandmothers distract you from the game - they invite you to eat - and you can’t explain that you’ve already eaten.
What kind of tea should you drink
And here is another argument in favor of my statement that for the northern inhabitants this drink more harmful than helpful. In the 19th century, Russia exported its tea - Koporsky or fireweed, or simply Ivan tea. Have you heard about it? Why did they stop? As in many cases, the explanation is very deep and, on the other hand, simple (I see two reasons):
- The money that the crown of Great Britain was losing, from the fact that huge Russia drank OWN tea and gave it to foreign countries.
- Health, which multiplied due to the benefits of fireweed. Britain (and if you want someone higher) does not need healthy opponents - it needs 15 million people on the territory of Russia to serve mining sites.
So drink black - unhealthy tea. And bring your money.
And by the way, you noticed that it is difficult to convince black tea lovers that this tea is not worth drinking. An example is my mother: a sick thyroid gland, the pressure began to jump, and glaucoma also appeared. I tell her: “Mom, you can’t drink black tea” - I doubt that she would listen. So it was with me when, I - even though I was younger then, but there was a period - I realized that it was not worth it to drink it - and problems began to leave this habit. And it was one cup of morning coffee - what can we say about people consuming caffeine in tea and coffee for many, many years and more than one cup a day?
For me, this is drug addiction.
Now I'm drinking herbal teas. , or ask friends. In addition, it also supports ). When there are not enough herbs, you have to go to the pharmacy.
What is harmful black tea
Black tea washes out:
How do nursing mothers harm themselves and their child when they drink black tea with milk to increase lactation. Not only does milk lose its beneficial properties, but caffeine promotes flushing out of the body:
- calcium,
- magnesium.
Also proven - iron is poorly absorbed due to caffeine.
From this follows the conclusion tea is bad for kids until they develop bone tissue. And harming the elderly due to the increased fragility of the skeleton.
Harm to the cardiovascular system:
- Well, about pressure increase something else you can guess.
- Bad effect on heart activity; in particular
- Possible arrhythmia or
- increased heartbeat,
- Extension vessels,
- In some cases it may develop phlebeurysm.
- And h / tea can cause seizures tachycardia or
- Seizures hypertensive patients
- Theophylline raises body temperature.
- H / tea provokes the development anemia due to an obstruction in the absorption of iron by the body.
Harm to the digestive system:
- This tea may be irritating to esophagus- more precisely on his mucous membrane.
- In addition, it is possible constipation, stomach pain, intestinal cramps and general deterioration of digestion.
- If this is possible with an overdose, then is it not logical to assume that with normal consumption these effects are to a lesser extent, but there are.
Harm to other organs:
- Thanks to the content caffeine and black tea dehydrates the body(more water comes out than comes in).
- The raid from tea spoils tooth enamel;
- Tea is contraindicated for people with glaucoma oops, in connection with jumps in intra-ocular pressure. For the same reason, it is possible pain in the eyes.
- Available noise in ears,
- headache,
- strong tremor in arms and legs
- Excretion from the body of magnesium, promotes defective functioning of the body generally
- muscle tension,
- irascibility, nervousness and irritability.
- Insomnia and fatigue(and this does not depend (despite the assertion of "specialists") on what time of day you drank tea);
- tea has been shown to be harmful women over 50(76 thousand case histories were studied in the USA - they concluded: the probability of occurrence rheumatoid arthritis almost doubles)
- In addition, it was noted in the article about the benefits that the presence in black tea fluorine. However, its excess leads to problems with bone tissues.
- Fluoride is not good for brain activity(in children to a greater extent).
- At lack of iodine and excess of fluorine function is inhibited thyroid gland.
- Besides, fluorine harmful to people for kidney problems.
Tea and kidneys
Black tea does not work the kidneys, is it a myth or reality? Let's try to understand this issue.
- The tea contains oxalates they are the main enemies of the kidneys, because thanks to them, pebbles are formed. Moreover, tea bags or cooled down leads to the risk of getting a stone ridge.
- If you are just starting to have kidney problems, then you can solve them if you stop drinking tea.
- With tea we get a lot of fluoride which exacerbates kidney disease.
- Polyphenols (antioxidants) that we get from the drink are not so useful. It is not known what daily allowance polyphenols (most likely it is individual). It was erroneously believed that a fair amount green tea rejuvenate the body, but in fact with uncontrolled use of tea, poisoning with polyphenols occurs. And this leads to the risk of negative changes in the tissues of the kidneys.
Problems with drinking black tea
Many write that black tea promotes weight loss, but in the “contraindications” it is written “not recommended for people overweight". Where is the truth? Can he spit on the warning and surrender to the will of the inner censor, as with herbs? I would not advise. We will argue: overweight people most often have health problems - pressure jumps, the heart plays pranks, and in general, everything is not always in order with blood vessels. And in a similar situation, take regularly tonic(even without sugar) dubious benefit.
For pregnant: the harm of black tea for a baby in the womb, consuming mother's tea has been proven: (I think possibly all of the above i) the child will reduced birth weight.
When breastfeeding a responsible mother will refuse to drink black tea and coffee, not only for the reason overexcitation of the child(what they write about), but also because of the above side effects black tea(You are not the Lord God and cannot know which of these items will affect YOUR baby)
Well, little things like warnings:
- Do not take medicine(partial assimilation of drugs and deposition in the kidneys).
- At high body temperature - do not drink hot black tea(problems with blood vessels) chills may get worse.
Bad habit
These are already trifles in comparison with the above, and in comparison with drug addiction some people.
The truth will emerge, but transnational corporations will try to get rid of this information. They need a population serving oil rigs - not thinking, not criticizing, always under the dope - working cattle.
Wake up!!! Learn. Move away from the stereotypes imposed after the Second World War. Get back to basics.
Is red tea harmful?
We are forced to write a separate paragraph about red tea due to confusion. Many consider hibiscus to be red tea, but this is fundamentally wrong. Hibiscus is a Sudanese rose, you don't think rosehip tea is red. A crude example, but understandable. Let's say we harvested tea in China, and if it is minimally processed, we will get green tea. And if we use various fermentation methods, there are enough technological secrets here - we will get red, yellow, black teas, in general, whatever our heart desires. That is, red tea is similar in properties to black and green, it has a higher content of essential oils and phenolic compounds. So the damage from it is the same. Just in case, remember:
- You can not drink with diseases such as: ulcers, gastritis, atherosclerosis, acute viral infections, hypertension.
- Not recommended for pregnant women.
- Hot tea burns the mucous membrane of the mouth, leads to stomach cramps, cold tea increases the accumulation of sputum.
- Strong brewing due to the high concentration of theine provokes overexcitation of the nervous system, headaches, on an empty stomach - it can provoke vomiting.
- With improper brewing, the harm increases - lipids, essential oils, phenols are oxidized.
- You can not drink drugs - tannin, reacting with medications, destroy them or reduces their impact.
Red tea can easily harm the kidneys. Especially for people who have a tendency to form kidney stones. The mechanism for the formation of stones is this - you have a problem with the exchange uric acid. It accumulates in the kidneys, and this leads to the formation of stones.
And the tannins that large quantities cause insomnia and headache. For the average person, caffeine intake should not exceed 300 mg per day. Tannin belongs to the category of anti-nutrients. This means that it interferes with the penetration into the body of some useful substances, for example, calcium. That is why it is useful to add some milk to tea so that the calcium contained in it has time to enter the body. On the other hand, milk contains casein, which robs the beneficial antioxidants in tea of their power.
One or two cups of strong tea a day won't hurt. But if you are addicted to strong tea, then this amount is no longer enough. And then the harm from it is much more than good.
A lot depends on the quality of the tea. Some manufacturers deliberately neglect the norms and add special impurities to the tea, which color the tea leaves and make it stronger. And such a "strong" tea especially. You can recognize the difference between tinted and natural tea by dipping a bag in cold water. If tea colors water, then it harmful dyes.
Very strong tea in large quantities affects the color of the skin, and it turns yellow.
From a large number strong tea is possible. In this case, headache, nausea, dizziness, abdominal pain occur, surrounding objects are perceived as blurry, coordination of movements is disturbed. The reason for this is that tea regulates blood sugar levels. Drinking strong tea in moderation can prevent diabetes. Too much strong tea causes the body to store and limit sugar, and you begin to miss it.
In this case, you should stop drinking tea and eat or drink something to increase the level of sugar. It can be ice cream, condensed milk, sweet biscuits or bread and butter.
If you are a strong tea lover and like to drink it often, it is better to stick to one type of tea and make sure that the amount of tea leaves brewed does not exceed 20 g per day.
It is better to drink weak tea. It is much more useful than strong in the long run.
Useful properties of strong tea
On the contrary, if you drink strong tea in small portions, then it is huge. Strong tea gives a charge and energy not worse than coffee. It is due to the fact that high body temperature, eliminates the influence of poisons, nourishes the lungs, cleanses the mucous membranes, stimulates urination, and helps the body digest fats.
In addition, strong tea sobers up a person in a state of alcohol intoxication. Caffeine signals the kidneys, which perform a cleansing function.
