Do you enjoy a daily cuppa?
No matter what the day or the season, tea is a refreshing drink and can be served hot or iced. At the very least, it’s a flavourful way of getting enough fluid into your body each day and studies have shown teas can help protect your teeth and your heart, as well as possibly even helping to stave off cancer.
There is plenty of research showing that drinking tea can improve your health. Here are ten health benefits of tea:
1 - Tea contains antioxidants
Antioxidants work to prevent the body’s version of rust and thus help to keep us young and protect us from damage from pollution.
2 - Tea contains less caffeine than coffee
Herbal tea blends have no caffeine and traditional teas have less than 50 percent of what typically is found in coffee. This means you can drink it without as many effects on your nervous system according to nutritionists.
3 - Tea may reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke
A recent study found a nearly 20 percent reduction in the risk of heart attack and a 35 percent reduced risk of stroke among those who drank one to three cups of green tea a day. Those who drank four or more cups of green tea daily had a 32 percent reduction in the risk of having a heart attack and lower levels of the bad cholesterol, LDL.
4 - Tea may help with weight loss
Although research on this isn’t as strong, studies have shown an effect have depended on consumption of large amounts of tea, often in pill form.
5 - Tea may help protect your bones
Data from recent animal studies has shown that green tea may prevent bone loss.
6 - Tea may keep your smile bright
Japanese researchers have found that tea can decrease tooth loss because it changes the pH in your mouth when you drink it and that may be what prevents cavities. Tea does not appear to erode tooth enamel.
7 - Tea may boost the immune system
Studies have shown tea can tune up immune cells so they reach their targets quicker.
8 - Tea may help battle cancer
Studies on this are currently mixed and research is ongoing. However, if you’ve got a strong family history of cancer and you want to do anything you can, increasing your tea consumption might help.
9 - Herbal tea may soothe the digestive system
Herbal teas such as chamomile can be good for people with irritable bowel syndrome because it is an antispasmodic. Other herbal teas such as ginger can help calm nausea.
10 - Pure tea is calorie free
Tea is a great no-calorie alternative to water. It provides so many options for flavour and taste, can be drunk hot or cold and you don’t have to put anything in it.
So, enjoy that cup of tea this afternoon and it is recommended that you should drink four cups of tea a day to be of optimal benefit to your health.