Tea is a warm beverage that is made from steeping dried tea leaves (and sometimes other ingredients), in hot or warm water. This has been a part of many cultures for thousands of years and is appreciated with meals, accompanying snacks and desserts, or even on its own. But what many tea-lovers don’t know is how beneficial tea can be for your health.
While there are many more benefits to drinking tea than what can be covered in a brief article, here is a list of the top 7 benefits of drinking tea… and remember there are many more!!
1. Green tea is full of anti-oxidants that lower the risk of cancer
Green tea is known for its high contents of anti-oxidants, which assist the body in eliminating toxins, especially free radicals which are associated with cancer. An increasing number of studies have linked green tea to lower rates of cancer and even with improved prognosis for those who are living with cancer.
2. Tea can boost mental performance
Because tea contains caffeine, a stimulant for the nervous system, tea can support the body’s mental functions and keeps the nervous system stimulated and balanced in a way that doesn’t have the highs and lows associated with coffee and sugar. The levels of caffeine in tea are lower, and green tea is especially known for improving mental performance and even lowering risk of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
3. Drinking tea can help regular blood-sugar levels
While drinking tea regularly cannot compensate for poor diet, daily consumption of tea has been correlated with better regulation of insulin in the body, allowing the nervous system to thrive and blood sugar levels to stabilize. Of course, this only works if you don’t add large amounts of sugar to your tea!
4. Green tea can help improve the immune system and lower risk of infection
Studies demonstrate that green tea is connected with improving immune functions and helping the body reduce the risk of infection. People who drink tea even get fewer colds, so all the more reason to add it to your food regime, especially in the winter when cold and flu season is on full force.
5. Increase physical endurance during exercise
As a milder stimulant, drinking tea regularly can help the nervous system, improve the function of muscle tissue and assist with muscle performance overall. Consuming tea before your exercise routine is especially helpful, and will assist you with the mental focus required to keep your workout strong.
6. Drinking tea regularly can improve cardiovascular health
Those who drink tea have also been shown to have better cardiovascular health and are less likely to suffer chronic heart disease. Heart conditions and heart attacks are less common among those who drink tea, and in fact, drinking tea regularly has been shown to have positive results for chronic diseases in general.
7. Drinking tea can assist you with burning fat and losing weight
Finally, if you didn’t need any more reasons to drink tea, it has been shown that drinking tea regularly can support efforts to lose weight. Green tea in particular is correlated with burning fat and weight loss, and drinking tea in general is often chosen as an alternative to other drinks that are high in sugar and fat. Once again, this won’t work if you’re adding lots of sugar or cream to your tea, as it is most effective when you drink your tea sugar-free or along with a herbal sweetener like stevia.
Drinking tea is somewhat of an acquired taste for some. However, there are so many different types of tea out there, that with this many health benefits, it’s worth finding one that suits your taste buds!