10 Benefits of Drinking Tea

     I've become an avid tea drinker since I realized there's more to tea than its relaxing aroma and that mild flavor that I've gotten used to.  A cup of tea holds more health benefits than you can imagine.  And since some of us are looking for ways to lead a healthier life, here are few of the reasons why tea should become part of our habit.

TEA HAS ANTIOXIDANTS  Tea has antioxidants which help boost our circulatory system letting blood flow properly to all our organs so they can function at its best.  Antioxidants also slow down the aging process, and it help cells to repair and regenerate.  Many studies suggest antioxidants also assist our bodies in preventing cancer.

TEA REDUCES RISK OF HEART ATTACK AND STROKE  One of the causes of stroke is when blood clots in the arteries.  Tea may reduce one's risk of stroke because drinking tea helps keep arteries smooth and clog-free.

TEA FIGHTS CHOLESTEROL  Green tea have been proven to fight obesity and lower LDL 'bad' cholesterol -- the two known risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.  A study in Netherlands showed that people who drank green tea lost weight and those who who took the caffeinated version lost even more.  Tea contains antioxidants called polyphenols that help lower cholesterol levels.

TEA DETOXIFIES AND INCREASES IMMUNE SYSTEM  Bacteria produces toxins that are harmful to our health and that may cause different diseases.  Green tea catechins, the antioxidants from green tea, have shown to possess antibiotic properties due to their role in disrupting a specific stage of the bacterial DNA replication process.  It was also found out that tea helps our body's immune system fight off infection and drinking tea effectively flushes out unwanted waste from the body, including toxins. 

TEA HAS ANTIDEPRESSANT PROPERTIES  Theanine, a free amino acid found in tea plants, promotes a stress-free well being .  Drinking tea revives us, giving our body and mind a gentle lift so we can focus on the task at hand.  Wikipedia further says that according to a study by researchers at University College London, drinking black tea can lead to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol after a stressful event.  Fifty minutes after being subjected to challenging tasks, subjects who had been drinking 4 cups of black tea daily for 6 weeks, had a 20% greater drop in cortisol than the placebo group. 

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TEA INCREASES METABOLISM  Wikipedia says that clinical trials conducted by the University of Geneva and the University of Birmingham indicate that green tea raises metabolic rates, speeds up fat oxidation and improves insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance.  In addition to caffeine, green tea contains catechin phenolics that raise thermogenesis (the production of heat by the body), hence increases energy expenditure.  There is also a suggestion that it can increase endurance in exercise by improving fat metabolism.  In English, the higher your metabolic rate, the faster you burn fat, so you lose weight by just drinking tea.  5 cups of green tea a day should do it.

TEA FIGHTS DIABETES  Studies show that tea can be an effective tool against diabetes because it dramatically boosts insulin activity in the body. 

TEA IS CALORIE-FREE  Unless you add milk and sugar, tea by itself is zero fat, zero sugar and zero guilt.  Substituting tea to your usual calorie-full drink means taking at least 250 LESS calorie each day -- and that alone can result in losing a pound each week.  I'm telling you folks, tea has nothing but good stuff in it.

TEA BOOSTS MENTAL ALERTNESS  Theanine in tea increases our mental performance.  Tea's astringency wakes up the nerves in our mouth, sending signals to our brain to alert our mind.  So we can look forward to any task every day with an added boost to our alertness, our memory and our learning ability.

TEA GIVES YOU A SWEET SMILE  Tea contains fluoride and tannins that are capable of killing and suppressing growth and acid production of cavity causing bacteria in our mouths.  Have your unsweetened tea everyday on top of your brushing and flossing for a healthy and sparkling pearly whites.


     Health is wealth everybody!  Let's have at least five cups of tea everyday for a healthier and better US.   Thank you guys for reading and if you have any thoughts about this post, let me know on the comments' section below.  Until my next wandering!

NOTE:  This article only deals with the effects of tea made from the plant Camellia sinensis (i.e. black tea, oolong tea, green tea, and white tea).

*Information were collated from Wikipedia, iVillage.com and EatDrinkBetter.com.

tags: health benefits of drinking tea, what are the good effects of drinking tea?