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6 Great Reasons to Have a Cup of Tea

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While many Americans tend to favor coffee

as their hot beverage of choice, tea is the second most

popular drink worldwide, preceded only by water.

 

Culturally engrained into the daily lives of people in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, tea has been widely consumed and revered for over 2,000 years. So what’s so special about this simple combination of boiled water and cured leaves?

 

Apparently, quite a lot! Research has shown that all varieties of tea offer a multitude of health benefits for both body and mind. This is mainly due to tea’s high amount of antioxidants, which are beneficial compounds that counteract unstable and potentially disease-causing cells. No wonder it’s used in home treatment for everything from the common cold to weight loss!

Adding tea to your dietary repertoire could help support your overall health in the following ways:

 

Lowers stress

Tea has been shown to reduce the overall stress level of people who consume it regularly. Lower stress means less inflammation in the body, better mood, happier outlook on life, and a significantly lower risk for serious illness such as heart disease. Tea’s warmth and pleasant aroma is also soothing on the nervous system, so you’ll feel more relaxed when drinking it due to decreased blood pressure.

 

Boosts immunity

The powerful antioxidants in tea support the immune system’s ability to fight off infections, as well as reduce your likelihood for all degenerative diseases such as cancer and osteoporosis. Consuming it regularly is the most effective way to reap tea’s immune-boosting benefits.

 

Hydrates

Drinking moderate amounts of tea offers the same amount of hydration benefits as drinking water. The myth that tea is a diuretic and therefore dehydrates the body has been disproven – unless you drink the equivalent of over 10 cups of black tea per day. 

 

Promotes weight loss

Tea can support weight loss efforts, when consumed without milk or sugar, because it contains compounds that interfere with the absorption of fat in the body. Drinking tea in addition to eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can help you feel satisfied and lose weight naturally.

 

Increases longevity

The antioxidants in tea not only reduce the likelihood for many common diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke, but they can help maintain skin elasticity, eye health, and bone density. These combined benefits increase life expectancy and contribute to a healthy and vibrant old age.

 

Warms you up

When the winter weather brings in the chill, drinking a hot cup of tea can warm you up fast and help you stay warm even after you’ve finished your drink. Besides, is there anything cozier than curling up with a good book and a delicious cup of tea?

 

 

 

Source: Integrative Nutrition

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8 comments

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  1. miriam kam

    I read some time ago that drinking tea with milk cancels out tea’s health benefits or nutrients. it was pointed out that that’s the reason the British, although tea drinkers are not as healthy as the Chinese because they drink tea with milk. Is this correct? You mention putting sugar or honey in tea but nothing about using milk with tea.

    1. Christine Crawford

      From what I read, the research on this is mixed (as usual). Some studies suggest milk makes no difference, while others suggest the interaction reduces the health benefits. As a precaution, you could leave out the milk. (I’m allergic so don’t even have that as an option.)

  2. Sara Bender

    Tea is a wonderful remedy, for many ailments. Beautiful blog. Congratulations.

  3. Leslie

    Thank you. this is a very informative blog.

  4. Centrius

    I precisely had to thank you very much. Now i’m thankful for the service and thus trust you comprehend what an amazing job your are carrying out educating some other people by way of your site.

  5. Christine Crawford

    Thank you for your comments…. please come back for more information about healthy food choices.

    Warm Wishes, Christine

  6. Mary Eiley

    I love tea. Drink it every chance I get. I’m happy to know of these benefits.

  7. epherm

    Oh my goodness! a wonderful post. Thank you.

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