Tea is a drink that has been enjoyed for centuries, but it’s still one of the most misunderstood. While tea often gets a bad rap for being too high in caffeine or containing tannins that can stain your teeth, there are some hidden benefits to drinking this beverage. In fact, tea may be an antidote to many health issues you didn’t know you had! Here are six things you should know about the hidden health benefits of tea:
Black tea may help control blood pressure.
Although black tea may not be as well-known as its green and white counterparts, it is just as powerful. In fact, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, drinking black tea has been linked to lower blood pressure.
In order to reap the benefits of lowering blood pressure with black tea, you need to drink about three cups per day for a period of at least four weeks. The best time of day? Try drinking your first cup in the morning or afternoon (not right before bed).
As far as which kind of black tea is best for lowering blood pressure goes: oolong or pu’erh varieties are great options.
Green tea may help reduce the risk of esophageal cancer.
Green tea contains a chemical called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG can prevent the growth of cancer cells and kill them, too. In fact, studies have shown that green tea may help prevent certain types of cancer, such as esophageal cancer.
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) recently reported that people who drank at least 5 cups of green tea per day had a 45% lower risk of developing oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma compared to those who didn’t drink any green tea at all. This type of throat cancer occurs on the soft palate and tonsils – exactly where you put your tongue when it comes time to taste your food!
Tea may help protect bones.
Tea has high levels of calcium, which may help protect bones.
Tea contains fluoride, which helps prevent tooth decay.
Tea can improve cholesterol profiles.
Tea can help you lower your cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in all cells, including the blood. Your body needs it to function properly, but too much has been linked to heart disease. You may have heard that eating foods high in saturated fats can increase your risk of heart disease by raising LDL cholesterol levels, but tea can also help you manage your cholesterol levels. Drinking tea has been shown to lower LDL (bad) and raise HDL (good) cholesterol, which can improve your ratio of HDL: to LDL—the higher the better! In addition to improving this ratio, studies show that drinking tea has actually been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by more than 30%.
Tea can help you relax.
You may be surprised to learn that tea can help you relax and unwind. The combination of caffeine, L-theanine, and other compounds in tea can ease stress, anxiety, and depression. It also helps reduce pain by blocking the receptors of your body’s endorphins.
Although most people typically drink green or black teas as a beverage, it is possible to get all the health benefits of these teas without drinking them at all! Simply adding dried leaves directly into food dishes is an excellent way to enjoy these benefits while eating meals throughout the day! For example:
- Adding ground-up green tea leaves when making stir fries gives them more flavor than just plain water would provide;
- Mixing a few drops per cup of hot chocolate adds both tastes as well as antioxidants which help protect against heart disease;
- Sprinkling some freshly ground black pepper over scrambled eggs before cooking them promotes healthy development because it contains beneficial omega-3 fatty acids (EPA & DHA).
Drinking tea can boost your health and mood.
- A study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences found that green tea reduced stress levels.
- Another study, this time published in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition, found that drinking a cup of green tea helped reduce anxiety symptoms.
- Tea has been shown to reduce inflammation associated with obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
- A 2010 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking black or oolong tea can help you lose weight by increasing metabolism slightly (only about 5% for black tea).
There are many hidden health benefits to drinking tea; some are studied and some are just based on how you feel when you drink it!
You’ve seen the headlines. “Tea is good for you.” But what does that mean? Are there certain teas that are better for you than others? Can tea help you live longer and feel healthier? The answer to all of these questions, it turns out, is yes!
Here’s why:
- Tea helps to prevent several types of cancer and other serious diseases. Green tea, black tea (and all other kinds), white tea, and oolong have been found to have anti-cancer properties in some studies. Tea’s potential as an anti-cancer agent has been shown in studies testing its ability to inhibit tumor growth or kill cancer cells outright. In addition, green tea has been shown in laboratory experiments to inhibit the growth of human colon cancer cells by as much as 50%.
- Tea helps reduce high cholesterol levels by increasing levels of HDL cholesterol while lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels – both essential factors when it comes to reducing your risk profile for heart disease.-The antioxidants present inside iced green tea can also lower blood pressure levels – another important factor when it comes down reducing your risk profile for heart disease.-Drinking iced herbal teas such as chamomile may help promote relaxation during times where stress occurs regularly such as during exams or after work hours/days (this does not mean drinking caffeinated herbal teas).
Conclusion
We hope that this article has been helpful in showing you some of the many benefits of drinking tea. From improving your health to helping you relax, there are so many ways that tea can be good for your body and mind! If you’re looking to get started on drinking more tea, we recommend starting with a green or black tea blend. These two types are the most well-studied when it comes to their health benefits—and they taste great too!
