Health Benefits of Tea
- Rich in antioxidants
- Helps prevent Cancer
- Bolsters immune system
- Increases metabolic rate
- Lowers cholesterol levels
- Strengthens teeth & bones
- Promotes focus & awareness
Tea is the world’s second most popular beverage, after water. More and more people are beginning to discover tea in the United States, as better teas become available and understanding of the health benefits associated with drinking tea increases. The role antioxidants play in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease has positioned tea as the ideal health beverage. The highest quality fresh, full leaf teas are those which provide the most health benefits and flavor, as well as lower proportions of tannins and caffeine.
Tea has been appreciated and imbibed for its promise of health benefits for thousands of years. The ancient sages of the East recognized the healing powers of tea. In their medical paradigm, the taste of tea was the taste that nourished the heart. As the heart was considered to be central to all the other organs, nourishing the heart was essential to maintaining balance. Rather than seeing tea as a way to fight disease and reduce damage, they saw drinking tea as a way to maintain health by creating and supporting balance in the body.
One of the major contributors to disease today is stress. 100 million Americans drink three or more cups of coffee, each with well over 100 milligrams of caffeine, every day. The stress response that this dose of caffeine causes has adverse effects on the brain, nervous system, blood pressure and heart rate. The sense of balance that traditional Oriental medicine regarded as the foundation of good health is something that more and more Americans are looking for as an antidote to stress in their lives. Tea is the healthy alternative to coffee and alcohol. It is a 100% natural, fat-free, calorie–free drink, untainted by additives. Additionally, tea can actually contribute in its ability to soothe and nourish our well-being, relax our muscles, and ease our breathing.
Eisai, a Japanese priest who wrote a lengthy treatise on the health benefits of tea in the early 13th century, wrote, "Tea is a marvelous elixir of health that has the capacity to prolong human life. Most medicines treat only a single ailment, but tea is a panacea for all ills." A bold statement, but today’s research studies are now lending support to Eisai’s claims.
Although green tea has received more news media attention than black and oolong tea, all tea is good for you. Studies conducted around the world have shown that tea drinking might protect against such serious diseases as strokes, cancer and heart disease.
Tea’s medicinal potential springs from antioxidant compounds called polyphenols. These polyphenols scavenge cell–damaging free radicals, which are linked with cancer–causing genes and cause LDL cholesterol to form artery-clogging plaque. The polyphenols in tea possess 20 to 30 times the antioxidant potency of vitamins C and E. Further, tea is low in caffeine; it has just enough to elevate the mood and improve blood circulation. Tea is not as harsh on the system as coffee and it contains no calories, fat or sugar. Green tea contains ascorbic acid in amounts comparable to a lemon, as well as B vitamins, potassium and other minerals. All teas contain fluoride, a mineral that prevents the development of plaque which leads to tooth decay.
Simply put, tea is one of life's pleasures. It makes people feel better and provides a quick relaxing escape from life's hectic pace. This 5,000-year-old drink is here to stay, and its future looks very exciting.