Forget about that Morning Cup of Joe! — tea is officially awesome for your health. But before loading up on Red Zinger, make sure that your “tea” is actually tea. Real tea is derived from a particular plant and includes only four varieties: green, black, white, and oolong. Herbal Brews are an infusion of different plants and are not technically tea.
So what real tea lacks in variety, it makes up for with truly amazing health benefits. Researchers attribute tea’s health properties to the antioxidant polyphenols and phytochemicals. Though most studies have focused on the better-known green and black teas, white and oolong also bring benefits to the table.
Makes You Stronger
Tea can boost exercise endurance. Scientists have found that the catechins (antioxidants) in green tea extract increase the body’s ability to burn fat as fuel, which accounts for improved bodily endurance.
Healthy Heart
Drinking tea could help reduce the risk of heart attacks and protects against cardiovascular/ degenerative diseases.
Cancer Inhibitor
The antioxidants in tea might help protect against a wide variety of cancers…Breast, Colon, Skin, Lung, Esophagus, Stomach, Liver, Intestine, Ovarian and Oral cancers….it is not a miracle cure but more studies than not suggest that tea has cancer-fighting benefits.
Cellular Protector
Tea fights free radicals…. Tea is high in oxygen radical absorbance capacity called ORAC which is a fancy way of saying that it helps destroy free radicals that damage DNA in the body. While our bodies are designed to fight free radicals on their own, they’re not 100 percent effective — and since damage from these radical oxygen ninjas has been linked to cancer, heart disease and neurological degeneration, we’ll take all the help we can get.
Positive Hydration
Tea is an great source of hydration …(even despite the caffeine!).
Diminishes Parkinson Risk
Drinking tea is linked with a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease. When considered with other factors like smoking, physical activity, age and body mass index, regular tea drinking was associated with a lowered risk of Parkinson in both men and women.
UV Sunscreen
Tea might provide protection from ultraviolet rays. We know it’s important to limit our exposure to UV rays but the good news is that green tea may act as a back-up internal sunscreen.
BMI Inhibitor
Tea could keep waist circumference in check. In one study, participants who regularly consumed hot tea had lower waist circumference and lower BMI than non-consuming participants. Scientists speculate that regular tea drinking lowers the risk of metabolic syndrome ..a factor that increases the risk of diabetes, artery disease and stroke.
Blood Sugar Regulator
Tea could be beneficial to people with Type 2 diabetes. Studies suggest that compounds in green tea could help diabetics better process sugars.
Skin Regenerator
Tea can help the body recover from radiation. One study found that tea helped protect against cellular degeneration upon exposure to radiation, while another found that it can help enhance cellular repair of skin post exposure.
Better Bones
Green tea has been found to improve bone mineral density that has a direct impact on our physical strength.
Sharper Minds
Tea might be an effective agent in the prevention and treatment of neurological diseases, especially degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. While many factors influence brain health, polyphenols in green tea may help maintain the parts of the brain that regulate learning and memory.
Tea’s many benefits….(forgive the pun) ….are hard to swallow.
In addition to this I find my morning ritual of starting with a cup of weak green tea is a wonderful detox that cleanses the mouth of all the residue that accumulates during sleep…..it also send a soothing message to my body…”time to start your engines”
In the mid-afternoon, I also like to make a weak cup of green tea and then put a herbal tea bag into the cup. I get a slight boost with the freshness of the herbs and along with a small bit of dark chocolate.. makes for a very nice “Pick-Me-Up” Moment.
I think it is important to incorporate the tea as a part of your daily routine. In this manner it becomes a part of your lifestyle …which then forms the Health Rhythm of Wellness.
Tea more than a beverage it is one of the Elixirs of Life
Happy Drinking….Cheers….Bottoms Up!