Choice Blog 2: The Benefits of Drinking Tea

After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world.  Many people enjoy it's unique flavors and various aromas, which are known to be calming.  Over the years, researchers have discovered the many health benefits associated with different types of tea.

Studies have shown that some teas can reduce a person's risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.  Others can help lower cholesterol, promote weight loss, or boost metabolism.  Tea also contains less caffeine than coffee, allowing an individual become alert and focused rather than jittery.

 

Many different drinks today are labeled as tea, but if you want the real thing, or want the most health benefits, you need to stick with green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea, and pu-erh tea.  These all come from the Camellia sinensis plant, a shrub native to China and India, and contain unique antioxidants called flavonoids.  Herbal teas don't have nearly as many antioxidants but studies have shown that they may help to fight colds, shed pounds, and bring on restful sleep.

Green tea is my personal favorite. (Especially with lemongrass...yum!) The antioxidants found in green tea may help to prevent bladder, breast, stomach, lung, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers. Green tea can also prevent the clogging of arteries, burn fat, reduce stress levels, and lower a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

If you want the most bang for your buck, I would suggest steeping your tea instead of buying it bottled.  Also, be aware! Those super yummy bottled teas such as Arizona Tea, Peace Tea, and Lipton, as well as other instant teas, may not contain much actual tea at all have a lot of added sugar and atrificial sweeteners. Make sure to check the label!

Tea is honestly, so good.  I drink it all the time.  Now that the weather is getting colder, it's great to warm myself up with a steaming cup of tea. I'm just estatic that's there's actually something out there that tastes delicious and has such a great number of health benefits. If you haven't made the switch, do it.  

http://www.teamuse.com/article_030501.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/tea-types-and-their-health-benefits