So tea. I love it. This is no secret. I’ve also heard for years that it is healthy for me. That is true. Of course, you have to be drinking actual tea and not the herbal stuff that people still love but that lack all the benefits of real tea. Real tea is loaded with antioxidants called polyphenols, and polyphenols are pretty much awesome. But again, they’re only found in REAL tea.
What’s “real tea” you might ask? If it’s derived from camellia sinensis, it’s real. In layman’s terms? If it’s green, black, white, or oolong, it’s actual, technical tea. Anything else might still be yummy, but it lacks some of the awesome benefits below:
It Helps Prevent Cancer: Tea is packed with polyphenols called catechins, in particular a powerful one called EGCG. EGCG helps kill certain cancer cells. There have been many studies conducted that have proven green tea’s effects against cancer cells.
It Helps Keep Blood Pressure in Check: Routinely drinking green or oolong tea over the period of a year has been shown to lower the risk of developing hypertension by 46% for those who drank up to 2.5 cups a day and 65% less for those who drank more than 2.5 cups. That’s crazy talk!
It Helps Your Teeth: Tea contains fluoride, which is good for overall mouth health.
It Helps Prevent Heart Disease: Experts think flavonoids are the key ingredient in tea that promote health. Doctors have found clear evidence that drinking three to four cups of tea a day can cut the chances of having a heart attack.
It Makes You Smarter: L-theanine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in the camellia sinensis plant. It’s a pretty powerful amino acid that boosts alpha wave activity in your brains. That little boost helps promotes a state of relaxed concentration, which makes you more alert and ready to absorb new information.
It Helps Prevent Obesity: 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 {which increases the risk of diabetes, artery disease and stroke}, although it’s important to remember that correlation does not equal causation {source}.
It Helps Prevent Sunburns: Green tea may actually act as a back-up sunscreen! It provides protection from ultraviolet rays {although I highly recommend actual sunscreen in addition!}.
It Helps You Live Longer: A study of 40,530 people in Japan, where green tea is widely consumed, found drinking green tea was associated with a 23% lower risk of dying from any cause in women and 12% lower risk in men.
It Helps You Exercise Longer: Scientists have proven that the catechins in green tea extract increase the body’s ability to burn fat as fuel, which helps with improved muscle endurance.
It Keeps You Hydrated: The belief that coffee or tea dehydrates is just a myth. Although there is truth behind the fact that caffeine dehydrates, the amount of water in tea does more good for your body than the small amount of caffeine can undo!
It Calms You: This is one I have known for years because I experience it every time I have a cup of tea! Now I have proof! The effects of L-theanine work to counteract the extreme highs and jitters that come from caffeine. That results in a calming effect!
Not convinced yet? That is only a fraction of the benefits from drinking real tea. Know of any more? Are you a tea drinker? What’s your favorite kind?
Keep Calm and Drink Tea,
~Mavis
Ramona says
My husband drinks a gallon of ice tea in two days. His family are all ice tea drinkers, no sugar added.
Laura Z says
We drink a lot of iced tea with stevia (orange pekoe), but I probably have about 30 teas in my pantry! If you are ever in Boulder, you must go on the Celestial Seasonings factory tour. My girls loved it!
I am partial to Earl Gray and to Tazo’s Wild Sweet Orange. I love all the zinger teas, but I have found that rose hips messes with the upper range of my singing voice. Weird, no!?
Sue R. says
Yorkshire GOLD is a favorite of mine, as is Nambarrie that my daughter brings when she visits from Northern Ireland (though it might just be the connection it gives me to her!).
Lilypad says
I love Yorkshire Gold as well, it’s my go-to black tea each morning and sometimes for a second cup later in the day. I first tried it at a hotel in San Diego and had to get some after we got home to Seattle. Thankfully, Amazon.com sells big packages, I think there are 120 tea bags per box. I started adding a cup of jasmine green tea each afternoon and I lost 3 pounds—is there a connection? Who knows, but I won’t stop now!
Carrie says
I like Echinacea tea but based on your definition it is not a true tea, it may have other tea leaves in it but I’m not sure. It’s expensive so I only drink it when I am feeling sick. I have a coworker from Nepal and she brings back a huge bag of Nepalese tea when she visits. It’s very strong but good!
I grew up on sweat tea (I’m from NC) but have limited myself to drinking it only at family get togethers. I’ve tried making it “half and half” but I’d rather drink water. I can drink unsweetened tea only if its hot.
Earlene says
I just had to comment on how tea helps your teeth, but probably not if you have crap teeth to begin with. We drink a lot of ice tea in the summer!
Tracy says
I have a cup of hot tea every morning and make 2 liter pot of iced tea with a whole squeezed lemon, which lasts me a week in the winter or four or five days in the summer. PG Tips all the way, baby!
bobbi dougherty says
I LOVE TJ’s black tea. I know green tea is supposed to be better, but I prefer black tea. 🙂
Carol says
English breakfast and Earl Grey for me. I also love the Adagio decaf teas.
Vicki B. says
I love tea, and Stash teas in particular. Their Earl Grey Green and Green Chai are big favorites of mine. I start out with a big mug of hot tea, but but the time I finish it, it’s cold. Doesn’t matter – I like it either way!
suzanne says
i can’t consume fluoride . Good to know I bet real naturally occurring fluoride doesn’t cause the same issues as the crap they pump into our city water. Not trying to be a Debbie downer but if I can help 1 person it’s worth it. If you notice your food/drinks start to taste like dish soap (particularly when drinking warm liquids) You have a fluoride sensitivity. This is fluoride not chlorine I’m talking about. It can’t be boiled or left to evaporate.
Mama Cook says
My neighbor turns 92 this month and drinks Earl Grey all day…each 8oz cup gets 3 tea bags!
Maggie Luk says
LOL love this post! I would argue tea is terrible for teeth, just ask my dentist who has to sandblast my tea stains every six months!
I just want to proffer this other reason why tea is bad. This picture has been circulating on Reddit in recent days, gave me a good laugh. I thought it was a bird first, but nope nope nope.
https://i.redd.it/tthgtj9it39y.jpg
Enjoy!
Sheila says
I love David’s Tea….it’s a little spendy, but it’s mostly organic. I also cop to drinking orange pekoe – the no name store brand stuff – I add some sugar & cream so it’s not like it needs to be some exclusive brand. 🙂
Rebekah U says
Tea is the best drink ever (after water of course!!)! I drink mine unsweet, and occaisionally I’ll have hot tea with a little honey. If you decide to travel to the East coast, please consider going to the Savannah Tea Plantation. You can tour their fields and their factory. We go there every time we travel to the coast to stock up on “local” tea. In May, they have a First Flush Tea festival. You might enjoy it.
Rebekah U says
Okay… Okay… I am having synapse lapses today…. It is the CHARLESTON tea plantation… (not Savannah!)