The health benefits of tea

Why get excited about tea?

Drinking tea does seem to benefit your health. – we’re just not sure what those benefits are. To date, most of the research is based on population studies – and it’s hard to extrapolate those results out to what happens when you drink a cup of tea.

The focus of all the fuss is antioxidants, some of which may interfere with free radicals that drive cancer and heart disease. An 11-year study of 40,000 people in Japan linked daily green tea intake to a reduced death rate, particularly from heart disease. A link with cancer wasn’t found, though other studies have given qualified support, while yet others suggest green tea may help reduce age-related memory loss.

Tea also contains theobromine and theophylline (both of which are thought to be slight stimulants), and amino acid L-theanine, which is being studied for its possible memory-enhancing and calming effects.

Why drink tea?

While the jury is out on the exact benefits of tea, we do know you need to drink tea daily – at least two cups – to get the best results. So make tea a part of your regular routine, like cleaning your teeth and having breakfast.

I regularly recommend tea to clients, no matter what their health issues. I’m confident the tea itself will help them, adding extra antioxidants and fluid into their day. Making a cup of tea can also be a much-needed moment of meditation and quiet as you go through the routine of boiling the kettle, pouring and brewing.