Health Benefits Of Tea

There are many health benefits of tea. Tea is the second most important beverage in the world, after water and 80% of the tea consumed in the world is black tea. Tea is derived from the Camellia Sinenis plant. Black tea differs from green tea and white tea in the way it is processed. While black tea is fermented during processing, green and white tea are not. This produces the differences in flavor and color of the types of tea.

So what's responsible for tea's many health benefits ? 'The big class of chemicals in tea are the flavonoids - a natural class of antioxidants that are found in many natural plant derived foods", explains Dr.Kenneth Mukamal, an internist at Beth Israel Deconess Medical Center in Boston. "In American diets, black tea represents probably the single biggest source of flavonoids". 

Here are just a few health benefits of drinking black tea:

1. Drinking black tea gives you improved alertness : Noticed how tea makes you feel relaxed but clear-headed at the same time ? That's thank to L-theanine, an amino acid found almost exclusively in tea that stimulates alpha brain waves, linked to a relaxed but alert mental state and greater focus.

2. Drinking black tea lowers your stress: The next time you're feeling tense, take time out for a cup of tea. UK researchers found that drinking tea reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol in people completing challenging tasks by an average of 47%.

3. Drinking black tea gives you a healthier heart: The drink your heart loves most, numerous studies show black tea protects against cardiovascular disease, Australia's biggest killer. There are several reasons why: it helps maintains healthy blood vessels, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure and prevents blood clotting. Just there cups of tea a day reduces your risk of heart attack by 11 per cent, so drink up !

4. Drinking black tea gives you better immunity: To ward off winter bugs, consider swapping your coffee for tea. US experts found the immune cells from tea drinkers responded five times faster to bacteria than those of coffee drinkers. Tea also has an anti-viral, anti-fungal effect, making it an all-round infection fighter.

5. Drinking black tea reduces your risk of diabetes: Drinking black tea could help safeguard you against type 2 diabetes, say reasearchers at the University of Sydney. They found people who drank more than three to four cups daily slashed their diabetes risk by 18 per cent. Other research shows black tea may help blunt blood sugar spikes after eating, which can help regulate your appetite and prevent cravings.

Health Benefits of Green Tea and White Tea.

Less processed than black tea, green and white tea are packed with health-boosting, disease-proofing antioxidants. Here are some proven health benefits of each:

GREEN TEA: Drink it to...

• Keep your gums healthy : Japanese researchers have linked regular consumption of green tea to a lower incidence of periodontal disease, possible due to its anti-inflammatory effect

• Stay mentally sharp : Tea helps keep your brain sharp as you get older by protecting neurons and preventing the plaque-like deposits linked to Alzheimer's disease

• Protect against breast cancer : Making a habit of drinking green tea can reduce your risk of breast cancer by around 12 per cent, say US scientists

WHITE TEA: Drink it to...

• Stay slim : A German study found white tea slows the production of fat cells and helps break down the fat in existing ones

• Fight germs: An immune system stimulant, white tea has an even stronger anti-viral and anti-bacterial effect than green tea

• Ward off wrinkles: White tea blocks the activity of enzymes which break down elastin and collagen, in turn preventing premature skin ageing, say UK experts