There are serious health benefits of black tea and green tea, mainly due to the high presence of the antioxidants, polyphenols, and phytochemicals. The majority of studies tend to focus on black and green teas, but don’t worry, if you prefer oolong or white teas, they also offer plenty of health benefits to your table.
Tea can increase your endurance for exercise, with scientists discovering that the antioxidants from green tea can increase your ability to burn fat for fuel, improving endurance (Kao Corporation’s Biological Science Laboratories). Additionally, the Science in Society Archive suggests that drinking tea
can protect against degenerative diseases, as well as cardiovascular disease.
What The Science Shows – The results of 16 different studies (nine different prospective studies, three retrospective studies, and four cross-section studies) that included almost one million participants looked at liver disease and tea. Tea drinkers were far less likely to suffer from chronic liver diseases, cirrhosis of the liver, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver steatosis (International Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2015; 8(6): 8339–8346. PMCID: PMC4538013).
Additionally, a meta-analysis of a variety of studies in 2015 reviews the results of 23,000 participants. Those who drank at least 3 cups of tea every day were 37% less likely to suffer from depression (Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong
University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China).
Tea has also been associated with a decreased risk of stroke; drinking 3 cups, a day can reduce the risk of stroke by 21%. A recent meta-analysis studied the results from 22 trials with over 800,000 participants. Drinking 3 cups of tea every day was associated with an 18% reduction in the risk of stroke, as well as 16% cerebral infarction, 26% cardiac death, 27% heart disease, and 24% mortality (The European Journal of Epidemiology).
Additionally, tea drinkers (like coffee drinkers) reduce their risk of Type II diabetes. 51 studies with almost 2 million participants have been carried out looking at the risk of cancer and green tea. While green tea can reduce the risk of endometrial cancer, black tea does not. Green tea can also reduce the risk of prostate cancer, while black tea does not. Additionally, green tea can improve weight loss.
11 trials of 821 patients did find the health benefits of black tea and green tea and how it could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. They also reduce high blood pressure.
Studies from Oregon State University show that the antioxidants found in tea can help protect against a variety of cancers, including colorectal cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, as well as cancer of the liver, small intestine, esophagus, stomach, and the pancreas.
The USDA completed a study in conjunction with the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center. The study found that tea could help to fight free radicals, which cause DNA damage throughout the body. Our bodies were designed to naturally fight free radicals; however, this isn’t 100% effective. Free
radicals have been linked with neurological degeneration, cancer, and heart disease.
Despite the caffeine, Nutrition Communications has shown that tea is an excellent source of hydration.
Additionally, tea has been linked with reducing the risk of Parkinson’s. According to the Department of Health Promotion & Chronic Disease Prevention, tea is beneficial for both women and men.
Drinking green tea provides excellent back-up if your sunscreen fails you, because according to Department of Dermatology at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio it can help protect from UV rays.
According to the University of Arizona, Tucson, drinking tea regularly can also offset some of the effects of smoking, possibly reducing the risk of lung cancer. While that is good news, it is in no way a justification for smoking.
Tea can also assist you with keeping your waistline in check. Participants in a study, completed by the Department of Nutritional Sciences at
the Pennsylvania State University, who consumed hot tea regularly, had a lower body mass index, and a smaller waist. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases speculate that tea drinking can reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, which contributes to the risk of stroke, diabetes, and artery disease.
Green tea is excellent for improving bone strength and density (Department of Pathology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX).
It can be effective in preventing neurological diseases, dementia in particular. The polyphenol content in green tea can assist in maintaining areas of the brain that regulate memory and learning (Department of Medical Genetics, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China).
While the research is positive, make sure you keep the following tips in mind before you enjoy that tea:
- Give it time to cool off before drinking, according to King’s College in London drinking your beverages hot can increase the risk of esophageal cancer.
- Not all teas all created equally. It depends on how it is brewed, as well as the variety of tea, the processing, and storage. For example, there is a big difference between brewing tea leaves fresh at home, versus buying a bottle tea beverage at a convenience store.
Remember, tea isn’t the only way to keep your body healthy, it isn’t a miracle cure, however, when you drink tea in combination with a healthy diet and regular exercise, you are taking the best possible steps to fight disease and maintain your health.
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