It should come to no surprise that tea is one of the most well known health beverages out there. I personally find nothing more relaxing than waking up in the morning and drinking a hot cup of soothing tea. But what is it about tea that not only makes you feel better but function better? Well today I will be talking about the benefits tea can give you and why you should switch from that cup of Joe to a cup of tea.
Tea is a zero calorie beverage that is very inexpensive to make. In a 2012 consumerist report it’s estimated that the average American will spend $10-$20 on coffee a week. Meanwhile, tea buyers will only need to spend $4-$8 a month to get anywhere from 25-30 cups of tea. Plus, tea goers will find a lot less difficulty making a pot of tea than a pot of coffee. Simply fill up a tea kettle, let it come to a boil, then put in your choice of tea.
Tea also has many health benefits to them. Teas are rich with antioxidants such as catachins, which help burn body fat and improve muscular endurance. In addition, they contain phytochemicals which help tea drinkers maintain a higher bone density than non-tea drinkers. Tea also works towards a healthy heart. Many teas contain amino acids, such as thenanine, to help lower blood pressure and reduce both physical and mental stress.
Along with the general benefits teas can provide there are also specific health benefits that tea has:
- Black tea has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, help with digestion, increase energy, and build up the immunity system.
- Green tea has been correlated to improve concentration, prevent diabetes, and reduce the risk of dementia.
- Oolong has been shown to help with weight loss.
- White tea has also been shown to benefit blood glucose
- Chai, and other flavored teas, slow down the absorption of caffeine to energize your body throughout the day.
In addition to enhancing your diet tea also plays a role in improving your workout. In fact, a study has shown that athletes who had drank 2-3 cups of a tea a day end up burning more calories during physical exercise. Tea also has been shown to to aid in fat oxidation, where it was found that tea drinkers will gain weight 42% less than those who do not drink tea.
In the end, tea becomes a very effective drink to help increase energy, reduce fat, and build up a strong immunity system. For those interested in getting into tea I would recommend looking up your nearest tea shop and asking your local tea seller for recommendations. Just remember that there is a strong distinction between loose leaf tea and bagged tea and that it’s better for you to drink loose leaf.