As it gets cold outside, the consumption of warm beverages begins to sound appealing. This is not limited to just coffee or hot chocolate, but it also includes tea. Tea has been drunk by humans for thousands of years, for several reasons. Some of those could include ceremonial, for enjoyment, to calm down the nerves or just for hydration.
Tea can be enjoyed by anyone, at any time. All you need is a cup or mug of hot water and a teabag of your choice. Several studies claim that tea has several health benefits. One of the studies from Penn Medicine goes into specifics about which teas are beneficial for health and why they are so good for you. I will be looking through these so that you can enjoy a nice cup of tea all while taking care of your physical health.
The study starts talking about white tea. I had never heard of white tea until I came across this study, but it turns out that white tea has a lot of benefits. It is full of antioxidants, which fight off certain types of cancer, especially colon cancer. White tea also contains a high level of fluoride which can help strengthen teeth and bones. White tea does contain some caffeine but not a huge amount, which makes it good for someone who may be trying to cut down on their caffeine consumption.
The study goes on to describe herbal teas. There are only five types of herbal teas listed, but there are most certainly a lot more.
Chamomile tea helps with menstruation cramps, muscle spasms, reduces stress and helps with sleep. Rooibos tea improves blood pressure and helps with cholesterol. It also helps with keeping strong hair and healthy skin. During allergy season, this type of tea can temporarily help subside allergic reactions. Peppermint tea helps with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and constipation. It can also help subside the effects of motion sickness and relieve pain from headaches and migraines.
Ginger tea helps joint pain caused by osteoarthritis. Also helps fight morning sickness and fights indigestion. Hibiscus tea can help prevent kidney stones, improves liver health and helps lower high blood pressure.
The next teas that the study mentions are green, black and oolong teas.
Green tea can help with heart health and cholesterol. I was also surprised to learn that green tea can help fight some cancers, such as colon, liver, breast and prostate.
Black tea helps with inflammation. It can also help get your caffeine in for the day in place of coffee, so it is important to keep in mind how much you drink. Black tea can also be roasted and placed on cuts and scratches to help the healing process begin.
Oolong tea can help reduce certain diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. It can also help with type 2 diabetes.
Teas really do have a lot of health benefits. I had no idea that there were so many. If you want to stay healthy this winter, instead of hot chocolate, consider having a cup of tea. For now, I am going to go make myself a cup of black tea with honey. For more information, visit this website:
https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2019/december/health-benefits-of-tea
