Is drinking tea the best thing for your health?
There's nothing quite like a cup of tea to make you feel at home and warm you up too, but does it acutally hold any benefits to your health?
Well, the answer is of course, yes.
There's been plenty of research over the years to highlight the benefits. In fact recent research shows tht regular consumption of black tea can improve body weight and body fat distribution, according to a randomised control trails.
Commenting on the study, Dr Tim Bond from the Tea Advisory Panel says: "This studie aimed to look at the effects of black tea on body weight and body fat. Many controlled trials have shown benefits of black tea consumption, particularly for cardiovascular health. There is increasing evidence that these benefits are associated with the content of flavonoids.
"The finds suggest that short-term regular ingestion of black tea over three months can improve body weight and body fat distribution, compared o a caffeine-matched control beverage."
Another recent study highlights that drinking tea could also reduce the risk of hip fracture.
People who drink one to four cups of tea each day have a lower risk of hip fracture than those who drink no tea according to a new study published in Osteoporosis International.
Commenting on the study, Dr Carrie Ruxton, an independent dietitian and member of the Tea Advisory Panel (TAP), notes:
“A number of studies have linked tea consumption with reduced risk of fracture and this was a meta-analysis of 14 studies that have evaluated tea and coffee in this context. The meta-analysis involved six cohort and eight case-control studies on a total of 195,992 individuals which included 9,958 cases of hip fracture.
Enjoy your cup of tea knowing it has plenty of health benefits“Fracture, which is often caused by osteoporosis, causes functional disability and a study published earlier this year showed that black tea consumption was associated with better functional physical performance in a study among nearly 2400 older adults. Tea could be having a positive effect due to the presence of fluoride in the tea brew, or because of the role of tea flavonoids as potent antioxidants, and in supporting bone cell growth, although these mechanisms need to be confirmed in human studies.
In summary, Dr Ruxton adds: “Overall, these studies indicate the benefits of tea drinking particularly in our older population among whom fracture and functional disability are a significant risk. Consumption of 4 cups a tea daily has also been associated with cardiovascular health and can contribute to good hydration.”
Three or more servings of black tea each day have been shown in research studies to have a positive impact on health, particularly a reduced risk of heart disease. Intakes in the range of one to eight cups each day are linked with health benefits and no adverse events.
Benefits of tea in potentially reducing the risk of diabetes are also highlighted with benefit seen in the range of one to four cups each day. Tea could also reduce the risk of stroke, but the number of studies is still small.
Dr Ruxton adds: “Health benefits from drinking tea can be explained by the presence of its major active substances, the flavonoids, plant compounds from the polyphenol family. A further misconception about tea drinking – that milk reduces the availability of the beneficial flavonoids. Adding milk to tea does not appear to influence bioactivity in the human body in the majority of studies which examines this issue.”
“Green tea often hits the headlines for its benefits but not everyone knows that all teas are in fact derived from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given their common origin, black and green teas offer similar health benefits. In fact, both black and green tea have the potential to reduce the risk of dental caries, diabetes, heart disease and possibly cancer. “
Tagged in Health Healthy Body Healthy eating