Let’s Drink to Good Health! Tea and the Health Benefits

A nice teapot and teacup for brewing healthy tea and relaxing

There have been many studies done on the various teas available and their health and skin benefits so I am going to highlight some of the findings here. Some teas have been found to help with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, cholesterol and weight loss. Flavonoids in teas are good for your heart and may even reduce cancer. Tea has antimicrobial qualities. There are many and varied types of tea available on the market with plenty of variations to choose from. However, the main and purest form of teas are green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea and pu-erh teas. All of those originate from a plant called Camellia sinensis which is native to India and China. Among the flavonoids and antioxidants in this plant is ECGC. It is known to fight against the free radicals that are associated with cancer, clogged arteries and heart disease.

Here is a list of teas and their benefits –

Green Tea – A great antioxidant with a high concentration of ECGC which fights against cancer of the bladder, lung, breast, stomach, colon and pancreas. Known to reduce the risk of neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimers. Can reduce your risk of a stroke. Also prevents clogging of the arteries and reduces stress. Aids in weight loss, burns fat and increases metabolism. Improves cholesterol. A great detox tea. Sure if you have to choose a tea, well I think you will be doing yourself a favour with Green tea!

Black Tea – Studies show that black teas ( used as the base for many kinds of teas such as chai and a long list of instant teas ) may protect the lungs from cigarette smoke. Great news for any smokers who drink tea. It is also known to reduce the risk of a stroke. My personal fave is black tea so even though it has the highest caffeine content, its still good for you. Caffeine actually heightens mental alertness so the level of caffeine is not bad for you. Tea is a way better substitute for coffee.

White Tea – its uncured and unfermented and has the most potent anti-cancer properties of all the teas.

Oolong Tea – Lowers high cholesterol – scientifically proven. Often found in weight loss teas even though there are no scientific proof that it aids weight loss.

Pu-erh Tea –  A black tea which reduces LDL cholesterol and aids in maintaining weight loss, according to one animal study.

Herbal Teas – Made with herbs, dried fruits, roots and seeds. Here is a list of some well known herbal teas and their benefits –

chamomile tea and herbal teas for health

Chamomile Tea – antioxidants help prevent some of the effects of diabetes such as nerve and kidney damage, loss of vision. Can help to stunt cancer growth.

Echinacea Tea – Claims to help fight off the common cold. It may be soothing but I doubt it will cure your cold!

Rooibos Tea – A red tea from South Africa made from a fermented herb. Contains flavonoids which claim to have cancer fighting properties.

Hibiscus Tea – Studies show it reduces blood pressure in people with a high/elevated level.

Here are a few pointers which may surprise you –

It’s better to buy the tea bags rather than crushing the leaves. Crushing the leaves releases more of the antioxidants to the air when brewing, therefore the brewed bags are more beneficial.

Buy the caffeinated kind. Its been proven to contain only about a third of the amount of caffeine in coffee and the caffeine in tea actually increases the cancer protection. Caffeine is however, a diuretic so you can get dehydrated by drinking too much. So don’t overdo it!

Hot tea is better than ice tea as the ice can dilute the tea, however once there is no ice it is okay to drink it cold. Steer clear of the sugar additives in the likes of canned iced tea since there can be way to much added sugar. Up to 6 teaspoons. Yikes!!

If you are unable to drink caffeine, go for the herbal kind, since there are many with no caffeine but if you wish for the antioxidant protection, make sure that tea is the primary ingredient. Some herbal teas are made from different herbs and spices and in fact contain no tea at all. Be sure to check the label.

A healthy blend of tea for great skin

As you may know, if you happen to follow my blog, I am an Independent Consultant for Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic. There is a fantastic range of Organic herbal teas available. They have 100percent active ingredients, no GM ingredients, chlorine free bags, no glue or staples, compostable bags and there is a fab range. Heres a list –

Beautiful Skin Tea – A radical-boosting blend of antioxidant rich Goji berry, roseship, hibiscus, bilberry and orange.

Organic Echinacea Plus Tea – A refreshing blend of naturally protective echinacea and peppermint.

Organic Calming Tea – A calming blend of skullcap, lemon balm and pink rose petals.

Organic Refreshing Tea – Renews flagging energy levels. Peppermint, liquorice root and green tea.

Organic After Dinner Tea – Digestive aid. A blend of naturally calming herbs, including peppermint, fennel and meadowsweet.

Organic Vitality Tea – Revitalising. Refreshing herbs such as Siberian ginseng and thyme to give you a boost.

Organic Inner Strength Tea – Boosts your natural defences. A warming blend with echinacea, elderflower and ginger.

Organic Summer Tea – Cooling and calming. Nettle, peppermint, elderflower, eyebright and liquorice root.

Organic Night Time Tea – Relax before bed. This restful blend includes calming hawthorn flower, valerian and chamomile.

I have tried the Night time tea and it genuinely did help me to sleep. I also tried the After dinner tea which had an interesting taste. The Organic Vitality tea was energising and I just love the Beautiful skin tea. The Beautiful skin tea has all the right ingredients to give you that beautiful complexion you desire. You will recognise ingredients such as roseships and Goji berries, all of which are fab benefit to your skin, if you read my recent post on Eat and Drink your Way to Clear Skin

Click here to see the whole range of teas available from Neal’s Yard >> SHOP

Please let me know if you have any other tea recommendations or if you do try any of the above and what you think!

Lots of love,

Ciara x

I’m a proud tea-holic so I’m off to make a brew now, ahh lovely 🙂

 

 

 

 

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12 Comments

    1. Hi Carolyn, I have had so many people comment that they love tea so much! Sure its great stuff altogether 😉

    1. Thanks Tracy, me too, u really cant beat a good cup of tea. Its a lifesaver, to be honest I don’t know what id do without it!

  1. I love drinking tea. I like green tea, but also any mix of black tea with fruits. I am currently addicted to cardamom tea. It’s fabulous after a meal as it aids digestion and cardamom is good for lung health as well. Teas have so many hidden benefits. Thank you for sharing!

    1. Good to know, thanks for the info, ill be sure to try it out! I was so surprised myself that there are just so many benefits! Makes me love tea even more 🙂 Thanks for your comment

    1. Hi Jennifer, thanks for your comment. I have always been a big tea drinker but only just recently got into green tea. I think its an acquired taste but it is well worth sticking with and now I actually like it! Tonnes of health benefits. Good luck

  2. Long time tea drinker here (like over 40+ years!) I haven’t even heard of some of these. I have normally enjoyed black tea, as you said, and my favorite is Bigelow Constant Comment with the orange flavor. I have recently been drinking green tea with honey every day – usually a couple cups a day. I also have some white tea with ginger, which is really good.

    1. Hi, I’m delighted to have informed you of new teas to try out. I actually really like the taste of green tea now whereas never before. It was an acquired taste! I love honey too and have it daily with greek yoghurt and muesli for breakfast. I must try the ginger one. Thanks!