A Cup of Tea a Day…

…I’m sure everyone knows the rest of that cliche, more commonly applied to apples! Medical science has long been praising the value of tea for health and well-being, quite apart from the fact that a nice hot brew can relax you considerably. The homeopathic powers of a cup of tea are fairly obvious - the recognisable smell setting off chemical reactions in our brain that lead to comfort and relief, the heat warming us up. Not so obvious, however, are the physical benefits of a cup of tea a day:

-Research has suggested that older women who are tea drinkers are 60 percent less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than those who do not drink tea.

-Scientists suggest that drinking tea regularly for years may produce stronger bones - those who drank tea regularly for 10 years or more have higher bone-density in their spines than those who had not.

-Some lab research showed that green tea extracts inhibited the growth of bladder cancer cells - other studies showed that drinking green tea protected against stomach and esophageal cancers. This fits with the general reputation of the green teas as detoxifiers; perfect for cleansing the body and getting rid of impurities.

-In a recent study, people who gargled with black tea extract solution twice a day showed a higher immunity to the flu than those who didn’t.

-A study published recently in the journal ‘Circulation’ found that drinking more than two cups of tea a day decreased the risk of death following a heart attack by 44 percent. Two cups a day decreased the risk by a third. In a similar area, it was found that half a cup of green or oolong tea per day reduced a person’s risk of high blood pressure by almost 50 percent.

-There are also indications that tea consumption can help prevent the onset of Parkinsons, and rinsing with tea may prevent cavaties and gum disease.

Certainly this is encouraging news for those of us that automatically turn the kettle on come 10 o’clock, plus ample reason to feel justified in that next teapot purchase. Look out for the next article, where we’ll look into why tea is so good for us and how it helps with the conditions above.