This was a bit easier to write than the article on coffee, because it requires no research. The benefits of tea have become such common knowledge that most of us can list them in our sleep. The only difficulty is that there is a new benefit announced seemingly daily, so I suppose it does take a bit of research to figure out what the newest benefits are. Either way, let’s look at some of the more common health benefits of tea and also compare them against coffee, which many prefer when you have to work.
A cup of healthy white tea
Tea helps fight cancer. That’s the big one that everyone is aware of. Tea is loaded with antioxidants, which combat free radicals, preventing cell damage. Because of this tea has also become a common ingredient in skin care products, as the high concentration of antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory ingredients make it very effective in fighting UV damage and other skin damage. Similarly, tea is now being added to hair products.
Like coffee, tea is also said to help prevent Parkinson’s disease. Green tea’s phytochemicals protect the neurons that create dopamine in the brain. This dopamine helps combat Parkinson’s. Also like coffee, tea helps fight heart disease, although how it does it is a bit different. Catechins in the tea help prevent hardening of the arteries. This also helps reduce the risk of stroke, but even if a stroke does occur, tea has you covered. It has tannins that help reduce the brain damage after a stroke or other brain injuries.
Another study has shown that drinking tea can significantly increase insulin production. Unfortunately this benefit doesn’t last long, so you have to drink quite a bit of tea to get it. You also have to forgo the milk, as it has a negative effect on this benefit.
Drinking tea is also said to help with weight loss. Not only does it lower the body fat content, but also blood pressure and bad cholesterol. Tea is also linked to a lower risk of breast cancer. The problem here is that tea has an adverse affect when combined with certain chemotherapy drugs, so doctors will often warn cancer patients against drinking it.
Overall, people who drink 3 to 6 cups of tea day are 45% less likely to die of heart disease. Drinking 10 cups per day apparently protects against liver disorders, although it’s hard to imagine most people drinking so much of it and I also recently read an article about a woman who drank ridiculous amounts of tea every day and ended up dying from liver damage, so take this one with a grain of salt.
Drinking one cup or more per day is also said to help reduce gingivitis. This comes from a Japanese study and they would know; they drink a ton of tea. Finally, cool and damp teabags placed directly on the eyes reduce puffiness. I’ve seen people with cucumbers on their eyes but I’ve never seen teabags, so I guess this one is not yet common knowledge.
Most of these health benefits require further study, as is always the case, but you can be sure of one thing: tea is not bad for you. And neither is coffee. Drink them both, but as always, don’t overdo it. Everything in moderation, right?
For more on the health benefits of tea see:
- Web MD: Types of Teas and Their Health Benefits
- LA Times: Tea’s health benefits exist, but many claims remain cloudy
- NY Times: Tea index