Tea: Drink to Your Health!

Drinking tea has proven to be very beneficial to health and well-being. Besides having numerous antioxidants, tea aids in digestion, cleans out our systems, and gives a wonderful flavor to water.

Tea, no matter what kind it is, has some type of benefit. It not only has a small amount of many vitamins and minerals, tea also contains cancer-fighting antioxidants called polyphenols. These antioxidants help fight cancer causing substances, as well as reducing the chance of heart disease. Tea is also filled with flavonoids, which help fight the buildup of cholesterol and help with blood flow.

Polyphenols found in teas have a variety of benefits. Drinking tea with these polyphenols may reduce plaque, resulting in better teeth and gum health. Teas also contain fluoride that help prevent tooth decay, strengthens bones, and prevents osteoporosis.

Tea also plays a big part in digestion because polyphenols break down fatty substances, making digestion easier and more consistent. Tea has also been shown to prevent food poisoning because it helps fight harmful bacteria of some stomach diseases.

Since tea has been shown to be full of antioxidants, it's a great beverage to drink to make the body feel healthy and youthful. Tea also helps with our immune system, in that it increases the white blood cell count and also contains Vitamin C.

Tea also prevents dehydration, since it is mostly water. It's a great additive to water, making it easier for many to drink the daily recommendations for water consumption. It's low in calories and sugar, making it a healthy, great choice to drink.

There are a variety of teas, and sometimes it's hard to figure out which ones are better than others. They're all great options, but some are better for certain reasons. Here are some common teas and their benefits:

Green Tea- Green tea is filled with vitamins and minerals, most importantly Vitamin C. This vitamin helps strengthen the immune system to prevent colds or sickness. Green tea also contains fluoride, which is beneficial to ensuring healthy gums and teeth. This tea is the most popular choice in Asia, and has also been shown to slightly boost the metabolism.

Black Tea- This tea is the most popular in the Western world, and is often associated with English teas. Black tea comes in a variety of flavors, from spicy to fruity, or nutty and light. Drinking black tea for a long period of time has been shown to reduce the risk of strokes, since its high amount of flavonoids help break down residue in the arteries. Black tea also contains a high amount of antioxidants.

White Tea- These tealeaves are the youngest, and are covered with tiny white hairs. Since these tealeaves are not fermented like black tea, the leaves still contain a very high amount of polyphenols, which may be a cancer fighting antioxidant. White tea is light and fresh and known for its sweet smell.

Chai Tea- A Hindi word for tea, "Chai" is an Indian black Tea mixed with Indian spices. Chai tea is also brewed with milk and array of spices, so there are very many variations of Chai Tea. Some recipes may be sweet or spicy, but Chai tea seems to be a popular choice among those living in the United States.

Tea has been around for thousands of years and is still considered a very healthy drink. It has been proven to have health benefits, and has prevented numerous ailments. Not only has tea been used for drinking, it's also been used for beauty products for both inside the body and out. There are hundreds of flavors, both calming and energizing, like Jasmine and Chamomile, for everyone to try. With a drink this good, how can we not drink to our health?