What are the health benefits of drinking tea?
Celebrate International Tea Day on Saturday, 21 May, by learning the benefits of drinking tea...
Many people around the world consume tea, especially during the winter season because it helps keep the body warm.
What is nice about tea is that there are many flavours available on the market. You can also drink it as is or with sugar, honey, and milk.
Jessica Bonin, founder of Lady Bonin's Tea, says tea refers to a plant called Camellia Sinensis.
"Anything not part of this plant is not tea," she adds.
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This plant has many benefits.
“Camellia Sinensis has many incredible benefits. It, in fact, started as a medicine, before it was consumed as a beverage, it would be eaten. When it was taken up as a beverage ancient Chinese doctors found it to provide even better benefits than when it was eaten,” says Jessica.
She adds that tea has a high amount of flavonols and flavonoids, antioxidants and L-theanine, which is a powerful antioxidant and adaptogen.
Apart from these incredible benefits, “tea has the ability to increase neural activity which induces focus as well as offset the effects of stress. It simultaneously calms and focuses you. Because it is an adaptogen it also provides more oxygen to your cells which gives you energy,” says Jessica.
But, that's not all. A study published by Meropa found that drinking tea can help reduce stress.
“Researchers have found that frequent tea consumption has a strong linear relationship with reduced rates of depression," Adele du Toit, spokesperson for the SA Rooibos Council (SARC) told Meropa.
"One study determined that for every three cups of tea consumed a day, the relative risk of depression decreased by 37%. It’s likely that the healthy compounds in tea stimulate a positive response in the gut and brain, which improves mood. Similarly, the act of making tea is in and of itself relaxing, which allows us a mental and emotional breather,” added Adele.
The publication also states that 'scientists from Stellenbosch University found that Rooibos tea contains two rare antioxidants, namely, aspalathin and nothofagin, which interferes with the production of cortisol – a stress hormone secreted by the adrenal gland.'
So, go ahead and enjoy that cup of tea!
READ: Surprising benefits of drinking tea
Image courtesy of iStock/ @mescioglu