Made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, tea may well be the healthiest drink around. It is the world’s most popular beverage after water and it’s packed with powerful antioxidants that give it a load of health benefits. Studies have linked tea to brain and heart health, diabetes and cancer prevention, weight loss, improved mood and even cholesterol control. Here we examine the advantages of regularly drinking various teas:
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As well as being linked to longer life for women, scientists have also claimed drinking chamomile tea could help keep diabetes under control. Chamomile tea is also considered to be a skincare treatment due to its cleansing and moisturising properties.
Green tea has a high concentration of a polyphenol called EGCG which seems to affect human health and disease. The antioxidants in green tea have been suggested to help with breast, lung and stomach cancers, amongst others. It has also been claimed that a cup of green can protect against dementia and Alzheimer’s as well as improve cholesterol levels.
Peppermint tea is believed to aid digestion and combat stress. The menthol present in the tea acts as a muscle relaxant which helps to reduce the amount of stress and anxiety people suffer from.
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Oolong tea may help you slim down. One Chinese study found overweight people who drank oolong tea daily for six weeks lost weight and decreased their waist size. And due to its high levels of antioxidants, drinking oolong tea has been found to lower cholesterol levels in a number of studies.
White tea may keep you looking younger. A UK study looking at the health properties of over 20 herbs and plant extracts found white tea blitzed all others in preventing enzymes from breaking down elastin and collagen in our skin, which can lead to sagging and wrinkles.
Scientists have found those who drink two or three cups of black tea a day are 50 percent less likely to exhibit early signs of dementia compared to those who did not drink it. Studies have also suggested that it may reduce the risk of stroke and protect lungs against damage from cigarette smoke.
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(Read more: Patricia Flokis, Good Health (Bauer) / Additional Reporting by Natalya Molok)