Healthy Living: The Hidden Benefits of Tea

Tea, coffee and water are amongst the most commonly consumed drinks
globally, with tea being second only to water. But not all the health benefits
of tea are commonly known. Here are nine fascinating reasons to put the
kettle on
1) HYDRATION:
Many people believe that caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee lead to
dehydration. However, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.
In fact, tea has been recommended as second only to water, as a source of
hydration, and a recent study showed that black tea contributes to the
maintenance of normal hydration to a similar extent as water.
2) ALERTNESS AND MOOD:
Consuming low to moderate amounts of caffeine has been shown to have
beneficial effects on mood and mental performance in most
people. Consuming two to three cups of tea within 90 minutes has been
proven to increase ones attention and alertness.
3) SLEEP:
Sleep (amount and quality) is less likely to be disrupted when tea is
consumed throughout the day instead of coffee. This is due to the lower
levels of caffeine found in tea, where most people can consume tea later in
the day without them experiencing a disrupted sleep.
4) CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH:
Flavonoids are associated with good health outcomes, such as improved vascular function,
which is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. As a rich source of flavonoids, the
evidence for the positive role of tea in cardiovascular health continues to grow. Coffee has
attracted interest as a potential contributor to coronary heart disease, but this has not been
observed in population based studies.
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5) BLOOD PRESSURE:
A recent review of relevant literature found that significant reductions in both systolic and
diastolic blood pressure (1.5mmHg,-1.3mmHg respectively) was associated with flavonoid
intake. A study of regular tea drinkers with normal to mildly raised blood pressure, found that
drinking three cups of black tea every day for six months lowered their blood pressure by 2-
3mmHg (compared to a control group). With coffee, there is consistent evidence for an acute
increase in blood pressure soon after drinking coffee (which does return to original levels within
hours) However most coffee drinkers adapt to the tolerance of this hypertensive effect. The
caffeine in coffee causes the effect on blood pressure.
6) TYPE 2 DIABETIES:
A large long-term population study recently reported that drinking at least four cups of tea a
day may reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 16% (compared to non-tea
drinkers). The protective effect is thought to be through the polyphenols naturally found in
tea, improving insulin sensitivity and endothelial function. However in order to better
understand the precise mechanism by which this protection occurs, more research needs to be
conducted. Regular consumption of four or more cups of coffee a day may reduce the risk of
developing Type 2 diabetes, although this association does not appear to hold true when
drinking two or less cups a day. As there is some evidence for this protective association
with decaffeinated coffee as well, the mechanism of action maybe via the non-caffeine
components of coffee, possibly chlorogenic acid.
7) WEIGHT LOSS:
Regular long-term consumption of catechin- enriched green tea has been shown to reduce
total body fat, specifically the fat round the waist, in Asian (Japanese and Chinese [green tea
drinking cultures]) populations. Interestingly, a number of studies have found that combining
exercise with catechin-enriched green tea beverages results in greater fat loss. There is
limited evidence that drinking coffee (caffeinated or decaffeinated) is associated with weight
loss. The reason for the weight loss could be due to the chlorogenic acid rather than the
caffeine content of coffee.
8) DENTAL AND BONE HEALTH:
Fluoride is essential for the prevention of dental caries and the promotion of healthy bone
growth. On the other hand, there have been health issues raised about the amount of
fluoride present in tea as well as fluoridated water. The amount of fluoride typically consumed
through drinking water and brewed tea does not appear to pose a health risk.
9) PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE:
The general consensus is that caffeine (rather than tea or coffee per se) can improve
performance in endurance sports, such as, running and cycling.
Reviewing the evidence to date for tea, the key areas of potential good health benefits are
mental wellbeing (alertness) and cardiovascular health, whereas for coffee, it is in the areas of
immediate alertness and diabetes.
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