Tea is the most commonly consumed beverage worldwide. Americans drank over 84 billion cups of tea in 2020. The Tea Association of the USA reports that 84 per cent of all tea consumed is black tea, 15 per cent is green tea, and the rest is oolong, white, and dark tea. It is a commonly consumed tea for hangovers, for waking up in the morning, before going to bed, for relaxing, or even during the afternoon. Drinking tea daily is considered healthy and acceptable. But can drinking tea daily benefit you? Keep reading to find out!
Tea Varieties
The three main types of tea (green, black, and oolong) are all derived from the same plant: Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub. They differ in how they are processed. Black tea leaves are exposed to air or fermented, which darkens and gives them their distinctive taste. Green tea is made by steaming or quickly heating leaves. Oolong tea is made by partially fermenting leaves.
Herbal teas and fruit teas do not contain caffeine as they are not made from tea leaves. They are infusions made from leaves, roots, bark, fruits, seeds, and flowers from a variety of plants. Some examples include mint, chamomile, and peach. Matcha tea is a powder that is made by grinding green tea leaves. Green, black, and oolong teas have more health benefits than herbal teas.
The Role of Tea
Researchers attribute tea’s health benefits to polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) and phytochemicals. Most studies, however, focus on green and black teas. Read on to find out how tea can boost your health during the day.
1. Clears the Morning Brain Fog
You may experience several uncomfortable and distressing symptoms after waking up (e.g. sluggishness, fuzzy thinking, lack of focus, etc.). It may feel as if you are sleepwalking. Tea can nourish your brain in such a situation. When you wake up after sleeping for several hours, tea can do wonders for you in terms of rehydrating you and getting the brain working. Tea benefits the brain in many ways. For instance:
- Stimulates your mind
- Improves your focus
- Energizes your brain
- Induces calm and relaxation
Whenever you drink tea, you ingest caffeine. The stimulant activates your nervous system as well as your body and brain.
2. Aids in Recovery After a Workout
In muscles, exercise increases oxidation (the breakdown of fat molecules into smaller ones). In the short term, this limits performance, but in the long run, it can damage tissue. Delayed onset of muscle soreness is an inevitable part of exercising. Both green and black tea contain antioxidants that can help muscles recover faster and reduce muscle soreness. Inflamed or torn muscle tissue can be healed with green tea’s anti-inflammatory properties.
Drinking tea after a workout can provide your body with essential nutrients to help you build stronger muscles and give you more energy. For best results, drink a cup of tea after working out and another in the morning.
3. Gives Your Metabolism a Boost
Tea may help you lose a small amount of weight when combined with a healthy diet and exercise regimen. Due to their chemical composition, all teas, especially matcha, can aid in weight loss. Tea contains catechins, a type of flavonoid that may boost metabolism and speed up fat breakdown. Additionally, many teas contain caffeine, which increases your energy use and burns more calories.
By preventing the slowdown of your metabolism, tea can also help you maintain your weight loss. However, drinking black tea the English way, with milk, may impede its fat-blocking capabilities.
4. It Can Reduce Stress
Tea has been regarded as a relaxing and rejuvenating beverage for centuries. Researchers have also found that drinking tea reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Long-term health benefits are also emerging. For example: drinking at least 100 millilitres (about half a cup) of green tea a day may reduce the risk of depression and dementia.
5. Helps to Protect Your Skin
Your skin produces free radicals in response to environmental stressors such as UV rays, smoking, and pollution. Free radicals damage the skin, accelerate aging, and even cause cellular death. Green tea contains polyphenols, which are antioxidants. Research has shown that these polyphenols can help track and isolate free radicals and limit their ability to damage your tissues. Green tea also contains vitamin C, another antioxidant.
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a compound found in green tea that reduces free-radical damage and supports a healthy cell lifecycle. EGCG may prevent the formation of cancerous tumors and enhance your skin’s ability to repair itself after damage.
6. Other Advantages
Regularly drinking tea has some other health benefits as well. Scientific evidence for these benefits, however, is lacking.
Reduces Risk of Heart Disease: According to some studies, drinking green tea can reduce risk factors for heart disease, such as body weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol absorption.
Regulates Blood Sugar: If you have diabetes or prediabetes and are working closely with your doctor to control your blood sugar levels, having a cup of tea first thing in the morning can help.
Fires Up Your Energy Levels: Having a cup of tea in the morning is a great way to wake up your senses. The energy boost comes from the caffeine (a natural stimulant) in the tea.
Can Lower Inflammation: An easy way to reduce inflammation is to drink tea. Tea contains antioxidants called catechins, which have anti-inflammatory properties. The most potent catechin is EGCG, found in green tea. Although other teas have this effect too, green tea offers the most benefits.
The Final Words
Have a cup of tea in the morning or during the afternoon tea time. You can drink it as long as it doesn’t make you jittery. It is effective in clearing brain fog, helping you recover from a workout, boosting your metabolism, reducing stress, and protecting your skin. Taking it regularly may even protect against cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. It may even aid in weight loss.
By incorporating it into your daily routine, you can keep yourself healthy and happy. Whether you’re a caffeine fanatic or prefer herbal tea, there are many options available. Make yourself a nice hot cup of tea and savour the little moments in life.
