Boost your health with a cup of tea

Love drinking tea? Here's how it helps you to stay healthy

By: Agencies | | Updated: March 30, 2014 12:07 pm

Tea is an addiction for many, and fortunately not the worst one to have. A cup of hot tea to begin the day and another one in the afternoon to get you through the rest of the day, is not only beneficial but also recommended. This comforting pleasant beverage has some remarkable properties which come from its unique varieties. Largely, all teas are rich in antioxidants that help prevent many diseases and boost the immune system. Nearly all teas are produced from the same plant. The different varieties vary depending on the region it was grown, the time of year picked, and the processing method. Lets scan through this powerful beverage and understand the various benefits of these different teas. Also Read - Have blackcurrants daily to control your diabetes: A few interesting ways of adding it to your diet

White Tea is very pure, the least processed, uncured and unfermented. This tea brews a light colour and is best for people who don’t like strong teas with dominating flavours. White tea also has anti-ageing properties and can help you inhibit wrinkle production by strengthening skin proteins. Grab a pack today! Also Read - Black raisins: Just a handful every day will keep the doctor away this winter

Green Tea is the most popular of all teas, mainly because it has been widely studied. This tea is had by itself or mixed with fruits to create scented or flavoured teas. Green tea has enormous benefits because of its polyphenol content but the one that catches the headline is its ability to help burn fat. Honestly, having a jug of green tea will not automatically start melting away the fat. If you are already following a workout and diet regime, having two to three cups a day will surely help you get a little boost. I strongly recommend you to add some of this tea to your daily routine but as a healthy lifestyle change and not a fad-weight-loss approach. Also Read - Can eating applesauce protect against chronic disease?

Oolong Tea is a uniquely tasting tea with a sweet aroma and mild colour. Its commonly served in Chinese restaurants. Similar to Green Tea, the polyphenol content in this tea also claims to have fat burning properties. It surely is a wonder tea with range of benefits, but it also contains caffeine. You could enjoy a couple of cups a day to avoid a caffeine overdose.

Black Tea is the tea most of us have grown-up having. Dipping a tea bag to have an English Bed-Tea or adding it to boiling water and milk to make chai. It’s been the most commonly consumed beverage in our country for ever. Although black tea doesn’t have a very high caffeine content, it is the long brewing time and excessive use of tea leaves which increases the overall caffeine in the cup (no wonder it gives a zing similar to coffee). I suggest you try going easy on the strength of the black tea (basically avoid kadak chai). It will not only help you get the needed energy boost but you can also enjoy its many other wonderful benefits.

Unlike the teas mentioned above, herbal teas are made from herbal infusions which consist of pure herbs, flowers and fruit. They are non-caffeinated and delicious when hot or iced and are a great way to up the fluid intake for the day. Chamomile, Lavender, Mint, Hibiscus, Rosehip, etc. are some of the famously consumed herbal teas. Various varieties of herbal teas can be made with thousands of combinations. Put simply, it’s basically adding hot water to a flower so you can easily make one of your own; it’s the best way to get your personal flavour.

There are many more teas available and all have some known and some secret benefits. Any tea is a good tea so, try and fit one or two mild cups of this hydrating beverage in your day. Don’t overdo and guzzle endless pots of tea in the day. Avoid the extra calories from honey, sugar (brown or white) etc. And be careful about the additives… It’s not uncommon to find that some weight-loss teas are basically just tea with added laxatives. Drink your way to good health!

Source: DNAsyndication/ By Kinita Kadakia Patel

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Published : March 30, 2014 11:57 am | Updated:March 30, 2014 12:07 pm

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