Time for tea?

The UK’s favourite hot beverage can have some great health benefits – read on to see which types are particularly beneficial.

For many of us, tea seems to have a magical quality, with its ability to cool us down in the summer and warm us up in the winter – tea seems to make everything feel better (plus it tastes rather delicious with cake). But did you know that many types of tea are actually beneficial to our health?

The following teas are particularly healthful, so put down the fizzy drinks and start brewing…

Oolong

Oolong tea is great for burning excess fat as it activates enzymes that cut down triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood). A study on the tea revealed that women burned more fat when drinking oolong tea than whose who drank just water. On top of this, the tea contains niacin, which helps to detoxify the body.

Black

One of the most highly caffeinated varieties of tea, black tea contains theaflavins and thearubigins, two types of antioxidants that have been associated with lower cholesterol levels. It is thought that drinking three cups of this tea a day can cut your risk of stroke by 21%.

Green

One of the best-known ‘health’ teas, green tea is a great source of catechins, another type of antioxidant. One study revealed that drinking one cup of green tea a day could help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by 10%.

Chamomile

Chamomile tea has been used for centuries as a natural remedy and has many health benefits. Research has shown that the antioxidants present in chamomile tea could help stunt the growth of cancer cells and prevent certain side effects of diabetes.

Lemon and ginger

Lemon contains pectin and limonen, both immune boosting compounds and ginger has an active ingredient called zingiber which can alleviate a range of ailments including nausea. Together this duo is a powerful weapon against bacterial infections, in fact – one study suggests that this tea can even kill bacteria linked to salmonella!

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