Tea has health benefits – fact!
Some mums swear by coffee, some by gin and tonic, but those that try to convince us of the health benefits of their pick me up of choice – tea, can now rejoice at a new review that confirms this.
According to a large independent review of all published studies and research on the health-benefits of drinking tea, three or more cups a day may indeed help you health. This isn’t just any tea, this is black, regular tea with or without milk.
A study in Finland found that men who drank more than two cups of tea a day had a 21 per cent reduced risk of stroke. French research found that women who drank more than three cups a day had a 32 per cent lower risk of developing blocked arteries.
A Finnish study discovered that drinking at least three cups of tea daily could significantly reduce the risk of developing the chronic neurological condition, Parkinson’s disease. Tea drinking was linked with better cognitive function, according to a large-scale Chinese research survey, while another study found that drinking four cups of tea a day could help tackle stress.
One study found that tea could help inhibit cancer tumour growth in laboratory animals and help kill off cancer cells grown in the test tube. Further studies found that drinking at least two cups of tea a day reduces the risk of endometrial and skin cancers, while drinking three cups reduces the risk of renal cancer by 15 per cent.
Report author and Tea Advisory Panel member Dr Ruxton says: “Tea is a national favourite but, as well as being a delicious and refreshing drink; it also has some good health benefits thanks to its high flavonoid content. My research showed that there’s a very solid – and growing – body of evidence that indicates tea can play a good role in helping to combat cardiovascular problems such as heart disease and stroke. We’re not sure of the exact mechanism, but it’s thought that tea flavonoids could be involved in controlling inflammation, reducing thrombosis (excess blood clotting), promoting blood vessel function and helping to limit furring up of the arteries.
“In addition, my study showed that tea may be a useful addition to an anti-cancer diet. However, much more research should be done to establish a definite link with cancer prevention, and to pinpoint why tea might be having an effect. However, this area of research is very exciting for the future. We also found solid evidence of tea helping to boost cognitive function and reduce stress, probably related to tea’s modest caffeine content. Some interesting research on the role of tea flavonoids in helping to combat certain neurological conditions is emerging.”