Tea is an aromatic drink that is widely drank around the globe for its health benefits. There are many types of tea you can find in the market but the healthiest ones are the true teas which are: green, white, black, and oolong. These four types of tea are produced from the Camellia Sinensis plant which originates from India. Other types of tea are infusion of different plants but are not considered as true tea.
Tea is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that are beneficial for the body. Check out these six reasons on why tea is great for your body.
- Improve Brain Function. Tea is rich with catechins, an antioxidant that is found to improve brain function and protect brain from neurodegenerative diseases. The catechins have protective effects on the neurons system which could potentially lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Alzheimer’s is the most common neurodegenerative disease which is the leading cause of dementia in old age; Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease which affects body movements.
- Burns Fats and Increases Physical Performance. Tea is one of the most common ingredients you can find in fat burning supplements. This is because it increases metabolic rate and makes you burn fats quickly. It signals the body to burn stored fats and convert it to energy which increases your physical performance.
- Reduce Risk of Cancer. Cancer is caused by abnormal cells that grow their own blood vessels and invade healthy cells. The antioxidant in tea protects the healthy cells from getting damage and prevent the growth of new blood vessels in cells which could potentially develop into cancer.
- Protects the Heart. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in the world. The bioactive compounds in tea helps prevents atherosclerosis which is the mean cause of many heart diseases including coronary disease, ischemic heart disease, carotid heart disease, and stroke. Atherosclerosis is the narrowing of the arteries due to build up of plaques which is composed of fats, cholesterol, calcium, and many other elements.
- Reduce Cholesterol Level. The antioxidant in tea helps lower cholesterol level by reducing the bad cholesterol or LDL (low-density lipoprotein) level and increasing the good cholesterol or HDL (high-density lipoprotein) level in the body. The bad cholesterol is responsible for the build-up of plaques in the arteries which leads to atherosclerosis mentioned above. The good cholesterol helps remove the bad cholesterol in the body by carrying them from other parts of the body to the liver. The liver then excretes the cholesterol from the body.
- Good for the Skin. Tea makes your skin look young as it fights free radicals that can damage skin cells causing your skin to wrinkle and aged fast. Antioxidants in tea helps in treating skin damage by hydrating skin cells and stimulating blood flow to the skin which encourages growth of new cells and make your skin look young. In addition, it helps you to improve skin tone, prevent acne, and lighten scars.
