Author: Julie Imagine a steaming cup of tea. Breathe deeply, inhaling the gentle aroma. Feel good? Calm and at peace? No wonder. Tea has been enjoyed for its relaxing, mind calming benefits for thousands of years.
Unlike coffee, which enjoys a fast-paced jittery cult of its own, drinking tea encourages us to slow-down, sit quietly and enjoy the moment. There is something elegant and refined about drinking tea, something we tend to associate with Asian cultures, intricate ceremonies and ladies in gloves.
But evidence mounts that those ancient tea-sipping civilizations knew something about the healthy benefits of tea. The relationship between tea and good health has been studied for several thousand years and research continues today. And as it turns out, tea is not only good for your state of mind. Its good for your body, too.
What we know as tea are the leaves of Camellia sinensis plant. Black, white, oolong and green tea are all made from varieties of this same plant. Although white and oolong tea have been enjoyed for centuries in Asia, Americans are most familiar with black tea and due to a large amount of recent scientific and media attention, green tea.
Black Tea
Black tea is the tea most of us are familiar with. Most teas bags found at the grocery store contain black tea and most iced or sun tea is made with black tea leaves. The health benefits of drinking black tea have been well documented. Some of their findings include:
- Black tea increases exercise endurance in exercise by improving how fat is metabolized.
- Black tea can help prevent diabetes.
- Black tea can boost your immune system helping to fight off colds and flu.
- Black tea can lower stress hormone levels.
- Black tea reduces the risk of heart attacks by preventing blood clotting.
Green Tea
Green tea has been used in China as a health aid for thousands of years. In 2700 BC, the legendary emperor, Shennong wrote that in The Divine Farmer's Herb-Root Classic that green tea was useful for treating tumors, abscesses, bladder issues and laziness. More recent studies have shown green tea’s remedies to include:
- Green tea helps to prevent artheroscelorosis by lowering LDL cholesterol levels
- Prevents diabetes, liver disease, dementia and some kinds of cancer
- Cures bad breath
- Speeds weight and fat loss by raising metabolic rates
If you like to add milk to your tea, think before you drink. A study at Berlin University has shown that milk blocks tea’s ability to protect against cardiovascular disease. Try a teaspoon of honey or soy milk instead.
So now is the time to give tea a try. Warm and steaming or iced with a squeeze of lemon, tea can be your body’s best friend.
About the Author:Want more tips on saving your waistline along with your budget? Check out The Deceptive Diet for great results!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/tea-can-lift-your-mood-942747.html