What Effects Does Drinking Tea Have on Health?

Studies Show that Tea Has Many Positive Health Benefits

Feb 1, 2009

It's the second most consumed beverage in the world after water, and many scientists are convinced that tea can protect humans against a variety of debilitating ailments.

In 2006 Dr. Carrie Ruxton at Kings College in London looked at the documented effects of regular tea consumption. She and her colleagues discovered that drinking three to four cups of tea a day could significantly cut the risk of a heart attack. It's just as good as drinking water, and in fact it's even better because the tea hydrates the body and it also has antioxidants, powerful anti-cancer properties.

The Origins of Tea

The Chinese were the first to domesticate tea leaves thousands of years ago, but it was only during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) that they submerged the leaves in boiling water in teapots and then poured the hot liquid into cups. Camellia sinensis is the scientific designation of the wild tea plant, and from which green, white, black and oolong teas all originate.

Naturally, this drink was soon introduced in nearby countries such as Japan, Korea, India and later, Persia and Byzantium (which is modern Iran and Turkey). Then, in the later decades of the 17th century, Portuguese and Dutch traders brought it to England.

Why Are So Many People Drinking Tea?

The reasons are historical and cultural. Because it has been growing in abundance for so long at relatively low elevations tea has been the beverage of choice in ancient China, Japan and India for thousands of years. When the British got a hold of it tea was prohibitively expensive, and was only affordable to the highest levels of the aristocracy. It was considered a fad, and it took hold.

By the 1700s tea was the most accepted staple of trade between the British Empire and the American colonies. When the 19th century dawned, more people were able to buy it and the custom of sharing afternoon tea with biscuits and/or scones in England started in the 1840s.

And this symbol of "Britishness" still continues today. From Europe (especially the U.K. and Russia) to the Middle East all the way over to Asia, the drink that a guest will most likely be offered in private homes is tea.

What Are the Benefits?

In a study conducted by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2003, fifteen subjects who had high levels of cholesterol in their blood showed a marked reduction (11 percent) of LDL, or "bad" cholesterol after being given five servings of black tea a day for three weeks.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that older women who drink tea habitually had higher BMD (Bone Mineral Density) than those who didn't drink it. Researchers concluded that the tea drinkers might have greater protection against osteoporosis.

Green tea contains polyphenols, which are linked to weight loss, prevention of Alzheimer's disease and reduced risks of certain cancers. Researchers from the National Neuroscience Institute in Singapore found that in subjects who drank twenty-three cups of black tea a month (less than one per day) had more than a seventy percent lower risk of Parkinson's disease than those who drank less.

How Much Is Enough?

Researchers aren't able to pin down exactly how much should be drunk, since everyone reacts differently to the compounds in tea. It's a matter of personal preference, and a tea drinker will get clear signals when his/her body has had enough.

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