For my tea drinkers....

After posting about coffee yesterday, a dear friend inquired about his tea drinking...

this information is for you, Josh!

Tea has many benefits and has been cheered on for centuries:

• Contains flavonoids (antioxidants) 
• Green tea contains highest amount of catechins (powerful group of antioxidants) and studies have linked green tea to disease-fighting and anticancer health benefits    
• Green, black and oolong teas decrease risk of heart disease, increase good (HDL) cholesterol in the body and improve artery function
• Inflammation reducing (for those who suffer from arthritis)
• Studies in Japan link green tea to memory improvement
• Chamomile (my personal favorite) helps reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep disorders, and aids in stomach discomfort
• Teas are diuretics (substance causing the kidneys to release more sodium in your urine) and doctors prescribe diuretics to treat some conditions, but if you do not suffer from any health conditions make sure you are drinking plenty of water during the day to keep water in your blood stream and body

Research shows many benefits to tea consumption, but as always the research is limited as you cannot isolate this as a leading cause to overall health.  But I think the science of where tea comes from (plant leaves containing polyphenols and flavonoids -- antioxidants!) make it easy to want to add tea to your daily diet -- seems like a no-brainer to me!

Remember to steep your tea for 3-5 minutes to bring out the most antioxidants.  Pre-bottled teas, decaffeinated, and instant teas have less - so freshly brewed tea is most recommended.  

Drink up!