Shutterstock / Ruslan Huzau©Tea drinking has become a national pastime – it even has it’s own special day, National Tea Day, celebrated every year on April 21. But did you know tea is also packed with health benefits?
A new independent research study commissioned by the Tea Advisory Panel has found that 6 in ten of us share the same tea drinking habits as our parents or children, making our healthy cuppa a truly intergenerational drink.
Next time you enjoy a cup of your favourite brew, it’s also good to know that it has health benefits, too – from cognitive and brain health to protection of heart and gut function. So, go on, put the kettle on!
Interesting facts on the health benefits of tea
Dietitian, Dr Carrie Ruxton, from the Tea Advisory Panel is on hand to tell us more.
As well as being popular across the ages, tea provides distinct benefits for each generation. Studies show that working age adults who drink tea improve their mental focus and memory. Older adults benefit from lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of heart disease. And children over the age of four years can get a health advantage by switching to milky unsweetened tea as its natural fluoride protects teeth.
“Tea is also proven to have gut health effects, as noted in a research review published in the journal, Nutrients. Drinking green tea boosted gut levels of Bifidobacterium – a healthy strain of bacteria linked with metabolic health. This could particularly help women who tend to suffer digestive discomfort more often than men.”
Tea drinking improves mood
GP, Dr Gill Jenkins, adds, “Another review published in the Journal of Human Nutrition confirmed the brain and cognitive benefits of regular tea drinking. The secret is the natural elixir of polyphenols, caffeine and L-theanine which have been shown to influence the brain from adolescence to old age. Indeed, in the new poll, more than eight in ten adults say drinking tea helps to improve their mood. Four in ten claim it keeps them calm.”
The Tea Advisory Panel poll also found intergenerational differences in the way we take our tea. While adding milk to tea remains popular, younger people are trying tea without milk or adding plant milks. Also, a third of younger people leave the teabag in for longer than their elders. This is far better for extracting the maximum amount of polyphenols.
GP, Dr Gill Jenkins, comments, “Research shows that tea components, especially polyphenols, influence brain health, mood and cognitive function by relaxing blood vessels and improving their function. This lowers blood pressure and brings more nutrients and oxygen to the brain. Tea polyphenols are also anti-inflammatory and deliver antioxidant effects which protect brain cells from damage. The unique combination of caffeine and L-theanine, an amino acid in tea, promotes mental focus.”
Relax with a freshly-brewed cuppa
The new poll also found that 25 per cent of people use a cuppa to keep their brain functioning well. And more than 70 per cent say their morning tea – especially black tea – wakes them up and gets them going. Younger people tend to favour tea in the evening and say it helps them to relax.
A fascinating aspect of the poll was that even the aroma of tea has an impact on how people feel and think. More than half of people say they feel cosy, happy and relaxed when they smell freshly-brewed tea. The aroma also makes a third think about their parents. Around a fifth remember their grandparents or hark back to childhood camping trips.
Dr Carrie Ruxton concludes, “It’s time to celebrate the health benefits that our humble cuppa provides to both young and old.”
Enjoy this health and wellbeing advice now:
Yvonne McKenzie I work on the Features team and admit to being nosy, so I love looking after the Between Friends letters and finding out all about our lovely readers. I also look after our health copy and enjoy writing about inspiring people that help make the articles in the magazine so interesting.
