What can you drink hot or cold and during any season? Coffee? No, tea! It’s one of the world’s most consumed beverages, right after water of course. Tea’s flavor is not the only good thing about it. Our nutritional counseling experts want to share with you all the health benefits that a cup of tea can bring.
Where does tea come from?
According to legends, tea has originated from China and India. For China, the legend has it that Emperor Shen Nog was boiling water in a garden when a leave fell from a tree into the water. The emperor enjoyed the drink so much that he started research about it.
In India, the discovery of tea goes to Prince Bodhi-Dharma. He traveled to China, where he meditated for nine years. Towards the end of his meditation, he fell asleep, and when he woke up he cut off his eyelids. He threw his eyelids on the ground, and a tea plant grew from his sacrifice.
Despite the two legends, tracing back the original roots of tea is hard. The West did not get tea until trade and missionary trips. Once tea was brought back, it left a lasting impression, especially with the English.
What kind of tea is there?
If you are new to the world of tea or a total fanatic, you should note that there is one “true tea.” This kind of tea grows from the camellia sinensis. The five true teas are:
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Green tea
Black tea
Oolong tea
Pu-erh tea
White tea
Nowadays there you can get teas from other plants, herbs or mushrooms. Here are some of the most common teas.
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Barely tea
Chaga tea
Chai tea
Chamomile tea
Hibiscus tea
Matcha tea
Peppermint tea
The health benefits of tea
Tea has been consumed and drank for thousands of years. Our nutritional counseling experts want to share with some of the health benefits that will have you sipping more tea.
It can help you lose weight.
Research has found that when you pair a cup of tea with a healthy diet and exercise, it can help you lose weight. There will not be major weight loss, but it can help you trim calories. So trade that sugary latte or iced coffee for tea once in a while.
It can boost your immune system.
If you find yourself suffering from a stuffy nose or cold more often than not, you should try drinking more tea. Research has found that tea can boost your body’s natural defenses and help fight infection. Your immune system is what protects your body from invading bacteria or viruses. A study found that tea drinkers immune system reacted much faster than those who did not drink tea that often.
It can reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
A study found that people who drank five or more cups of tea every day has a 26 percent lower chance of getting a heart attack or stroke. This found was compared to those who drank less than one cup of green tea every day. Drinking a couple of cups of tea can help you lower the risk of your chances of getting heart disease in the future.
This week challenge yourself to add more tea into your daily diet. Or better yet sit down and chat with nutritional counseling experts about how you can improve your diet. Make your appointment with Wisniewski Chiropractic nutritionist experts.
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