Why You Should Drink Tea

Readers from the UK, Turkey, Iran, China or Ireland may already know this as they are the largest tea drinking counties in the world. For the US...tea is not a beverage most people drink daily. But they should!

Let me give you the cliff notes. Studies show higher tea intake was associated with lower mortality risks among those drinking 2 cups or more a day. It doesn't matter how you metabolize caffeine and it doesn't matter if you also drink coffee. It doesn't matter if you are fat, male or female, educated or have other bad habits like smoking or excessive drinking. It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor or eat vegetables or red meat.

People who drank two or more cups of tea, regardless of whether they added sugar, had lower all cause mortality than non tea drinkers.

Here are some potential reasons why:

• Black, green and red tea are rich in polyphenols and flavonoids, mainly catechines and their oxidized products. This has the potential to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, which may promote carcinogenesis. It also improves endothelial function. (the lining of arteries).

• Black and green tea lowers total cholesterol, apo B and fasting triglycerides and raises HDL (good) cholesterol.

• Black and green tea have a favorable effect for risk of type 2 diabetes.

• Black and green tea have a favorable effect on Cardiovascular risk factors.

Annals of Internal Medicine, Sept 2022, Vol 175