Green tea
The beverage is as simple as it gets and yet comes loaded with health benefits. Green tea has always been labeled as a low-calorie drink and has a close connection to weight loss.
However, there are a lot more positives that your favourite daily brew is known for. For instance, green tea plays an important role in reducing chances of having lung cancer. A study conducted in 2014 at the University of Wisconsin found drinking green tea reduced the risk of lung cancer among men who smoked and were exposed to fumes in Taiwan.
Green tea’s powerful antioxidants and nutrients help lower cancer risk and make the body healthier.
Black tea
Even though green tea may be a crowd favourite, you don’t know what you are really missing if you’re not aware of the benefits of black tea. Its consumption has been linked to reduced cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Flavonoids found within the tea reduce the risk of blood clots and coronary heart disease. Biomedical research conducted for the Preventive Medicine journal in 2012 deduced that when black tea is consumed moderately through a regular diet, it significantly reduces cardiovascular risk factors.
Oolong tea
Oolong tea has been linked with promoting weight loss due to its ability to increase energy metabolism. An earlier study by the Shenyang Pharmaceutical University found that 70 per cent of obese people who participated lost over 1kg, while 22 per cent lost over 3kg after drinking oolong tea for six weeks.
The study revealed that oolong tea could reduce body weight and body fat, and if consumed long-term, could help fight against obesity and prevent it. Oolong tea is rich in polyphonic compounds that allow for the body to reduce fat, decreasing the risk of obesity.
White tea
According to a study by Pace University, white tea has been linked with ridding bacteria, fungi and viruses from the body. In comparison to others this tea type has had a higher success rate in eliminating these factors and preventing pneumonia.
White tea’s high concentration of fluoride is linked to preventing dental plaque, and it is also known to have the ability to protect the body against colon cancer, according to a study conducted in 2014 by Oregon State University.
The study also found white tea to be almost as or more effective than prescription drugs used in the prevention of colon cancer.
Pu-erh tea
The flavourful pu-erh tea cannot be mistaken for a simple drink, coming as it does with many health benefits. For one, pu-erh tea aids in digestion as it allows for the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut and has the ability to soothe stomach pains. Research published in 2016 by the Public Library of Science states that pu-erh tea also allows for antioxidation, is anti-inflammatory, and aids in weight loss.
Herbal Tea
Herbal teas such as chamomile and peppermint tea have increased in popularity over the years. Peppermint tea has been linked with improving memory and cognitive functions in a 2016 study. Researchers at Northumbria University found that peppermint tea enhanced not only cognition but also mood and alertness.
“Those people who had drunk peppermint tea had better long-term memory,” Dr Mark Moss, Head of the Department of Psychology at the university, said. While chamomile tea may not have the same effects, it has been known to possess antibacterial properties.
The American Chemical Society highlighted the link between chamomile tea and the strengthening of the immune system in one of its studies.
— The writer is an intern with Gulf News Commercial Publishing
