Heaven of Tea

As we become more aware of the incredible health benefits that tea has to offer, it’s hard to resist steeping cup after cup to sip throughout the day. This super drink is making waves across the medical community and recently appeared in the October issue of Harvard Women’s Health Watch.

While all types of tea bring a variety of healthy benefits to the table, the one type that consistently takes the lead is green tea. A fabulous source of catechins, green tea has been shown to prevent cellular damage and reduce the risk for many forms of cancer. Green tea tip: if you’re looking to sip a super green tea, we recommend Gyokuro. These particular leaves are grown in the shade, and as a result the leaves retain an incredible amount of nutrients and vitamins. Gyokuro is commonly used to make Matcha green tea powder that is used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies.

Beyond highlighting green tea, the article in the Harvard publication also sheds light on the additional benefits that all types of tea have to offer (including black and oolong), such as a reduced risk for heart disease and the improvement of artery function. In fact, “A Chinese study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed a 46%-65% reduction in hypertension risk in regular consumers of oolong or green tea, compared to non-consumers of tea.”

Here are a few healthy tea tips from the October issue:

• Drinking a cup of tea a few times a day to absorb antioxidants and other healthful plant compounds. In green-tea drinking cultures, the usual amount is three cups per day.
• Allow tea to steep for three to five minutes to bring out its catechins.
• The best way to get the catechins and other falconoid in tea is to drink it freshly brewed. Decaffeinated, bottled ready-to-drink tea preparations, and instant teas have less of these compounds.

If you’re interested in learning more about the health properties associated with tea, we recommend that you take a look our at comprehensive section devoted to discovering the health benefits in every cup.

Cheers to each healthy sip!