Just your cup of tea

The rooibos plant, already found to reduce the threat of heart disease and stroke, has been shown to also help prevent skin cancer.

The rooibos plant, already found to reduce the threat of heart disease and stroke, has been shown to also help prevent skin cancer.

Published Mar 29, 2011

Share

Nothing fits the bill better than a refreshing cuppa to perk you up or calm you down. But with so many different types promising health benefits, which one should you choose?

BEST FOR SKIN: WHITE

White tea – which is made from only the delicate buds of the tea plant – has the highest levels of antioxidants which protect against harmful free radicals.

Researchers from Kingston University in Surrey in the UK found white tea also had high amounts of substances that protect elastin and collagen, which maintain skin elasticity.

BEST FOR ENERGY: ROOIBOS

The tannin in standard black tea can reduce iron absorption from foods, so anaemia sufferers are advised not to drink it with meals.

But South African rooibos can be drunk safely as it doesn’t impair iron uptake as much as traditional tea.

BEST FOR TEETH: OOLONG

Grown in China, this type of tea helps prevent cavities.

Black tea is good for teeth, too, but oolong, which isn’t fermented as much, has higher amounts of catechins, which have antimicrobial qualities and protect against tooth decay, according to University of Naples researchers.

BEST FOR HIGH BLOOD SUGAR: CHAMOMILE

According to Japanese researchers, daily consumption of chamomile tea with meals could contribute to the prevention of the progress of hyperglycaemia and diabetic complications. Chemicals in chamomile also block the activity of an enzyme associated with the development of diabetic eye and nerve damage.

BEST FOR ALL-ROUND HEALTH: BLACK

Black tea – our traditional cuppa – is a rich source of manganese and fluoride, which help keep bones strong.

Drinking four cups of tea a day cuts the risk of a heart attack and, with milk added, provides a fifth of your daily calcium requirement. Black tea also cuts levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

BEST FOR WEIGHT CONTROL: GREEN

Tokyo researchers found that people given a green-tea extract lost body fat and had lower cholesterol. You’d need five to six cups a day to benefit, and the effect might be similar to eating one biscuit fewer a day.

BEST FOR INDIGESTION: PEPPERMINT

Peppermint oil, in this tea, is effective at reducing abdominal pain and diarrhoea in people with irritable bowel syndrome.

Sipping a cup after a meal relaxes the intestinal muscles. – Daily Mail

Related Topics: