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Tea has been around for centuries and is enjoyed as a comforting and warming drink. However, what most of us do not realise is how healthy tea is.
In Chinese culture tea drinking has been revered for millenniums for its health giving properties. Something the West is just waking up to!

Here are 5 health benefits of tea:

1. Tea is loaded with polyphenol anti oxidants.  Anti-oxidants are molecules that slow down, prevent and fight off bad things, (free radicals), that are going on in our bodies. These bad things are acquired through such things as pollution, genetics and lifestyle.

2. Tea is a natural source of amino acids and in particular one called L-theanine which makes up 60% of the amino acids in tea. What is very special about L-theanine is it reaches the brain via the blood stream rather quickly and has psychoactive properties which means it reduces stress, allowing the body and mind to relax.This is attributed to the amino acids ability to increase the bodys level of serotonin and dopamine, giving an overall sense of well being and helping us to distress in a busy world.

3. Tea is a totally natural drink, free from additives or preservatives, it is calorie free in its unadulterated state and hydrates the body as effectively as water but with the added benefits of anti-oxidants.

4. Yes, tea does contain caffeine ! However the caffeine content is far less than coffee (typically 30g per cup of tea to 150g per cup of coffee), and due to  L-theanine and 2 other organic compounds (theophylline and theobromine, found in tea and not coffee), which act as muscle relaxants and help to counterbalance the negative effects of caffeine - like yin and yang. So tea does give a gentle lift, an alert relaxation, an ability to concentrate but in a calm, sustained way unlike the caffeine in coffee which is like a massive, short lived jolt.

5. Both flavonoids, and to a lesser degree caffeine, have been found to help in the prevention of cancer - both of these  compounds are found in tea.

But perhaps the most important things about brewing a cup of tea is it makes us take a moment to ourselves in an otherwise busy and hurried world. 

What could be better - healthy, guilt free and enjoyable?