Nutritional Medicine
by Ron Hunninghake, M.D.
The top 10 benefits of tea

10) Tea is magical: "If you are cold, it will warm you; if you are too heated, it will cool you; if you are depressed, it will cheer you; if you are excited, it will calm you."

9) Tea is low in carbs and low in calories: Unsweetened, fresh-brewed tea—both black and green, hot or iced, regular or decaffeinated—is 100 percent natural, has no fat, calories, sodium, or sugar.

8) Tea is packed with phytonutrients: The antioxidants in black and green tea, called flavonoids, may help to maintain healthy cells and tissues as well as contribute to healthy cardiovascular function. Antioxidants are natural plant based biochemicals that prevent oxidation or "rusting" of living tissues.

7) Tea has a high ORAC score: USDA researchers, using a test tube measure called ORAC, found that an 8-ounce serving of black or green tea is more effective in neutralizing free radicals than individual servings of more than 33 commonly consumed fruits and vegetables.

6) Tea has just the right touch of caffeine: Regular black and green teas contain about half the caffeine as a comparable cup of coffee. International Food Information Council Foundation reports that: Extensive research shows that moderate caffeine intake is not a health risk. Moderate use of caffeine is defined as about 300 mg per day (eight cups of brewed hot or iced tea or three cups of brewed coffee).

5) Black tea may reduce your risk of heart disease: Eight hundred elderly Dutch men consuming 3.4 cups of tea per day decreased their risk of death from coronary heart disease by 58 percent compared to those who consumed lesser amounts of flavonoid rich foods.

4) Tea may take the place of a baby aspirin: Aspirin has been shown to provide protection against heart attack or stroke by reducing tendency of blood platelets to stick together to form clots that block arteries. Many doctors recommend that patients at risk for heart attack s take aspirin every day. Emerging findings from animal studies suggest the flavonoids in tea may also decrease the tendency of platelets to stick together.

3) Tea may reduce your risk of cancer: Animal studies suggest that both black and green tea may help prevent or delay the formation of tumors—specifically in the skin, lung, esophagus, stomach, and colon.

2) Tea restores mind and body: Recent studies indicate that drinking a cup of black tea rapidly "revives" by improving mental alertness. These effects of tea are not solely due to the effect of caffeine.

1) Tea is the perfect social drink: For over 5000 years, almost every culture on the planet has enjoyed "tea time." Tea, black, green, or the intermediate oolong blend, is mankind's most popular, most healthy, most calming, most reviving beverage.