Heavy Tea Drinking Prevents Stroke
For me, drinking tea is all about pleasure, and the health benefits are just an added bonus. I love black, oolong and green varieties and of course, herbal teas are a staple in my daily beverage list, as well. But the health benefits truly cannot be ignored. We already know that black tea is good for bone health and that green tea’s catechins can help with weight control. And now, we have learned that drinking at least three cups of green or black tea a day can significantly reduce the risk of stroke too.
The recent study out of UCLA has also found that the more you drink, the better your odds are of staving off a stroke. Pretty remarkable! They found that by drinking three cups a day, the risk of a stroke was reduced by 21 percent and the effect appears to be linear, so if you drink 6 cups a day, your risk drops by another 21 percent. What’s incredible about this information is that there are very few known ways to prevent a stroke and since they happen so fast, people often do not receive the proper medical care in time, prevention is really key. Researchers are thinking that the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) or the amino acid theanine may be the active compound that’s helping prevent stoke.
By the way, theanine is also great form of anxiety treatment, which may be one of the reasons we recommend that when stressed, it’s good to sit down and relax with a nice hot cup of tea.Back in 2001, a group of researchers found that black tea and its components benefit oral health by interfering with the harmful plaque bacteria in the mouth that cause gum disease and cavities and in 2005, tea was announced a simple, inexpensive means of preventing diabetes and its ensuing complications, including cataracts. With all of these amazing benefits, I think everyone would benefit from squeezing in 3 cups a day of the stuff—and you’ll surely learn to look forward to your cups like I do, every day!
Tags: antioxidants, anxiety, black tea, diabetes, stroke, Tea, theanine