Health Benefits (and Detriments) of Tea

Tea has been my go-to drink as of late. I find myself bringing extra teabags with me to school and work to make sure my cup stays nice and strong. I've been drinking more tea because I've been trying to limit my overall coffee intake and tea is a nice substitution. Drinking tea also has many health benefits.

• Clinical studies have found that sipping green tea can help to increase your metabolism. It does this by speeding up the oxidation of fat and improving sensitivity to insulin.
• Black teas have the highest caffeine content and have been shown to make the drinker more mentally alert and focused. This is similar to the effects of drinking a cup of coffee.
• Tea drinking has also been linked to stress relief. Scientifically, tea drinking has been shown to lower the levels of the stress hormone called cortisol. However, the act of actually drinking the tea may be therapeutic in itself, as the drink is warm and soothing. 
• Theanine, primarily found in green tea has been show to improve the immune system by boosting the disease fighting T-cells in our bodies. Studies found that tea drinkers had up to five times more of these disease fighters than non-tea drinkers.
• Chai tea has been show to be anti-inflammatory because of the ginger in it. Making it ideal for sipping after a workout or if you have an injury.

However it is possible to have too much of a good thing, or prepare your tea in a way that negates all the possible health benefits.

• Avoid adding milk to your cup. The dairy has been shown to interfere with the healthy antioxidants in the tea.
• Teas have been linked to heartburn so if you are someone who is sensitive to hot foods than a steaming cup of tea may not be the ideal way for you to get your antioxidants.
• Overly steeping the tea can actually decrease the health benefits of the drink, so be sure to watch the steep time. Most teas only need to steep for two to three minutes.
• As always you should be wary of artificial sweeteners because they are a man-made chemical and can disrupt your body's natural functions. A nice alternative is a small amount of honey instead.