A report, entitled, ‘The Tea and Health Report’ on the influence of tea on health compiled by dietary experts in the UK says tea could help in preventing cardiovascular disease and cancer. That alone is an excellent excuse for getting yourself a cup of tea, right away.

The report also summarises research evidence which indicates that drinking around four to five cups of tea a day may have a beneficial effect on two long established heart disease risk factors, high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Although the effect is small on an individual basis, when translated to whole population, the potential effect on heart disease risk reduction could be considerable.

Studies have repeatedly established the relationship between tea and blood pressure. Two studies showed an inverse but non-significant trend towards lower systolic pressures with increasing tea consumption. But in another significant study tea drinking showed no association with blood pressure.

Tea is anti-cancer
Evidence reviewed in the report indicates that tea consumption is likely to have beneficial effects in reducing cancer risks among people. As tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world, any possible relationship between its consumption and a reduced incidence of cancer in humans is therefore of great importance. Other laboratory studies have shown that tea and its constituents can prevent both cancer and reduce the size of tumours.

The antioxidants in tea are what make this possible. This is what endows tea with this property.

Regular tea consumption is usually associated with what is accepted as a healthy diet and lifestyle choice. The report found that the type of people who drink tea generally smoke less, use some energy exercising and are less likely to have an excessive intake of alcohol.

A cup of tea comes with another bit of good news. Taken on its own, tea has no calories. But this does not help any if you load your cup of tea with sugar. Most people who prefer their tea white also benefit from the milk that is added, especially if it’s low fat milk.

An average daily tea consumption of a person provides him with significant amounts of the following recommended daily nutrients intakes: over 16 per cent calcium, 10 per cent zinc and 10 per cent folic acid.

Tea was undoubtedly a major advance in healthy drinking when it was first introduced into Western urban society in the 17th century. Because tea is boiled, it reduces the risk of water-borne diseases.

Nutrients in tea
Four cups of tea made with semi-skimmed milk typically provide two thirds of the fluid we need to drink each day for optimum health, along with some five per cent of the selenium, 25 per cent of the riboflavin, six per cent of the pantothenate, 10 per cent of the zinc, nine per cent of the potassium and 45 per cent of the manganese we need.

The health benefits
Although most of the research on tea as an important part of a healthy diet has been carried out on native or green tea – which is particularly rich in substances known collectively as flavonoids – there is good reason to believe that much of it is equally applicable to black tea, the form in which it is usually drunk now.

Current evidence suggests that dietary antioxidants, apart from anti-heart disease and cancer properties, may also help to cure strokes and even osteoporosis.

Certainly tea has caffeine, but to be harmful for you, you will have to drink very large quantities of the beverage every day.

Evidence in general suggests that tea is safe to drink. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for many herbal infusions – often incorrectly referred to as herbal teas – which, whilst not containing caffeine (an established and safe stimulant) often do contain known toxins.