Tea FAQ

Health Benefits of Tea

Tea: The Real Fountain of Youth?

Studies that support the health benefits of tea drinking keep filling the headlines. There's simply no denying that a daily spot of tea does the body good.

Research supports the fact that a couple of cups of tea daily will do its best to protect us from heart disease, a stroke, cancer, and more. Why is tea so good for us? Tea contains high levels of antioxidants, some of which are called polyphenols, flavonoids, and catechins, and all of which take on the "free radicals" in the body and prevent them from harming the healthy cells on board. In other words, sending in antioxidants is disease prevention in its finest form. If that were not enough, tea also contains fluoride which benefits your teeth and has bacteria killing properties which helps control bad breath and the formation of plaque.

Are teas are created equal.

The simple answer to this question is a resounding NO. Studies have shown that higher quality loose leaf teas may have more antioxidants than lower quality teas. We are surrounded by more and more tea products all the time. From grocery store bought bagged teas, to the lasted bottled iced tea drinks, the tea craze has hit America. Without a doubt, Mudhouse carries only the highest quality loose leaf teas possible. Much care and attention go into our tea selection, while mindful that better tea results in better tasting beverage and many more health benefits.

Other Interesting facts:

  • White and Rooibos teas have more antioxidants than other teas.
  • Green tea has more antioxidants than black tea since black tea goes through more processing.
  • Freshly brewed teas have more antioxidants than instant or bottled teas.
  • More researchers seem to agree that brewed (cold or hot) or caffeinated tea has more antioxidants than instant teas.

The Studies – The Benefits.

Here's a short preview of the hundreds of recent studies that boast the health benefits of tea and its antioxidants:

  • Heart Benefits:
  • Study finds tea drinkers have lower blood pressure (Archives of Internal Medicine, 2004).
  • Tea may lower cholesterol and protect against heart disease (Journal of Nutrition, 2003).
  • Black tea may lower "bad" cholesterol (United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, 2003).
  • Tea consumption helps heart disease patients (Circulation: The Journal of the American Heart Association, 2001).
  • Cancer Prevention:
  • Green tea could help stem esophageal cancer. (Harvard Medical School, 2004).
  • Green and black tea can slow down the spread of prostate cancer (Center for Human Nutrition at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, 2004).
  • Tea may protect against cancer caused by smoking. (Journal of Nutrition, 2003).
  • Green tea and white tea fight colon cancer (Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University study, Carcinogenesis, 2003).
  • Hot tea may lower risk of some skin cancers (University of Arizona study, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention (Vol. 9, No. 7), 2001).
  • Green tea consumption may lower stomach cancer risk (University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Public Health study, International Journal of Cancer (Vol. 92: 600-604), 2001).
  • Hypertension-Reducing Benefits:
  • Green teas reduce risk of hypertension (National Cheng Kung University study, Archives of Internal Medicine, 2004).
  • Immunity-Boosting Benefits:
  • Tea believed to boost the body's defenses (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2003)
  • Leukemia-Fighting Benefits:
  • A green tea component helps kill leukemia cells (Mayo Clinic, 2004).
  • Alzheimer's-Fighting Benefits:
  • Drinking tea might delay Alzheimer's Disease (Newcastle University's Medicinal Plant Research Centre study, Phytotherapy Research, 2004).
  • AIDS-Fighting Benefits:
  • Tea may play a role as an AIDS fighter (University of Tokyo, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2003).

In Conclusion:

So how do you get started in doing your body some good with tea?

To get the most health benefits out of your teas, choose high-quality loose leaf teas from your local or online tea shop. Brew it up and enjoy. Don't wait any longer. Sip, savor, and fight disease today. It's never too late to enjoy the many health benefits of tea!