Put on the kettle, pour a cuppa and enjoy all the health-boosting benefits of tea.
Every year, Australians are dinking more coffee and less tea and, in the process, we’re missing a golden opportunity to down a beverage with incredible health and healing punch. Tea is more than a tasty, soothing drink that comes in a variety of flavours; it also has plenty of hidden health benefits to treat health niggles and chronic conditions as well as protect against disease.
A brew with big benefits
Whatever your cup of choice — English breakfast, green or dandelion tea — your body enjoys an immediate increase in health-giving antioxidants such as plant compounds called flavonoids and polyphenols. When you weigh up all the evidence, tea is the healthiest hot beverage you can drink.
Tea appears to have more health benefits than coffee and around 50–60 per cent less caffeine per cup. Within 20 minutes of drinking a cup of black tea, there’s a measurable increase in the level of antioxidants in your blood. Tea ranks higher than some fruit and vegetables on the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scale, which measures antioxidant levels in foods. The polyphenols in tea help protect the body against free-radical damage, which harms DNA and leads to disease. Three to four cups of tea a day appear to give optimal benefit.
Tea offers a range of health benefits backed by research. A University of L’Aquila study found that even one cup of tea daily (about 200mg flavonoids) helps keep arteries soft and flexible, lowering blood pressure and heart attack risk. Research from the University of Western Australia shows that elderly women who drink tea have higher bone density, possibly because tea supports a more alkaline state and calcium loss prevention.
Polyphenols in tea may also reduce the risk of gastric, oesophageal and skin cancers. At Curtin University, researchers found that three cups of green tea daily may lower the likelihood of prostate and ovarian cancer and may improve survival rates. Green tea also supports healthy weight by boosting metabolism and increasing kilojoule burning, possibly thanks to L-theanine — an amino acid that enhances alertness without overstimulation.
Technique and taste
Most tea comes from the evergreen camellia plant (Camellia sinensis), the basis for more than 3000 varieties of tea. The more it’s processed, the darker the tea leaves. Green tea (eg sencha) and white tea cultivated from the young leaves in early spring (eg baihao yinzhen) are the least-processed teas and their leaves are steamed. Black or regular tea (eg Earl Grey and Irish Breakfast) and varieties like oolong (eg. Wuyi rock tea) are partially dried before being crushed and fermented.
Most health research focuses on green tea because its simpler structure makes it easier to study in a lab. However, all tannin teas contain health-enhancing phytochemicals, regardless of how they are processed. To maximise your cuppa, choose a loose-leaf variety and steep it for three to five minutes to extract up to 85 per cent of the flavonoids. Big tea leaves need to steep for longer while tiny pieces of tea infuse faster.
“When people drink chamomile tea five times a day over two weeks, their markers of antibacterial activity increase, helping boost their immunity”.
Herbal Infusions
“Herbal teas” are made by infusing or decocting leaves, flowers or roots of plants other than Camellia sinensis. Infusions can have a wide range of soothing, healing and medicinal properties. To maximise their power, buy organic and loose leaf so you enjoy the full benefits of the essential oils and antioxidants. For beneficial herbal infusions, here are some to keep in mind:
Chamomile
Chamomile comes from the Asteraceae family of plants that have white petals and yellow stems and look like daisies. The two most commonly used varieties are German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), which tastes a little sweeter than Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). The tea is made from the dried blossoms of the chamomile flower, but fresh blossoms from your garden can also be added for additional taste that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and astringent healing benefits.
Chamomile is well known for its calmative and antispasmodic properties. Drinking chamomile tea increases glycine, a nerve relaxant with mild sedative properties. This makes it a great tonic to help with digestive issues including ulcerative colitis and gastritis, stomach pain and indigestion as well as relieve menstrual cramps in women. When inhaled as a vapour, it also works a little like a natural antihistamine to relieve symptoms of cold, flu and allergy.
Chamomile tea contains powerful volatile oils including bisabolol (oxides A and B) and matricaria. It’s also rich in flavonoids. One of these, called apigenin, has been shown to strengthen the connection between brain cells and has been studied to help treat conditions like depression and dementia. Apigenin binds to the benzodiazepine receptors in the brain, acting like a mild tranquilliser. This is why chamomile tea can help benefit sleep onset and sleep quality.
Ceylon cinnamon
In Ayurveda, people use Ceylon cinnamon tea to address conditions related to muscle tension, blood sugar, digestion, circulation, and congestion, among other ailments. It has one of the highest levels of anti-inflammatory activity among foods, living up to its description as a “powerhouse of the spices.” Cinnamaldehyde is the primary bioactive compound in cinnamon and a powerful anti-inflammatory. Recent studies have shown cinnamon’s ability to relieve stiff joints as an anti-inflammatory.
A major focus of the medical use of Ceylon cinnamon has been in the treatment of diabetes as it appears to be an effective option for lowering blood sugar. Studies have also shown its efficacy in regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It can help enhance digestion through the secretion of digestive enzymes and absorption of nutrients. Ceylon cinnamon’s anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties and the smell of cinnamon in boosting brain activity are also topics of research studies on this incredible spice.
Dandelion
A powerful herb featuring bright yellow flowers, dandelion is loaded with flavonoids, which have antioxidant actions that benefit the heart and may protect against cancer. Historically, it has been used in Europe and Asia as a health tonic and diuretic, so it can relieve fluid retention that arises from stress or hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle and menopause. This fluid-reducing action has been confirmed by research involving the University of North Carolina, which showed a signifi cant increase in the frequency of urination within five hours of dandelion doses.
Like all bitter herbs, dandelion is a strong digestive stimulant, so it can help enhance your absorption of nutrients, relieve indigestion and settle nausea. As a herbal lipotropic, this potent herb helps flush fatty deposits from your liver and stimulates bile production, facilitating your liver’s detoxification process.
Dandelion is also rich in inulin and levulin, starch-like substances that help balance blood sugar and act as prebiotics, which feed good bacteria in your belly. However, if you are sensitive to FODMAPS (carbohydrates that can cause digestive problems), use sparingly as it can trigger gastric irritation or mild diarrhoea in some sensitive people.
Fennel
With its pale-green/white bulb, stalks, feathery, green leaves and yellow flowers, fennel looks a little like a hybrid of celery, onion and buk choy. In the Mediterranean, people use fennel as a carminative herb to help relieve bloating, flatulence, dyspepsia, indigestion, and colic in babies. In Italy, people often eat raw fennel between meals to support digestion. The seeds, produced by the yellow flowers of the fennel plant, are also a potent spice and medicine.
You can buy fennel tea ready-made or make it fresh by lightly crushing fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle and then steeping them in boiling water. Fennel is high in vitamins C and B and is also packed with minerals such as copper, zinc, selenium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus, which help strengthen bones. It packs an antioxidant punch due to its mix of flavonoids, alkaloids and phenols, which also work as anti-inflammatories, reducing ageing and protecting against diseases like cancer.
Studies show that fennel tea also has numerous hormone-balancing benefits. Menopausal women who take fennel daily experience improved vaginal alkalinity and cell health (Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences). It is also effective at relieving symptoms of PMS (Urmia University). A gel made from fennel extracts has been shown to reduce excess hair growth in women with conditions like polycystic ovaries when applied topically (Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences).
A potent expectorant, fennel is effective when used in cough syrups to help thin mucous secretions and prevent chronic cough or development of bronchitis. Research shows it can also defend against microbes, bacteria and fungal growth, so it can boost good bacteria in the belly and reduce parasites and candida overgrowth. If you have a sensitive digestive system, drink a lower-strength tea to ensure it does not have a laxative effect.
Ginger
A relative of cardamom an