The Amazing Health Benefits of Tea

Once upon a time, tea was the obvious choice both to start the day and to wind down from it. However, starting with the Boston Tea Party in 1773 — coffee rose to unprecedented popularity.

And in the past few years, tea has re-emerged on the market as a trendy beverage option, largely thanks to being a healthier caffeine choice.

Although most teas are largely without nutritional value in terms of calories, protein or other macronutrients, dietitian Colleen Tewksbury, Ph.D., MPH, RD, CSOWM, LDN, who manages The University of Pennsylvania’s bariatric program, points out that the beverage is packed with antioxidants. “The type of tea determines the type of antioxidant,” she explains. “The three most common are flavonols, theaflavins and catechins.”

All three of these antioxidants are natural compounds called polyphenols, which Elad Tako, associate professor of food science at Cornell, says can be found in both caffeinated and herbal teas. “These substances may help reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases,” he explains. “During processing, some of the polyphenols in tea are destroyed, [though]. Thus, tea powders, decaffeinated teas and bottled tea drinks may not offer the same health benefits [as steeped tea].

Companies like Atlas Tea Club have jumped on this rising tea trend, with Tea of the Month Club subscriptions that allow you to travel the globe via ethically sourced tea from Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea and a host of other countries.

According to Dr. Tewksbury, “Those who consume two to three cups of tea each day report lower rates of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.” And it’s because of this that tea consumption is on the rise.

“Tea is becoming increasingly popular, and may even give coffee a run for its money,” says registered dietitian nutritionist Mackenzie Burgess, who is a recipe developer at Cheerful Choices. “In fact, statistics show the consumption of tea has increased 20% since 2000, and tea is now tied with coffee as the preferred beverage among the younger population. This increase in popularity may be due to tea's perceived health benefits given the rise in a desire for a healthy lifestyle among younger individuals.”

Whatever the case may be, one thing is clear: Anyone can benefit from a cuppa tea. To find out how, click through the slides ahead to learn the individual benefits of nine of the most popular varieties of tea on the market.

Green tea is sold in many flavors. No matter the one you choose, you can look forward to energy without the jitters. But that’s not all. “Green tea is exceptionally high in flavonoids that can help boost heart health by lowering bad cholesterol and reducing blood clotting,” Tako says. “Studies show this type of tea can also help lower blood pressure, triglycerides and total cholesterol. This tea variety has also been shown to be anti-inflammatory.”

For even more health benefits, Tako suggests matcha, a popular powderized form of green tea that is made from the entire leaves of the tea bush. “Since it is the only form of tea in which the leaves are ingested, matcha contains even more antioxidants than regular green tea,” he says. “In fact, some have suggested that one cup of matcha is the equivalent to 10 cups of regular green tea.” (Don’t let the scare you from a caffeine standpoint though — it’s still considered a non-jittery caffeine source.) Part of why matcha is so healthy and beneficial is due to being rich in rutin, an antioxidant compound that “works with vitamin C to strengthen blood vessels and protect the cardiovascular system,” says Burgess.

One thing to note: Even though green tea is caffeinated, it’s still not on the same level as coffee, which features roughly three times as much caffeine in an 8-ounce cup. “Caffeinated teas typically have less caffeine than coffee,” Tako says. “In general, for the average person, up to three cups of tea a day are recommended. However, this would very much depend on the individual. For example, it would be less if they exhibited a particular sensitivity to caffeine.” Additionally, it depends on the type of green tea you opt for. If you take the matcha route, Burgess says you should limit yourself to 16 ounces of matcha in one day.

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