Healthly Monday: The Benefits of Tea

Today's Healthy Monday features an item which has been studied, sipped, and savored. It's used for medicinal reasons, to aid in meditation, and it beget a certain Japanese ceremony. It's been iced, mixed, and sprinkled with citrus. It is found in the cups of those who simply want to engage in good conversation or in those who just want to read a good book. So, what is it, you ask?

The item in question is tea and it's one of nature's many wonderful gifts!


Studies have shown that tea can lower cholesterol levels, fight bad breath, and aid in weight loss, but its biggest claim to fame, green tea specifically, is its anti-cancer capabilities. (It should be noted that studies on humans have been inconclusive.) However, there is something about tea that transcends research and resides in the depths of our souls. Cheesy? Perhaps. But the Japanese created an art form out of it, American colonists threw it in the harbor during the Boston Tea Party, many of the British work their day around it, it's the national drink in Egypt, and, well...here in the Southern United States, I don't know what we would do without our sweet tea during those hot summer months. It's accessibility helped it to stand the test of time, but it also enabled it to become one of the most diverse drinks available and can be found in a variety of flavors, scents, and types.

So next time you feel the urge to grab another latte, soda, or sugar filled sports drink, try a cup of tea. Too bitter for you? Sweeten it with Stevia...remember Stevia? (By the way, I tried this stuff for the first time the other day. Sweetened my raspberry iced tea with it and it was very good, although I think it would dissolve better in hot tea.) And remember to buy fair trade!

Click here to learn how to brew the perfect cup of tea.


Sources: Stash Tea
Adagio Teas