Drink Tea to Improve Health

tea is considered a healthy drink for thousands years not only for its elegant culture but also for its medicinal use which can defend your health.

tea has been used as a folk remedy for 5,000 years -- to aid liver function, destroy typhoid germs, purify the body and preserve mental equilibrium -- and now scientists are discovering it may have all those benefits and a whole lot more.

Studies presented at the Fourth International Scientific Symposium on tea and Human Health, hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this fall showed that tea can be key to a healthful diet.

'As a nutrition scientist, I consider tea as a healthy choice for three reasons: It meets hydration needs, it has no calories and it's really rich in phytonutrients [plant-based substances] that we know provide some human health benefits,' said Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University in Boston, Mass., in a telephone visit. 'tea has more of the catechins [a group of phytochemicals that act as antioxidants] than any food I am aware of. It is far and away the biggest, richest best source of those phytonutrients, and it's a pleasant, aromatic and flavorful beverage.' Read more