The health benefits of drinking tea may be unknown to you

Tea is undoubtedly at the top of the list of one of the world's most popular beverages.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), tea is the most consumed liquid in the world after water.

While drinking tea is just a habit for many, it also has several health benefits.

From reducing fatigue to prolonging life - there have been many surveys and studies done over the years on the health benefits of drinking tea.

And in the results of those published studies, various positive aspects of drinking tea have emerged.

Tea is mainly made from the evergreen shrub Camellia sinensis. Tea is produced from the leaves and leaf buds of this small plant.

Commonly known by different names like black tea or raw tea, green tea or green tea, it is mainly from this plant that it is cultivated in different ways, methods or conditions.

Tea ahead of coffee?

Most people turn to beverages like tea mainly because of the caffeine. Tea works much like engine oil to wake you up in the morning.

Another drink coffee is quite popular but lags behind tea. One of the reasons for this could be the amount of caffeine it contains.

Where an equal-sized cup of coffee contains 80 to 115 mg of caffeine, the same amount of tea contains 40 mg of caffeine, less than half the amount by comparison.

A study from the University of Surrey, London, found that after consuming the same amount of tea and coffee in a day, people who drank coffee at night had slightly more trouble sleeping, despite similar results in attention.

On the other hand, those who drink tea have relatively long and restful sleep.

Drinking tea relaxes the nerves due to its antioxidants.

Reduces stress

Tea contains antioxidants that boost the body's immune system and are essential for good health. As a result, drinking tea relaxes the nerves.

According to Sylhet Agricultural University's professor of crop plant science and tea production technology department, a type of material called oxides is created in our body from the 'stress condition' or mental stress that we fall into in various situations. AFM Saiful Islam.

On the other hand, tea contains antioxidants. When antioxidants enter the body through tea, they destroy the oxides. As a result, the person is freed from mental stress, he said.

Besides, tea invigorates the mind, refreshes the body and increases performance.

Several studies have also found that tea calms the nerves in humans.

It found that regular tea drinkers showed a calmer response to uncomfortable situations than herbal tea drinkers.

Another study also found that those who drank at least three cups of tea daily had a 37 percent lower risk of depression than those who did not drink tea.

Tea invigorates the mind, refreshes the body and enhances performance.

Increases immunity

Tea is not the only stress reliever. Various studies have also shown the benefits of drinking tea in boosting the immune system.

A study published in 2009 found that drinking a few cups of tea a day reduced the risk of diabetes.

The exact extent of this benefit is not known, but studies have suggested that it ranges from 5 to 40 percent.

Other nutrients present in tea help with metabolism, which helps the body handle blood glucose more efficiently without damaging the body's insulin.

Another study showed that 15 times more insulin is released from body cells after consuming red tea.

And when insulin is released in sufficient quantity, diabetes is under control.

Heart is good

Another benefit of drinking tea is heart protection.

A 13-year study in the Netherlands found that tea may also protect the heart to some extent because of its antioxidants.

A study of nearly 40,000 people found that those who drank more than six cups of tea a day had a one-third lower risk of heart disease.

Drinking a few cups of tea every day can boost this immunity.

Another study of 500,000 tea drinkers in the UK in 2022 found that drinking more tea was associated with a slightly lower risk of death.

Studies show that people who drink two cups or more of tea per day have a nine to 13 percent lower risk of dying from any cause than people who don't drink tea.

Besides, the risk of death due to heart disease and stroke is reduced as a result of drinking tea.

In that case, the results were obtained regardless of various conditions such as the temperature of the tea, the addition of milk or sugar, or the rate of caffeine metabolism, the study noted.

Tea also helps control high blood pressure.

Helps prevent cancer

Tea also helps prevent various types of cancer.

An article published on 'Tea' by the Agricultural Information Service of the Government of Bangladesh states that although it has little nutritional value, the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids and catechins inhibits the formation of free radicals and prevents cell damage.

As a result, tea plays an important role in preventing cancer.

Apart from this, as the amount of polyphenols present in tea is more than 25 percent, it also helps in controlling high blood pressure.

Drinking too much tea disturbs the balance of sleep.

Harmful aspects of tea

As with anything, tea should not be consumed in excess. Consuming too much tea can lead to various physical complications.

Several aspects have been mentioned in the Bangladesh Government Agricultural Information Service article on the harmful aspects of excessive tea consumption. These are-

* The caffeine in tea can seriously affect the sleep cycle. Drinking too much tea disturbs the balance of sleep.

* Theophylline, a chemical in tea, can cause dehydration in the body, leading to digestive problems. It causes constipation.

* Side effects such as trouble sleeping, constipation, etc. may cause anxiety and restlessness.

* Pregnant women should avoid drinking tea completely. Caffeine present in tea can lead to inhibition of fetal development which can lead to miscarriage.

* The most harmful aspect of tea is that drinking too much tea can cause prostate cancer.

A 37-year study of 6,000 male volunteers at the University of Glasgow found that excessive tea drinkers were more likely to develop prostate cancer than non-tea drinkers and heavy tea drinkers.

What is important to know about tea?

Those who drink tea regularly, for whom the matter has become a habit by now, may do so according to their own taste and desire.

Still, researchers and doctors have some advice about its use, which you can know:

* Tea should be consumed at least half an hour before eating food or one hour after eating food.

* In the context of Bangladesh, there is a tendency to mix tea with milk or sugar. But a study by the Human Nutrition Research Center in 2002 showed that adding 50 grams of milk to a cup of tea reduced the effectiveness of insulin by 90 percent.

And when the effectiveness of insulin decreases, the body's ability to fight diabetes also decreases.

Also adding milk to tea reduces the beneficial effect on the vascular system.

* Tea helps digestion.

* Taking vitamin C with tea increases its quality to a large extent. However, mixing vitamin C with hot tea may reduce its effectiveness.

So it is better to mix vitamin C tea right before consumption.