Is tea really that healthy?

1. It is often mentioned in the newspaper with fat headlines: drinking tea is healthy. Tea is said to be good for the heart and memory, against cancer and diabetes, and for staying young. Too good to all be true? Indeed.

2. It is often mentioned in the newspaper with fat headlines: drinking tea is healthy. Tea is said to be good for the heart and memory, against cancer and diabetes, and for staying young. Too good to be all true? Indeed.

1. To start with the good news for tea lovers: some of the cool headlines do add up. There are considerable indications, for example, that tea reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Those who drink several cups of black tea a day have about 30 percent less risk of calcification of the arteries, researchers from Utrecht University recently concluded. They studied the eating habits of 37,000 Dutch people, whom they followed for thirteen years. There is no explanation yet. Is it the caffeine (which is not only in coffee, but also in tea)? Or is it the antioxidants after all?

2. To start with the good news for tea lovers: some cool headlines do add up. For example, there are significant indications that tea reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Those who drink several cups of black tea a day have about 30 percent less risk of calcification of the arteries, researchers from Utrecht University recently concluded. They studied the eating habits of 37,000 Dutch people, whom they followed for thirteen years. There is no explanation yet. Is it the caffeine (which is not only in coffee, but also in tea)? Or is it the antioxidants after all?

Diabetes

1. Let's go on: tea also has a beneficial effect on diabetes. Drinking three or more cups of tea a day reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 40 percent, the same university reported in 2009 after another large-scale study. Australian researchers hold it at a modest 25 percent less chance, but that is also a significant effect. It is probably the antioxidants that do it. These protect against harmful substances in, for example, smoke, sunlight and food. Green tea contains a bit more antioxidants than black tea. Antioxidants are also especially common in vegetables, fruit and whole grain cereal products. And in coffee - that is why these studies show that coffee also protects against diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But here the good news show ends. Cancer, memory problems, menopausal symptoms, weight loss, wrinkles and stress? Whether tea helps against all these ailments is being investigated, and those studies are sometimes in the newspaper. But for all these diseases and conditions, one positive study is far too little. More research is needed, preferably like this: give one group of people tea and another group of people not, and see what the difference is in health. Until then, one greasy cup of newspaper does not make tea a panacea.

2. Let's go on: tea also has a beneficial effect on diabetes. Drinking three or more cups of tea a day reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 40 percent, the same university reported in 2009 after another large-scale study. Australian researchers consider it a modest 25 percent less chance, but that is also a significant effect. It is probably the antioxidants that do it. These protect against harmful substances in, for example, smoke, sunlight and food. Green tea contains a bit more antioxidants than black tea. Antioxidants are also especially common in vegetables, fruit and whole grain cereal products. And in coffee - this is why these studies show that coffee also protects against diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But here the good news show ends. Cancer, memory problems, menopausal symptoms, weight loss, wrinkles and stress? Whether tea helps against all these ailments is being researched, and those studies are sometimes in the newspaper. But for all these diseases and conditions, one positive study is far too little. More research is needed, preferably like this: give one group of people tea and another group of people not, and see what the difference is in health. Until then, it remains the case that one greasy cup of newspaper does not make tea a panacea.

The healthy tea drinker

1. The fact that tea leaves are less likely to develop diabetes and cardiovascular disease is most likely not due to tea alone. They fall into the category of higher educated people and these people simply exercise more, drink less alcohol, smoke less and are less often overweight. These are all factors that greatly reduce the risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Although researchers try not to include these healthy habits in their tea studies, it is difficult to attribute the beneficial effects from research to tea alone. In other words: does your lifestyle resemble that of the tea drinker? Then you're fine, even if you don't drink tea. Do you also combine those healthy habits with a generous consumption of fruit and vegetables? Then you don't need tea at all to protect your health.

Black, white, green or herbs?

1. For black tea, the leaves of the tea bush are exposed to light and moisture. Oxidation creates the black color and strong taste, and the antioxidant content deteriorates somewhat. Green tea does not oxidize and contains more antioxidants than black tea. White tea is made from the leaves of young tea buds and also contains more antioxidants than black tea Herbal tea is not actually a tea, as it is not made from the tea plant, but from herbs, flowers and spices. Many medicinal values ​​have traditionally been attributed to herbal teas, but they have hardly been scientifically proven.

2. For black tea, the leaves of the tea bush are exposed to light and moisture. Oxidation creates the black color and strong flavor, and the antioxidant content deteriorates somewhat. Green tea does not oxidize and contains more antioxidants than black tea. White tea is made from the leaves of young tea buds and also contains more antioxidants than black tea Herbal tea is not actually a tea, because it is not made from the tea plant, but from herbs, flowers and spices. Many medicinal values ​​have traditionally been attributed to herbal teas, but they have hardly been scientifically proven.

3. For black tea, the leaves of the tea bush are exposed to light and moisture. Oxidation creates the black color and strong taste, and the antioxidant content deteriorates somewhat. Green tea does not oxidize and contains more antioxidants than black tea. White tea is made from the leaves of young tea buds and also contains more antioxidants than black tea Herbal tea is not actually a tea, as it is not made from the tea plant, but from herbs, flowers and spices. Many medicinal values ​​have traditionally been attributed to herbal teas, but they have hardly been scientifically proven.

4. For black tea, the leaves of the tea bush are exposed to light and moisture. Oxidation creates the black color and strong taste, and the antioxidant content deteriorates somewhat. Green tea does not oxidize and contains more antioxidants than black tea. White tea is made from the leaves of young tea buds and also contains more antioxidants than black tea Herbal tea is not actually a tea, because it is not made from the tea plant, but from herbs, flowers and spices. Many medicinal values ​​have traditionally been attributed to herbal teas, but they have hardly been scientifically proven.