Tea- the new health drink

The old belief that drinking tea will cause loss of fluids from the body and dehydration has been annulled by the scientists. The new slogan is likely to be ‘drink four glasses of tea a day and keep the doctors at bay’.

A research conducted by health expert’s show that drinking tea is healthier than having water. It hydrates the body and battles against cancer and heart disease. Not only this, it even increases strength of the bones and prevents tooth decay.

A group of antioxidants called flavonoids is the main ingredient that prevents cell damage. Tea, just like fruits and vegetables, contain this component in abundance. Infact, three cups contain eight times the capacity of an apple.

Chief scientist Carrie Ruxton said that water does not contain flavonoids and consuming tea reduces risk of heart attacks by 11 % and also combats a few forms of cancers, including colorectal cancer.

Many people still go by the myth that drinking tea will lead to desiccation of liquids from the body. But new study has found that tea contains all those ingredients which are missing in plain water and can prove more beneficial than water.

Ruxton said that our body needs anti oxidants to fight the free radicals, which hamper the normal functioning of the body. Tea is a rich source for these anti oxidants, which water cannot provide.

Research also showed that caffeine present in tea can help concentration and improve one's mood. Water is essentially replacing fluid. Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants, so it's got two things going for it.

Although studies have been done, Ruxton said that the evidence in humans is not as strong and more studies need to be done. But she confirmed that there are definite potential health benefits from the consumption of tea.

A healthy drink, tea is now recommended by most of the health experts, who believe in consuming of atleast 1.5-2 liters of fluid per day and that includes tea.