Supping a cuppa is tea-riffic!
★ SAVE our cuppas! Tea drinkers are a dying breed, according to the people behind PG Tips.
Makers Unilever say our national drink is threatened as young consumers opt for coffee or herbal concoctions.
★ But experts say brews are beneficial to our health and well-being.
Winston Churchill claimed tea aided our victory over the Nazis.
★ Here JAMES MOORE helps you mug up on the reasons to love the brilliant beverage…
BRAIN BOOST: Feel brighter after a cuppa? It’s not surprising – a study found regular tea drinkers have better organised brain regions than people who shun brews. It’s reckoned that substances in tea increase blood flow to our grey matter. Other research even found frequent tea drinking could stave off dementia.
HEARTY LIFT: A review of more than 40 research papers found four to five cuppas a day lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke, thanks to polyphenols in the drink.
LONG LIFE: Research in Australia found that drinking two cups of tea a day was linked to living longer, while studies have found women who consume drinks high in flavanols, such as tea, have a lower chance of developing deadly ovarian cancer. Other research has linked a brew to helping fight breast cancer too.
POT LUCK: Who knew that you could slim by just drinking tea? A study from the University of California found that black tea can help to decrease bacteria in the tummy associated with obesity. You’ll also be helping to keep your bones and teeth stronger thanks to the calcium and fluoride in a typical cuppa. BOILING POINT: Need to cool down? Tea helps keep us hydrated too. Experts say that about 40% of the nation’s fluid intake comes from tea alone. Research has shown it’s just as hydrating as water.
SIP HAPPY: A survey by Bupa found that 39% of us reckon having a cup of tea gives us a feelgood factor and another found that it came seventh in a list of our 50 top home comforts. Even a third of 18 to 24-year-olds say tea helps them unwind, according to a Travelodge poll. Scientists reckon the drink contains an amino acid called L-Theanine, known to make us feel relaxed.
STEAMY FACT: A study reported in the Journal of Sex Research suggests blokes think making a cuppa is the perfect way to wind down from a romp between the sheets, while pop star Boy George went further, famously saying: “I would rather have a cup of tea than sex.”
STAR CHOICE: Loving a cuppa could be the route to fame. Among the celebrities who rely on the drink to power them through the day are the actress Rachel Weisz, comedians Billy Connolly and David Walliams as well as rockers Ozzy Osbourne and Mick Jagger, who always drinks it at 3pm.