Benefits Of A Daily Cuppa
Our Health Writer, Colleen Shannon, looks at the health benefits of coffee and tea.
WHETHER it’s your daily bit of me-time, something to share with a friend, or the remedy for life’s small setbacks, there is nothing like a nice cup of tea.
In Britain we drink 165 million cups of tea every day. We like our coffee, too, sipping 70 million cups daily.
Increasingly, we also hear that tea and coffee are good for health. Is this wonderful news – or is it too good to be true?
To learn more, I got in touch with Chloe Miles, Community Dietician and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association.
She explained that green tea contains caffeine and B vitamins that are important for the release of energy in the body. It also has folate for healthy blood, plus manganese, potassium and other antioxidants which may help to prevent cell damage. Green tea contains catechins, which are thought to contribute to its many proposed health benefits.
Black tea comes from the same plant as green tea but the leaves are fermented. Black tea contains small amounts of potassium and magnesium, plus phosphorus for healthy teeth and bones. It also contains antioxidants.
There has been some evidence that green and black tea may help to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, or reduce the risk of a heart attack. However, we need more studies to be sure of the benefits, and to say how much tea you would need to drink.
There have been a lot of studies linking green tea to weight loss. Many of them used an extract of green tea, rather than our everyday drinks. Other studies have shown no significant weight loss from drinking green tea. So this is another promising area where we need more research.
If you are more of a coffee person, there is good news for you as well.
Coffee contains caffeine, which is a stimulant, plus antioxidants, vitamin B3 to keep your skin and nervous system healthy, magnesium to support energy production and potassium to help keep the heart working properly.
Studies have suggested that coffee may reduce the risk of some cancers and type 2 diabetes, and help to keep your thinking sharp. In one recent study, people who drank more coffee had a lower risk of death (although we can’t be certain that coffee was the only reason).
Tea and coffee also contribute to your daily fluid intake. Try not to get carried away, though, because too much caffeine can increase your urine output and possibly make you dehydrated. Overdoing caffeine can also contribute to irritability, insomnia, anxiousness and headaches.
The European Food Safety Authority recommends no more than 400mg of caffeine per day (less if you are pregnant or breastfeeding). This is about four cups of instant coffee or 10 cups of tea, depending on how it is made.
There is no magical brew that provides all of the health benefits we would like, but if you like these drinks then by all means enjoy them in moderation. Why not stick the kettle on and sit back and enjoy reading the rest of the magazine! n