What are the Benefits of Tea?
I’m a coffee drinker, but recently I started looking into tea as another option. The tea I’m most familiar with is green tea, because I heard it was good for weight loss. According to Dr. Oz, this is true. Apparently green tea contains a natural chemical called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that increases a hormone in us that signals we are full. The feeling of satiety is a good thing when you are trying to stop snacking. Another side benefit is that EGCG is good at fighting cancer. (Source: Health Benefits of Tea – Dr. Oz Show.)
I was recently given some samples of tea made with Tulsi, also known as “Holy Basil”. It’s considered a sacred plant in India and has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years for everything from stress relief to the common cold. According to WebMD, Holy Basil is thought to reduce inflammation and lower blood sugar levels for people with diabetes. (Source: Holy Basil – WebMD.)
“Oh sure,” you’re thinking right now, “it’s great for digestion and fighting cancer, but does it taste good?” I sampled Organic India’s Green Tea, Pomegranate Green and Masala Chai. They all tasted pretty good; my favorite was the Masala Chai, which I added a little bit of almond milk to. I also like that the company works with organic family farmers in India and have set up two clinics to support health for the farmers and their families.
According to the Tea Association of the USA, Americans consumed over 65 billion servings of tea in 2011, most of it iced. (Source: Tea Fact Sheet). Is hot tea better than cold tea? Most articles I’ve read say they both are great antioxidant drinks, the only problem is when people add a lot of sugar to their iced tea. (I guess the same rules apply to adding sugar to your coffee…)
What about you? Do you prefer coffee or tea?
Lisa 
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Please note all opinions are my own. No compensation was given for this review, other than samples of the product.
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