Drinking Tea Is Better For Health Than Plain Water

August 25, 2006

If you drink three or more cups of tea a day you might be doing your

health more good than drinking plain water, say researchers from

King's College, London, UK. This new study found, among other things,

that the urban myth that tea dehydrates could not be further from the

truth - tea hydrates as well as water does, say the researchers.

You can read about this new study in the The European Journal of

Clinical Nutrition.

Not only will tea rehydrate you, it may also protect you from

developing heart disease, and even cancer. Apparently, three or more

cups a day may also protect your teeth and strengthen your bones. The

researchers say they are not sure why, but believe that flavonoids,

polyphenol antioxidants, which are found in abundance in tea, may

play a major role. Flavonoids help prevent cell damage.

Team leader, Dr Ruxton, a Public Health Nutritionist, said tea

is better for you than water because all water does is rehydrate you.

Tea rehydrates you and provides antioxidants. With tea you get two

benefits.

Dr. Ruxton, in a BBC interview, said " Studies on caffeine have found

very high doses dehydrate and everyone assumes that caffeine-

containing beverages dehydrate. But even if you had a really, really

strong cup of tea or coffee, which is quite hard to make, you would

still have a net gain of fluid. Also, a cup of tea contains fluoride,

which is good for the teeth. "

The team found that people are drinking less tea in the UK than they

used to - possibly because they are consuming more soft drinks. The

biggest tea drinkers in the UK are over 40 years old.

The Research was funded by The Tea Council.

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