It’s hard not to love tea. You can enjoy it hot to warm you up after a frigid winter day or cold to cool you down after a humid summer day. You can get teas both with or without caffeine, and it is a great way to stay hydrated. In addition, these days there is never a lack of flavour variety when it comes to tea. From fruity teas, to earthy teas, to tea flavours that resemble desserts, there are always plenty of options. Too top it all off, many tout tea as superfood due to its long list of health benefits.

Tea has been classified as a superfood for thousands of years. The high level of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in tea have anti-inflammatory properties and fight off disease and cellular damage to the body. Different types of teas have different health benefits.

Black tea is said to reduce cholesterol, while green tea has been shown to be the best tea to aid in weight loss, and white tea has been shown to have strong anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Depending on the type, herbal teas can assist in detoxing the body, promoting sleep, calming the stomach, and helping reduce cravings. Tea is also known to reduce the risk of heart disease, have anti-cancer properties, and boost immune system and brain function.
If you choose to go with a caffeinated variety of tea, a cup of tea still has less than half the caffeine as a cup of coffee and is gentler on the body. Black tea has the highest concentration of caffeine, while white tea has the lowest. There are also many varieties of caffeine-free herbal teas. While tea may not give you the immediate burst of energy that coffee does, the detoxing and immune system boosting properties of tea can contribute to a long term boost in overall energy.

There is most certainly a reason why tea is the world’s most popular drink next to water. Just be sure when choosing your tea to avoid sweetened or watered-down varieties in bottles, and look for fairly traded teas wherever possible. Happy tea drinking!