Tea has been around forever, and for good reason. It is warm, comforting, inexpensive and, depending on what you add to it, can be one of the easiest better-for-you drinks to work into your day.
The health magic, if we want to call it that, comes mostly from plant compounds in tea, including flavonoids and other polyphenols. Research published over the years in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) and other journals has linked tea drinking with possible benefits for heart health, focus, weight management and even bone health.
Notice I said “possible.” Tea is lovely, but it is not a magic wand you wave over a donut and suddenly call breakfast balanced.
As noted by the Tea Association of the USA, tea is still one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, second only to water. In the U.S., black tea tends to lead the pack, while green, oolong, white and herbal teas all have their own loyal fans.
Technically, “true” tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, which includes black, green, white and oolong tea. Herbal teas, such as peppermint, chamomile or hibiscus, are often called tea, but they are really infusions made from herbs, flowers, spices or fruit.
Either way, choosing tea more often can be a simple swap when your usual drink is soda, sweet tea, energy drinks or a fancy coffee drink that is basically dessert in a cup. And hey, I am not judging the fancy coffee drink, but we should at least call it what it is.
Weight management is a serious concern for many people because carrying excess weight can raise the risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and some cancers. The good news is that unsweetened tea can fit nicely into a healthy eating pattern.
The more realistic news is that tea alone is not going to do the work of a balanced diet, movement, sleep and stress management. Sorry, but no beverage gets to be that powerful.
Tea contains natural compounds, including catechins in green tea, along with caffeine in varying amounts. Older research has suggested these compounds may slightly increase energy expenditure and fat oxidation, including studies on green tea and weight control and green tea extract and fat metabolism.
Some studies have found that green tea with caffeine may lead to small changes in body weight over time, while others have linked regular tea drinking with lower body mass index and body fat. That said, the effects are usually modest, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health states that green tea products have not been proven to produce significant long-term weight loss.
In plain English: tea may help a little, especially when it replaces higher-calorie drinks. But the real win is when it becomes part of a pattern that also includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats and a way to maintain body weight without losing your mind.
A cup of unsweetened tea has very few calories. A giant sweet tea, bottled tea or chai latte can have enough added sugar to turn that health halo right around.
Tea’s biggest health brag may be its connection to heart health. The flavonoids in tea have been studied for their possible role in supporting blood vessel function, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
As the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health explains, tea is rich in polyphenols that may help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Those are two things we generally want less of when talking about chronic disease risk.
Black tea, in particular, has been studied for blood pressure benefits. A study led by Dr. Claudio Ferri found that black tea helped reduce blood pressure and counteracted some of the negative effects of a high-fat meal on arterial blood flow.
That study was interesting, and honestly, a little refreshing because it looked at what happens in real life when people eat meals that are not always perfect. Still, one cup of tea does not cancel out a consistently high-sodium, low-fiber diet.
The American Heart Association has also pointed out that tea can be part of a heart-healthy diet, especially when it is not loaded with sugar. In other words, tea gets the green light; sugar bombs pretending to be tea, not so much.
Tea has also been studied in relation to cancer risk, but this is where we need to be careful. Some older studies on green tea compounds and prostate cancer, including work on green tea catechins, cell and lab research and early human research, looked promising, and tea has also been examined for cancers such as breast, lung and skin cancer.
But cancer is complicated, and current evidence does not support saying that tea prevents cancer. A better way to say it: tea contains antioxidant compounds that may support overall health, but it should be seen as one part of a cancer-preventive lifestyle, not a treatment or guarantee.
One of the reasons tea feels different from coffee is that it naturally contains both caffeine and L-theanine, an amino acid that may help promote calm alertness. Translation: tea can help you feel awake without always making you feel like you want to reorganize the entire pantry at 10 p.m.
In one study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who drank tea performed better on attention-based tasks and reported feeling more alert than those given a placebo. This likely has to do with the combination of caffeine and L-theanine rather than one single compound doing all the heavy lifting.
Caffeine content varies, but black tea generally has more caffeine than green tea, and most herbal teas are naturally caffeine-free. The FDA says up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day is not generally associated with dangerous effects for most adults, though some people are more sensitive than others.
Pregnant individuals, people with anxiety, heart rhythm issues or reflux, and anyone who is sensitive to caffeine may need less. Decaf tea and herbal tea can be a nice option when you want the ritual without the buzz.
Tea may also have a connection to bone health. One study found that adults over 50 who drank tea had a lower risk of hip fractures, and other research has explored the relationship between tea flavonoids and bone density.
Does that mean tea replaces calcium, vitamin D, strength training and, you know, not smoking? Absolutely not.
But it may be one more small habit that supports healthy aging. And I am always a fan of small habits that do not require a complicated meal plan, a color-coded chart or giving up all joy.
For anyone who struggles to drink enough plain water, tea can count toward daily fluid intake. Yes, even caffeinated tea still contributes to hydration for most people, despite the old idea that every sip of caffeine somehow sends your body into a desert.
The CDC recommends choosing healthier drinks, such as water and unsweetened beverages, instead of sugar-sweetened drinks. Unsweetened tea fits nicely into that category, hot or iced.
Just remember that bottled teas can be sneaky. Some look light and refreshing but contain as much added sugar as soda, which is not exactly the health upgrade many people are going for.
First, watch what you add. A little honey, lemon, milk or cinnamon is one thing, but several tablespoons of sugar can quickly turn tea into a sweetened beverage.
Second, do not drink it boiling hot. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified very hot beverages, above 65°C or 149°F, as probably carcinogenic to humans, so let your tea cool a bit before sipping.
Third, be cautious with concentrated green tea extracts and supplements. Brewed tea is generally safe for most people, but high-dose extracts have been linked to liver problems in rare cases, as noted by the NCCIH green tea safety review.
Last, remember that tea can reduce iron absorption when consumed with meals, especially non-heme iron from plant foods. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements notes that polyphenols can inhibit non-heme iron absorption, so anyone with iron deficiency may want to drink tea between meals instead of with meals.
Many people simply enjoy drinking tea, and that is honestly reason enough to keep it around. The fact that it may also support heart health, focus, hydration and overall diet quality is a nice bonus.
The key is to keep it simple: choose mostly unsweetened tea, enjoy a variety you actually like and do not expect it to fix an otherwise poor diet. Tea is a helpful habit, not a personality trait.
When buying tea, I prefer choosing brands that are transparent about sourcing and quality, and organic can be a good option if it fits your budget. Some of our favorites include:
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