If you’re not a tea drinker, you may change your mind after reading this post. Black tea has properties you may not know about but should be aware of, because it can help you defend your heart from disease.
Not a fan of tea? Associate it with the Queen, or other classy English types? Well, not so much. Tea originated in China, where it has been enjoyed in many different forms, for thousands of years. It was in China that its health benefits were first touted.
So maybe the Queen knows something you don’t? Let’s find out.
Why black tea?
The variety of tea most people in the USA, Canada and Europe drink is black tea. A study involving over 500 Dutch men showed that its flavonoid (a natural compound found in fruits and vegetables and present at high levels in black tea) content was the reason.
Flavonoids are nature’s extra-special, anti-oxidant vitamin. It makes platelets in the blood less inclined to clot, for starters. Its antioxidant properties combat the effect of free radicals, which can wreak havoc on your heart health, as well.
Those 500 tea-drinking Dutchmen were found to have a much lower rate of heart disease, heart attack and stroke, as the result of regularly drinking black tea. Their likelihood for heart disease was decreased by fully 73%, faring much better than males who had low flavonoid intakes.
A magic number.
Over the course of the Dutch study, which had a 15-year follow up, high flavonoid intake was identified as the consumption of between 4 and 5 cups of black tea per day. The study found that males who drank between 2 and 3 cups per day were at a much higher risk for heart disease.
Black tea was the primary flavonoid delivery method in the study, but the presence of flavonoids in fruits and vegetables tells you everything you need to know. They’re good for you, but now that you know about the role of flavonoids in preventing heart disease, they sound even better, don’t they?
Go flavonoids! Beat aspirin (and Vitamin E).
Doctors everywhere prescribe a combination of aspirin and Vitamin E as a preventative measure for patients with a high risk of heart disease. But flavonoids do double duty, proving more effective than both these measures, whether applied separately or combined.
Because of the dual action of flavonoids – anti-clotting and anti-oxidant, flavonoids work by combatting the oxidation which can cause narrowing of arteries. Narrowed arteries are more prone to hosting blood clots. Because flavonoids also serve to prevent clotting, it makes sense that they’re the superstars of heart disease risk management.
So, while you may not have been a fan of tea until you read this, I hope you’ll reconsider your relationship with it now. Think of all the iced tea you can enjoy in the summer (without sugar, of course – try local honey, which has numerous health benefits of its own).
At Back & Body NJ, we have your health in mind. Contact us!
