Sometimes, there are small things in life you do that benefit you immensely. This is one of those small things. If you have read about the health benefits of black tea, you will appreciate the diverse benefits that tea gives you. This post tells you how to multiply these benefits by adding some spices and a herb while making it, to have a healthier tea cup.
It is just a casual tea cup that we drink, without even realizing that the healthy benefits of tea range from helping you prevent a heart attack, reducing your cholesterol, helping to prevent indigestion, protecting you against cancer, boosting your immunity, and more.
When it comes to beverage popularity, tea is only second to water in the amount consumed throughout the world. It is so common that its consumption surpasses the amount of coffee, soft drinks, and alcohol combined.
However, you can make your tea a powerful health beverage and tastier too, by adding some spices and herbs to your tea. Start your day with a healthier and tastier cup of tea in the morning.
How much black tea should you drink?
Black tea contains about 50 to 90 milligrams of caffeine per cup. Drinking black tea in moderate amounts of about 4 cups daily is safe for most people.
You should drink a minimum of three cups to get the benefits of this beverage. Drinking more than 4 cups of black tea daily is possibly unsafe due to the caffeine and tannin contents.
Drinking too much may lead to side effects, such as anxiety, poor sleep, and headaches. This can lead to a lack of sleep
Should you use tea bags or tea powder?
Teabags are usually made from tea “dust,” which is low-quality. In contrast, loose tea powder is made from whole leaves of tea, which are of a much better quality and give your tea a much more distinct flavor. Secondly, loose tea leaves have a higher concentration of antioxidants.
Teabags are more convenient to use, but the convenience comes at the cost of flavor, nutrition, and consistency. Therefore, always use tea leaves instead of tea bags.
Tea made from loose tea leaves is of a far superior quality than that made from tea bags. Even tea made from low-quality leaves has a better flavor and aroma than any standard tea bag.
Secondly, do not make your tea in a microwave because one of the most important features of a great cup of tea is the temperature at which it is brewed. Microwaves, though more convenient, do not allow us to regulate the temperature of the water, when we make the tea. Therefore, make your tea with a kettle on a low gas flame.
What should you add to make a healthier tea?
There are four things that you must add to your tea, be it black tea or green tea, or white tea:
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
- Ginger
- Lemon Grass
Cinnamon for a healthier tea
Do read this post on the health benefits of cinnamon, where the benefits of cinnamon are explained in detail. However, to mention a few cinnamon benefits:
- Lowers cholesterol
- Reduces blood sugar in Type 2 diabetes.
- Helps to lose weight
- Fights infections
- Builds your immunity.
- Prevents indigestion
- Reduce arthritis pain
Cardamom
The article on the health benefits of cardamom explains in detail the health benefits you will receive on taking cardamom daily. However its benefits in brief:
- A good appetizer is a carminative and gives relief from heartburn
- Detoxifies the body of impurities
- Improves blood circulation
- Is a general tonic
- Used in treating halitosis (bad breath)
- Used to treat allergies
Ginger
Here again, do read this post on the health benefits of ginger for more details. To explain a few benefits:
- Useful for indigestion, flatulence, and diarrhea, and is a good appetizer
- Helps to reduce cholesterol.
- Prevents clotting of blood – therefore helps to prevent heart attacks and strokes
- Good expectorant – therefore helps to remove mucus from throat and lungs
- Helps to reduce the pain and inflammation of arthritis
- Helps to lower blood pressure
Lemon Grass
Lemon grass is a herb. It is used as an additive in foods for its flavor which is lemon and ginger-like. Lemon Grass is also known for its medicinal value and its health benefits are pretty diverse and therapeutic.
These are a few of its benefits.
- Is a powerful antioxidant
- Helps prevent cancer
- Detoxifies the body of impurities
- Improves blood circulation
- Reduces blood pressure
- has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties
- Helps to reduce the pain and inflammation of arthritis
How to make this healthier tea?
Use tea leaves, avoid tea bags. You can add the cinnamon and cardamom to the tea powder jar itself and keep it mixed well. These spices do not spoil. Crush the ginger and add it to the water so that its juice mixes with the water.
Cut the lemon grass leaves into small pieces and put them in the water that has been kept for boiling. Cut the tips of the lemongrass leaves and do not use them.
Cinnamon is available in the form of sticks. Break the sticks and crush them into small pieces before adding to the tea powder. Alternatively, cinnamon is available in the form of ground powder, which you can also use.
Similarly, crush the cardamom seeds before adding them to the tea powder. Alternatively, cardamom seeds are available in ground powder form, which you can also use.
Lastly, how much of these ingredients you add, will depend on you. Adjust the quantities to suit your taste. It is necessary that you also enjoy tea or coffee in order to make it a habit.
It will be one good way to start your day with this healthy drink!
Do not add milk and sugar to tea
Adding milk and/or sugar to tea significantly neutralizes the health benefits of black tea and the ingredients described above. Drink tea black and without sugar. You will get used to the taste.
Secondly, drinking tea without milk and sugar reduces your hunger due to which you eat less, which in turn helps with weight loss, BMI, and belly fat. Tea without milk is better for the immune system.
Drinking black tea can help protect you from heart disease and cancer. But, when you add milk, it wipes out all these benefits.
These benefits of tea are due to its potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It also contains blood-purifying agents.
Research indicates that adding milk may change the beneficial activities of the tea ingredients and nullify its positive effects. Research tells you to opt for black tea without milk and sugar to get all its benefits.
There are flavonoids in tea, called catechins, which have a positive effect on the heart. Studies have shown that proteins in milk called caseins, reduce the concentration of catechins and have a negative effect on your healthier tea.
A word of caution: Rarely, ginger and cinnamon can cause heartburn. In such cases, you are advised to refrain from adding ginger and cinnamon to tea or coffee.