Are there health benefits to drinking hot tea?

Do you drink hot tea? Well, guess what, it could be good for you! Tea can help our bodies in lots of ways.

In this article, I am going to touch on just a few types of teas that can be good for us.

Green, Oolong, Black Teas

Out of these 3 teas, green has the most helpful properties because it is the least fermented out of the three. After green comes Oolong and then black tea.

Green tea can help with health and immunity. It can also help keep your gums and teeth healthy! It may also help you breathe easier if you have congestion / asthma. It does contain caffeine, so it can also be a stimulant.

Oolong and Black teas are more fermented and may help in the same areas as green, they are just not as strong, medicinally.

If you want to have a cup of green tea, it is said that you should not add boiling water to the tea, for you are not cooking it, just steeping it. After you add your hot water, let it steep for about 2 minutes. It is said if you let it sit too long, it may start to get bitter.

Green Tea

Add your hot water to your tea bag

You can drink it plain with nothing added or you can add a bit of honey for sweetness.

Often, I like to add milk to my tea. It seems to give it a creamy feel when I drink it.

Tea

There are 2 main forms that you can buy tea. You can purchase tea bags or you can purchase loose tea. If you decide to go with loose tea, you will need a special tea pot. It looks like a cute little tea pot, however inside, there is a mesh holder for you to place the loose tea. You put your hot water into the pot and then place the holder with the loose tea inside the pot. Let the tea steep for about 2 minutes and then pour it into your mug!

Here is a short list of several teas that may help with certain things:

For Cough: Anise, Elder, Peppermint

For Diarrhea: Bilberry, Raspberry

For Fatigue: Astragalus, Ginseng, Milk Thistle

For Gas: Anise, Catnip, Cinnamon

For Immunity: Echinacea, Ginko, Ginseng, Green

For Kidney Health: Cranberry

For Nausea: Ginger, Peppermint, Spearmint

For Sinus Congestion: Bayberry

For Stress: Catnip, Ginseng, Kava Lava

For Urinary Tract (infection): Bilberry, Cleavers, Cranberry

For Weight Control: Alfalfa, Dandelion, Ginger, Papaya

This information came from: 20,000 Secrets of Tea, written by: V. Zak

Tea is more available now than ever before. Often, you can find it at the grocery store! However, some of the rare varieties, you may have to find at a specialty herb shop.

Happy drinking!

*photo: google: hauserhealth