Is Iced Tea good for your health?
Everyone knows that drinking hot tea is good for your health but were you aware of the awesome health benefits of iced tea?
Many people love iced tea not just because of its unique taste but also due to the benefits that it has to offer.
There are many benefits to drinking iced tea that you would probably never think of.
For example, drinking iced tea helps prevent chronic diseases including diabetes, macular degeneration, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and cataracts.
A refreshing glass of iced tea is a great, healthy choice especially throughout the summer when you crave something refreshing.
What Is Iced Tea?
Iced tea is made from the tea leaves of the camellia sinensis plant and is therefore considered a true tea.
You can also make herbal iced tea from mint leaves but today’s article will focus on true iced tea.
To make iced tea, the tea leaves are soaked in hot water and then cooled with ice.
Unsweetened iced tea is a great source of flavonoids.
Flavonoids are a type of antioxidant that are beneficial for your body, and great for counteracting disease.
Flavonoids found in iced tea can also help you to prevent the risk of heart attack, risk of stroke, and the risk of cancer.
They also help to prevent coronary heart disease and diabetes, as well as lower the risk of getting cataracts.
Types Of Iced Tea
There are different types of iced tea like sun tea, traditional iced tea, peppermint tea, honest tea, white tea, oolong tea, sweet tea and loose leaf tea varieties.
And cups of tea, (predominantly green tea) contain a number of antioxidants that can help improve your overall health, amongst many other benefits.
Drinking iced green tea increases your bone density in part because of the large number of antioxidants it contains.
In this article we discuss some more of the amazing benefits of iced tea.
So, let’s get started!
10 Health Benefits of Iced Tea
1. Full of Antioxidants
Flavonoids are found in the skin of tea leaves, so brewing tea at a high temperature and for a long time greatly reduces their antioxidant content.
But, drinking iced tea at its cooler temperature is a way to get the most flavonoids into your body.
Antioxidant properties are available in fruits and vegetables, but they can also be found in other foods, including iced tea.
Antioxidants are natural substances that prevent or slow the oxidation of other molecules and help fight off free radicals.
Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause damage to the cells within the body.
They can be caused by pollution, exposure to sunlight and even by the foods we eat.
Antioxidants play an important role in helping to reduce the risk of developing serious diseases like prostate cancer.
Furthermore, drinking iced tea provides the same benefits as drinking cups of black tea as they contain the same number of polyphenols.
2. Protection Against UV Rays
You’ve probably heard about the damage that ultraviolet (UV) light can do, not just to your skin, but to your eyes and your body.
And UV exposure can also lead to premature aging of the skin, wrinkles, and dryness.
However, drinking cups of iced green tea may help to reduce the signs of aging caused by UV exposure.
In fact, the flavonoids in green tea have been shown to be more effective than commercial sunscreens in preventing UV-induced damage to the skin.
3. For Weight Loss
If you think that losing body weight is hard work then you’ll be glad to know that iced tea can help.
It is also one of the best drinks for weight loss and a fantastic alternative to sugary drinks.
So swapping out sugary drinks for naturally calorie-free ones can help you lose weight and also lowers the oxidative stress in your body.
Iced tea, in particular, is a great choice because it has zero calories and encourages your metabolism to work faster.
In addition, it can also be flavored with fruit juice, so you can make it taste delicious without adding sugar.
4. Improves your Memory
The milligrams of caffeine in green and black teas may help prevent dementia.
Drinking green or black tea can boost brain power by improving memory, learning ability, and attention in healthy older people.
This is according to a review of past studies on the human body.
Just three to four cups a day is enough to get your brain working again.
Types like green tea or black tea have a certain number of enzymes that inhibit the breakdown of chemical compounds in the brain.
This makes tea a wonderful way to improve your memory.
Similarly, the compounds in these teas also help to fight off free radicals which, in turn, promotes brain health and encourages the clear flow of information.
Iced teas also contain caffeine, which can help stimulate your nervous system and get your memory into gear.
5. Good for Bones
There are a lot of benefits of iced tea as we’ve discussed but did you know that it can also help your bones?
Recent studies show that drinking iced green tea increases your bone density in part because of the large amount of antioxidants it contains.
The study also shows that drinking iced green tea is a great way to fight osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a condition caused by low bone density, which makes bones more fragile and prone to fractures.
One of the most effective ways to prevent osteoporosis is to increase your bone density. And one of the best ways to do that is to drink tea.
And although Animal studies support this theory, more studies are needed on the wider effects of tea on bone health.
6. Lowers blood sugar
Some people are surprised to discover that drinking unsweetened iced tea can help to lower blood sugar.
But it’s true.
Unsweetened black iced tea is a smart beverage choice for anyone who has type 2 diabetes or is on a low-carb diet.
This is because black tea has a small amount of naturally occurring compounds, including polyphenols, that are similar to those found in grapes and berries.
And when these compounds reach the intestines, they are converted into compounds called flavonoids or flavanols.
These improve insulin sensitivity, support healthy blood sugar levels, and are good for lowering high blood pressure.
Flavanols are also known to increase the rate at which the body breaks down glucose and can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.
Unsweetened iced tea is a smart beverage choice for anyone who wants to get the benefits of drinking tea without the added sugar.
Not forgetting that unsweetened iced tea only has about 4 calories per cup, so it’s a healthy choice for those on a low-carb diet.
7. Protection from Cancer
Drinking a healthy amount of tea can protect you from certain types of cancer.
A recent study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that Iced tea has a high concentration of powerful antioxidants that can also prevent cancer.
This is because antioxidants protect cells and DNA from damage because of the way they eliminate free radicals.
There are many benefits of drinking tea, but our body cannot absorb all of the antioxidants from tea that is boiled.
So drinking iced tea is the best way to get the maximum number of antioxidants.
The National Cancer Institute has conducted research in order to support this hypothesis.
8. For Better Heart Health
Cholesterol and triglycerides are part of a group of lipids that are present in your blood.
They are commonly known as blood fat.
LDL cholesterol and triglycerides are the two most common types of lipids.
Triglycerides are responsible for storing energy and LDL cholesterol is responsible for transporting fat to the cells.
The HDL cholesterol is responsible for taking fat out of the cells and transporting it to the liver, this is good cholesterol.
Drinking iced tea can lower bad cholesterol levels and promote good cholesterol levels.
This is good news for tea drinkers.
9. Full of Minerals and Vitamins
Tea, the second most consumed beverage in the world, is known for its many health benefits.
Recent research has shown that it could also be a great source of vitamins and minerals.
In spite of the fact that iced tea is made from cold water, sugar, and tea leaves, it is no less healthy than hot tea.
The reason for this is that tea leaves contain a number of vitamins and minerals that are essential for the body.
Let’s look at the vitamins and minerals that are contained in iced tea, they include:
Calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, D and E.
Pretty impressive right?
10. For Immune System
It won’t surprise you to know that antioxidants in tea can help to stimulate the immune system.
The stimulation of the immune system can help to prevent the onset of colds and sickness.
Therefore, the anti-inflammatory properties combined with the powerful antioxidants not only strengthen the immune system to prevent disease but also promote healing and recovery.
Helath benefits of iced tea - The bottom line
As well as being a deliciously refreshing drink, iced tea can deliver a range of health benefits.
- If you’re keen to improve your health through food and drink, check out this article on detoxes.
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