Tea illustration. © 2015 Merdeka.com/shutterstock/Silberkorn Merdeka.com – The benefits of plain tea are many useful for body health. Apart from plain water, tea has become a mandatory drink for most people in Indonesia. Quoting from the page Reader’s Digest, tea comes from a plant Camellia sinensis which contain antioxidants known as catechins. Catechins themselves are divided into compounds Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) which can eliminate free radicals in the body and reduce inflammation
Even so, tea that is consumed with added sweeteners will contain more calories. High sugar content can also lead to diabetes in the body.
To fix this, you can replace it by consuming plain tea or tea without sugar. Even though the taste is different from tea that uses sugar, fresh tea has many good properties that are given to the body behind its bland taste.
Here, Merdeka.com summarizes 8 benefits of fresh tea for the body reported from the Alodokter page and various sources:
Normalizes Blood Sugar Levels
The habit of consuming fresh tea is said to help lower blood sugar levels. The polyphenol content in several types of tea, such as green tea, black tea, and oolong tea, can increase insulin sensitivity in the body. This makes blood sugar levels easier to control.
In addition, regularly consuming fresh tea will also make the body feel more relaxed, because the L-theanin content in tea can help relax the body. Not only that, L-theanin also provides other benefits, such as relieving stress, improving mood, and improving brain function. You can find these benefits of fresh tea in green tea and black tea.
Lowering Bad Cholesterol
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Another benefit that you can get from consuming plain tea is that it can reduce bad cholesterol (LDL). Quoting from allodokter, it was said that a study found that consuming plain tea regularly is estimated to reduce bad cholesterol levels in the body by up to 11%. The type of fresh tea that can help lower cholesterol naturally is black tea.
Fresh tea if consumed regularly is also said to be able to improve blood circulation in the body. Because, the polyphenol content in tea can prevent plaque formation in blood vessels. This certainly makes us less prone to narrowing of blood vessels. Types of tea that can be consumed include green tea, black tea, and oolong tea.
Maintain Heart Health
Studies show that green tea can improve several major risk factors for heart disease. Black tea is said to contain another group of antioxidants called flavonoids, which are beneficial for heart health.
If you consume black tea without sugar regularly, it will reduce risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increased triglyceride levels and obesity.
Strengthens Teeth
Consuming tea is associated with improved dental health and a lower risk of caries. This benefit will certainly work if you eat it without sugar.
Sugar has been linked to tooth and mouth decay. This is because there are many factors that cause dental problems, one of which is streptococcus mutans which is the main harmful bacteria in the mouth.
These bacteria cause plaque formation and are a major contributor to cavities and tooth decay. Various studies have also shown that tea can reduce bad breath.
Prevent Alzheimer’s
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One of the famous tea ingredients is caffeine. This content is also known as a brain stimulant. The role of caffeine in the brain is to block an inhibitory neurotransmitter called Adenosine. Caffeine has been studied intensively before and consistently leads to improvements in various aspects of brain function, including improved mood, alertness, reaction time, and memory.
This, of course, is related to preventing Alzheimer’s disease as well. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease in humans and a leading cause of dementia.
Various studies have shown that the catechin compounds in green tea can have a variety of protective effects on neurons in test tubes and animal models. And the benefits of green tea have the potential to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, especially if consumed without sugar.
Healthy Skin
Interestingly, regularly consuming fresh tea is also said to be able to help treat skin. Tea has an antioxidant effect that can maintain healthy skin. The polyphenols in tea, can suppress some of the cellular components that can damage the fiber tissue that helps keep skin firm.
The role of antioxidants protects the skin from cell damage caused by free radicals, and protects it from acne.
Help the Weight Loss Process
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Consuming sugarless tea can also be used as a weight loss method. The polyphenols in tea have been shown to increase calorie expenditure and reduce body fat.
Apart from polyphenols, tea is also a great source of caffeine. Caffeine helps the body burn calories and fat. If you are on a diet, try to regularly consume fresh tea every day.
Prevent cancer
The polyphenols and antioxidants found in tea are known to protect cells from free radical damage. This is associated with the ability of tea to prevent cancer.
These benefits are mostly found in green tea and black tea. Even so, we also need to pay attention to the limits in consuming tea every day. The recommended limit for tea consumption is 2-3 cups a day.
[khu]
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