Hot Tea – It’s the Perfect Hot Tub Drink that Boosts Health

January 14, 2012

VIRUS, FLU AND COLDS, OH MY! Don’t Let Flu Season Get You Down! Experts anticipate that this winter will be a bad year for the flu (when do they NOT say that?).  But aside from getting a flu shot and increasing the frequency of hand-washing, what can you do nutritionally to give you immune system an added boost?

The British have been right all along with all of that tea drinking!  Time to do as the British do and have a cuppa.  Celebrate National Hot Tea Month by brewing a nice cup of tea and heading to the hot tub.  Hot tub soaking has many health benefits.  Drinking tea while hot tubbing is bound to have a synergistic effect.

Recent research findings have reported that drinking black tea may improve the body’s defenses and quicken the response to bacteria and viruses and possibly ward off pesky germs.

In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, participants who drank 20 ounces (the equivalent of 2 1/2 cups) of black tea per day produced five times the amount of certain germ-fighting immune cells as those who drank the same amount of coffee. Researchers predict that these findings suggest that tea drinkers may have a better chance of fighting off an infection than non-tea drinkers because of this increased immune response.

In addition to this research, volumes have been published about the potential health benefits of tea, which contains flavonoids, substances that may act as antioxidants in the body and help maintain healthy cells and tissues. A multitude of research studies point to drinking tea as a way to promote health and potentially reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and certain types of cancer.

This body of credible research grows every day. Here are a few recent findings about the potential health benefits of tea:

Lowers “Bad” Cholesterol.  New clinical research published in the Journal of Nutrition found that consuming 30 oz. of black tea daily – the fluid equivalent of 2.5 cans of soda – reduced LDL, or “bad” cholesterol levels by more than 10 percent in people with mildly high chloesterol.

Reduces Risk of Death After a Heart Attack. According to a recent study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, study participants who drank four cups of tea per day had significantly lower risk of death following a heart attack – a decrease of up to 44 percent.

Reduces Rates of Heart Attack. A Dutch study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) found that the incidence of  heart attack decreased by 43 percent in the study participants who drank more than three cups of black tea per day.

Reduces Risk of Rectal Cancer in Women. Another study in the of Annals of Epidemiology, examining the protective nature of black tea against rectal cancer found that women who drank the equivalent of 2.5 cups of tea per day or more had a 60 percent drop in rectal cancer risk, as compared to women who drank less than 1.2 cups of tea per day.

While research continually illustrates the potential for flavonoid-rich tea to contribute to health in a significant way, get with the tea habit yourself.  So, head out to the hot tub with your favorite cup of black tea and relax knowing you’re really doing your body some good.  Many of our Olympic Hot Tub customers head to their Hot Spring Spas first thing every morning with a cup of tea.  What a great way to ease into your day and get a health boost.  Smart people!

RES SERVA EST VERUM GAUDIUM. True pleasure is a serious business.

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