First Steps

Tea growing

Just leaving the milk out of your usual mug of Tetley’s will protect against cardiovascular disease (an attribute that a drop of milk will block) and while all Tea’s have anti-oxidant qualities Green Tea has the highest concentration of polyphenols, chemicals that act as powerful anti-oxidants. (Here comes the science bit…) Anti-oxidants destroy free radicals which are damaging compounds in the body that alter cell membranes, tamper with DNA and even cause cell death. The results of these free radicals can affect the aging process as well as leading to major health problems such as Cancer and Heart Disease.

So as a simple precautionary step to long term health problems swap your usual hot drink for a green or black tea. Green tea also has several short term effects; studies have shown it can be used as an aide to weight loss as it boosts metabolism and helps burn fat, it is also believed to help diabetics as it has been used to control sugar levels. On a student note a cup of green tea the morning after a heavy night can also protect against the damaging effects of alcohol. This small first step to a healthier lifestyle should ideally become a regular daily practice to have the full effects, but after a week of all the anti-oxidant goodness hopefully you won’t want to go back to the old stuff!