Tea Drinking goes back hundreds, if not thousands of years, and has played an essential part in the Asian culture. Tea is so revered; it is used extensively to maintain health and well-being and heralded in many ceremonies. Today, clinical tests have proven that tea can help prevent diabetes, strokes, soothe the digestive system, improve memory, aid in respiratory issues, brighten the skin, and fight depression. Drinking tea soothes and calms emotions but can also help the organs in the body function better by ridding them of toxins. This, in turn, benefits the condition of our skin.
If you regularly sip on oolong, green tea, or black tea, you will have a new reason to stand by your favorite beverage of choice: A new study published in aging suggests that tea may be changing how your brain operates. In fact, consistent tea drinkers have better-organized brain regions and healthier cognitive function compared to non-tea drinkers. That’s because the compounds in tea help improve connections between different regions of the brain.
In the study, 35 adults aged 60 and older were asked about their lifestyle, health, and general outlook on life in the time frame of 2015 to 2018. Survey participants also underwent neuropsychological tests and brain scans. Those who reported long-term tea drinking at least four times a week had brain regions interconnected more efficiently and intricately.
The brain benefits correlate with previous studies that show that tea drinkers tend to have a much better cognitive function overall, especially as their age. These results simply build upon that to suggest why that functionality might exist. With better neural connections and cognitive sense, the brain can process information more clearly and efficiently. Plus, it does not seem to be the case that regular tea drinkers are simply healthier overall. Instead, it looks like there’s something magical about the drink itself that improves connections between brain regions.
This can be credited to a combination of catechin, caffeine, and L-theanine. Catechin is a natural antioxidant that’s found in berries and cocoa. It has shown signs like lowering oxidative stress, a process that can cause damage to your cells. The amino acid, L-theanine, has been shown to improve mental alertness and attention.
10 Best Tea for Anti-Aging, Great Skin and Reduced Wrinkles: 2021
Many of us like to sit back, relax, and enjoy a cup of black tea or maybe a herbal infusion now and then. But, do you know about the many anti-aging benefits that your favorite tea contains? From stress relief to boosting energy levels to alleviating allergy symptoms, the health benefits of drinking tea are genuinely endless and superb! Here is a list of the top 5 anti-aging teas to help you stay healthy and fight to age.
1. Green Tea for Anti-Aging
Green tea is a healthy and great anti-aging option. For example, it is slightly more oxidized than white tea and ranges from floral and mellow to vegetal. High in minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins, green tea is fantastic for reducing damage caused to the skin by UV rays. Moreover, it also acts as an excellent moisturizer and is known for its detoxing properties. The caffeine content is half of that of black tea, and it is rich in polyphenols and catechins. These two are the most important antioxidants that fight to age.
Researchers at the University of Maryland have found that the unfermented tea green tea leaves contain a large concentration of polyphenol antioxidants known to fight free radicals that cause damage to the DNA, which is responsible for cancer, premature aging, heart disease, and stroke. Further studies have shown that drinking green tea can help regulate blood pressure, reduce bad cholesterol, and reduce depression. Mixing green tea with ginger creates a potent healthy brew.
2. Oolong Tea for Anti-Aging
Oolong tea is rich in anti-oxidants and contains many different vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for health. Studies have shown that drinking this tea can strengthen bones, provide gum health, and prevent tooth decay. From helping fight wrinkles to healthy hair growth, oolong tea is excellent for slowing down the aging process. It also helps detoxify the body, improve digestion, maintain weight, and even help lower the risk of diabetes, keeps you healthy for a longer duration.
3. White Tea for Anti-Aging and Wrinkles
White tea is considered the champagne of the tea world. It is made from the buds of the tea plant. It is also the very first crop of leaves harvested each season. Light and delicate are the least oxidized tea, containing only a small amount of caffeine while being packed with antioxidants. Oolong, black, white, and green teas are harvested from the same plant. Furthermore, they all have similar health benefits; white tea is considered better as the leaves are comparatively less processed where it beats green tea. It is considered to be one of the best anti-aging teas.
As it is the least processed tea, the antioxidant levels are high. The abundant nutrients present in the tea protect the body from the damage caused by the free radicals. It maintains collagen levels and protects the skin from aging prematurely. Research has shown that white tea promotes healthy skin, bones, and teeth. Still, it also lowers the native tribes of South Africa have used its blood pressure, cholesterol levels, protect the heart, maintains stronger bones and connective tissue, and aids in cancer prevention.
How to brew – for white or green tea, place your tea leaves in a tea brewer, and add hot water (70-85oC) and brew for 2 – 4 minutes.
4. Rooibos Tea for Reverse Aging
Rooibos is known as Red Bush, which a legume plant that is native to South Africa. It has been used by the native tribes of South Africa for thousands of years to treat many ailments because of its antibacterial, antioxidant, and immune-modulating properties.
Chilled rooibos can be sprayed on the skin to re-hydrate and apply the antioxidants directly to your skin. It can be used to add color to brunettes or a light reddish tint to blondes. It is low in caffeine and gives a nutty flavor. Flavonoids in rooibos fight unwanted pathogens and can keep eczema and allergy reactions at bay. It also contains high levels of nothofagin and aspalathin, as well as superoxide dismutase. Bioflavonoids like rutin and quercetin (which have shown to demonstrate natural antihistamine properties) help block histamine.
5. Hibiscus Tea for Anti-Aging
Known for its bright red color and fragrant tart flavor, Hibiscus tea can be served hot and refreshing summer cool drink. Studies have shown that drinking 3 – 4 cups of Hibiscus tea a day helps the body eliminate radicals. As a result, this protects the body from heart disease and reverses the effects of aging. Rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and diabetes can also be avoided. It is one of the best and refreshing anti-aging teas you can try!
6. Chamomile Tea for Looking Young
Being one of the oldest medicinal plants globally, Chamomile has found extensive use today in the modern world. Chamomile tea is the go-to tea for multiple problems; due to its excellent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory benefits, it’s perfect for cleansing your skin. As it is widely available, it is easy to take advantage of its skin and hair benefits.
Applying chamomile tea bags under tired eyes and on dark circles is a restorative procedure.
7. Jasmine Tea for Agelessness
Studies have shown that drinking Jasmine tea protects RBCs (red blood cells) from being destroyed by radicals. The lovely floral scent of the flowers mixed with the leaves has a very calming effect on nerves. The powerful antibacterial and antioxidants properties help the immune system stay healthy, maintain weight, prevent signs of early aging, provide protection against cancer, and help control cholesterol levels.
8. Matcha for Anti-Aging
Green tea leaves after being grounded into a fine powder give matcha. Matcha powder is believed to contain more nutrients and antioxidants than brewed green tea. Hence it has a lot of benefits. It helps in detoxifying the skin. It contains chlorophyll, antioxidants, natural antibiotics, and catechin, excellent natural antioxidants and pheno, to help fight bacterial and fungal infections.
9. Peppermint Tea for Great Skin
Peppermint is popular for settling stomach issues, improving digestion, and refreshing the appetite. The menthol in this tea slows down oil production, helps with hair loss, encourages cell turnover and hormonal issues.
10. Ginger Tea for Wrinkles
Ginger contains over 30 gingerol compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is a natural antihistamine, so it relieves allergy problems in the sinus. Chopping up and boiling a spoonful of ginger in water for a minute gives you ginger tea. Ginger can be applied topically. It is beneficial for reducing digestive issues and dealing with pain and redness on your skin.
It can also help stimulate and balance the immune system, providing Chi that is vital for overall health and beauty.
Now you are familiar with some of the best anti-aging teas; you will have to decide which tea is suitable for you. With their unique characteristics, each of them can add great anti-aging and many other benefits to your daily diet. Give them a try!
SOURCES:
Top 5 Anti-aging Teas: https://teabloom.com/blog/top-5-anti-aging-teas/
How Your Favorite Cup of Tea Might Just Help You Age Better:
12 best teas for clear, glowing skin: https://helloglow.co/best-tea-for-skin/
Top 10 everyday teas with potent health and anti-aging benefits: