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Can Tea Cure What Ails You?
You know the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”? While, no one will object to you eating an apple a day, I’m not sure an apple has the healing power that this adage proclaims.
Now if you were to change it to “a cup of hot tea a day keeps the doctor away”, that would make a little more sense.
Why? Because tea is one of those things I like to call a superfood…or superdrink in this case.
Tea has some amazing medical benefits and researchers have found that drinking tea regularly can prevent a wide range of illnesses.
History of Tea
Tea was first discovered in China, where it has been used there for thousands of years. It was used for a variety of reasons, including it’s medicinal qualities. Now they didn’t have the science to back it up then, but tea was thought to be have healing powers and one Emperor of China, Shennong, tested tea and placed it on his list of medicinal herbs. Later, a Chinese philosopher named tea the “elixir of life” (source).
Teas and What They Can Prevent/Treat
- Green – Cancer: “tea contains compounds called catechins, compounds that scientists theorize may help stop the growth of cancer cells and prevent cellular mutations that contribute to cancer development.” Drink green tea to lower your chances of rectal, pancreatic, colon, breast, ovarian, prostate and lung cancers.
- Black – Diabetes: black tea can help diabetics maintain a normal level of glucose and insulin. According to Diabetes.co.uk, tea can also contribute to reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Green – Arthritis: tea has anti-inflammatory properties, which can relieve arthritic pain. And tea is also believed to block a certain type of cell from damaging your cartilage.
- Green – High Cholesterol: foods that are rich in antioxidants, like tea, may help reduce cholesterol. Antioxidants not only relax blood vessels, the flavanoids prevent LDL cholesterol from oxidizing, which leads to plaque forming on the arterial walls.
- White – Cavities: no, really. White tea is known to stop bacterial growth in your mouth, preventing tooth decay.
- Hibiscus – High Blood Pressure: you’ll want to drink some hibiscus tea to help lower blood pressure. Hibiscus contains bioactive phytochemicals, which act as a natural ACE inhibitor.
- Ginger – Digestive Issues: combining the medicinal qualities of ginger and tea is nothing short of amazing, especially for your digestion.
- Peppermint – Tummy Aches: According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, “peppermint relaxes the muscles that allow painful digestive gas to pass.” So next time your stomach feels yucky, relax with some peppermint tea.
Essential Oils & Tea
You didn’t think you were going to get health information without a list of essential oils, did you?
In all seriousness, I love teas for different health conditions, but I also find it just as easy to add drops of certain essential oils to my favorite chai or herbal tea to get the same results.
Here are some essential oils you can try:
*Note: I would only recommend Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade oils for internal use
- Peppermint – put a few drops of peppermint oil in your tea for energy or digestive support purposes.
- Ginger – used to help soothe, comfort, and balance the digestive system.
- Wild Orange – a great oil to add to green tea, wild orange is perfect for cellular support, uplifting moods, or emotional balance.
- Lemon – not only will a drop of lemon oil make your tea taste great, I use it for digestive issues, to boost immunity, and relieve nausea symptoms.
Looking to purchase the essential oils mentioned? Click here.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.
