Warm up this Cold & Flu Season with a Healthy Cup of Hot Tea by Tasia Hurt
It's Hot Tea Time!
NEW YORK, Jan. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- January is National Hot
Tea Month and hot tea is just what "the doctor ordered" all winter
long! Although January is usually the coldest month, the cold &
flu season spans the winter. The Centers for Disease Control &
Prevention (CDC) estimate that 35 to 50 million Americans come down
with the flu each winter season.
So what can you do to avoid colds and the
flu?
The CDC strongly recommends an annual flu vaccine as the best
way to reduce the chances of getting the flu. Joe Simrany,
president of the Tea Council of the USA, recommends consuming
plenty of fluids especially hot tea. "Hot tea soothes the throat
and warms the body on chilly winter days, and it can promote
relaxation."
Research findings report that drinking black tea might improve
the body's defenses and quicken the response to bacteria and
viruses - giving people more reason to brew a hot cup of tea this
winter.
Published research from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard
University indicates that theanine, an ingredient found naturally
in tea, supports the immune system. A cup of tea contains an
average of 20-25 mg of theanine. Drinking tea throughout the day
might strengthen the immune system, which is important during the
cold and flu season.
Drinking five cups of black tea a day for two to four weeks
boosted the body's immune defense system by four times, according
to the results of another published clinical trial. According to
this study, the data suggest that drinking black tea boosts the
body's natural resistance to infection.(1)
Hot tea is good year-round for a relaxing, warm beverage with
naturally present antioxidants. Tea can be soothing or stimulating,
and it is widely available.
So steep up a cup!
So why not do something good for your body while enjoying a
delicious hot beverage. It's easy to steep a cup of tea,
either from loose leaf or tea bags. For black tea, bring
water to a boil and immediately pour over the tea bag. Let it steep
for two to five minutes depending on how strong you like your tea.
Stay healthy this cold & flu season and drink tea every day!
For more information about the role of tea in a healthy diet
and lifestyle, please visit www.TeaUSA.org.
1) Kamath AB, Wang L, Das H, Li L, Reinhold VN, Bukowski JF.
Antigens in tea-beverage prime human Vgamma 2Vdelta 2 T cells in
vitro and in vivo for memory and nonmemory antibacterial cytokine
responses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 May 13;100(10):6009-14.
Epub 2003 Apr 28.
SOURCE The Tea Council of the USA
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