How to Live Longer By Drinking Tea

One of life's greatest pleasures is sitting down and enjoying a steaming hot, freshly brewed cup of tea. Ah, how good it feels going down your throat, and how well it prepares you to take on the rest of the day. Besides water, tea has been the most popular drink worldwide for centuries. But it wasn't until recently that people began to realize that tea was really good for what ails you. The fact is, most experts agree that tea is probably the single best thing you can add to your diet to ward off serious illness. Read on to learn how to live longer by drinking tea.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Know that research over the last 20 years supports the fact that drinking green tea can stop prostate cancer. It has been shown that consumption of four cups of green tea each day by mice has resulted in a very small amount of cancer versus those who only drank water. It's not difficult to imagine that humans would be affected in the same way.

2. Consider that the latest news about tea may invite even some loyal coffee drinkers to reconsider their choice. Researchers have found that tea may actually help strengthen bones in postmenopausal women. Women ages 65 to 75 who drank at least one cup of tea every day had significantly higher bone density in the spine and thighs than women of the same age who didn't drink any tea.

3. Keep in mind that it is commonly believed that tea has more caffeine than coffee, and that children should wait until they are older to drink it. On the contrary, tea has about half the caffeine of regular coffee. So, by preventing children from drinking tea, parents are unwittingly keeping them from something that is genuinely good for their health.

Tips & Warnings

• Drink several cups of tea each day to absorb antioxidants and other healthful plant compounds.
• Allow tea to steep for three to five minutes.
• Drink your tea freshly brewed. Decaffeinated, bottled ready-to-drink tea preparations, and instant teas have less therapeutic value.