If you are a coffee drinker, you may not understand the simple pleasure of tea. But if you’re a tea drinker, you know how delightful this warm, comforting, and magical beverage is. You already know there’s a tea for every mood and situation, but what if there was proof to back it up? What if you knew that your tea habit actually had some serious health benefits?
Aside from the obvious benefits of hydrating you, tea can actually do a lot for your physical, emotional, and mental health. But new research shows that on top of that, tea may actually help to lower your cholesterol levels.
If you’re intrigued, keep reading. You may be surprised to learn about the relationship between tea and cholesterol. Getting your cholesterol into a normal range with healthy levels is vital for overall health and wellness. Read on to learn more.
Health benefits of drinking tea
There are many health benefits of drinking tea. One obvious benefit is the fact that it is a great source of hydration. Because it tastes so delicious, you will drink more of it than you might if you were just drinking a plain glass of water. Being well hydrated is essential for glowing skin, cellular and organ function, and many other normal body functions and homeostasis.
But there’s more. One huge health benefit of drinking tea is the potential for it to slow aging. An article on MSN reports, “Drinking tea on a daily basis can provide you with many different nutrients, including those with age-related benefits.”
Various types of tea all have different health benefits that can improve your physical health and even make you look and feel younger. For example, green tea is packed with antioxidants, which can reduce cellular damage thanks to its power to prevent illness, reduce inflammation, and even lower your risk of many types of cancer. Similarly, rooibos can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and oolong tea “makes your skin brighter and can promote bone and tooth strength.” Bone health is a big part of feeling young and staying health, active, and spry!
Many teas contain antioxidants that are good for their anti-aging properties but also their ability to lower your blood pressure, fight inflammation, and more. Some teas are great for detoxing and helping you to lose weight, which is why many people incorporate a tea habit into their weight loss routines and efforts.
Pu-erh tea
Most people are familiar with black tea and green tea, but there are countless varieties of tea, so there’s something for everyone. Have you ever heard of pu-erh tea? According to Sencha Tea Bar, “Pu-erh tea, pronounced poo-air, also comes from [the Camellia sinensis plant] and boasts numerous health benefits. Pu-erh tea is cultivated exclusively in the Yunnan province of China and derives its name from the Pu-Erh County in which it is grown.”
This specialty tea is more rare and specialized since it is exclusively grown in a specific area of China, but it’s worth the extra hassle to find it! It’s a very smooth, mildly sweet tea that comes in both green and black varieties. It does have caffeine, so it’s a tea that’s best consumed when you want a boost of energy, like in the morning or as an afternoon pick-me-up.
Another important thing to know is that “This type of tea is aged and naturally fermented and has been revered in traditional tea societies in Asia for centuries thanks to its high concentration of polyphenols, catechins and flavonoids.” Some of the most rare types are aged for more than 50 years! But even the common person can get their hands on pu-erh tea if they look in the right places.
And it is a tea you will want to get your hands on, because it has a whole host of health benefits. Some of the main health benefits of this type of tea include more energy, a lower risk of heart disease, cleansing your body of toxins and free radicals, protecting the health and strength of your bones, helping you to lose weight, reducing your stress levels, and preventing various types of illness and disease. It can also cleanse, aid in digestion, and help you sleep better.
Did you know that pu-erh tea has also been shown to be able to prevent cancer? Sencha Tea Bar shares a study that found that “consistent consumption of pu-erh tea can combat cancer and prevent the growth of new cancer cells.” The article shares a study by the University of Kunming Science and Technology which “demonstrated the ability of pu-erh tea ingredients to target specific tumor cells with minimal side effects” while a second study “showed that pu-erh tea has the ability to prevent the growth of cancer cells by inhibiting cell proliferation.”
Scientists believe pu-erh’s power comes from the fact that oxidized tea polyphenols “work to eliminate free radicals and help to stop the production of irregular cells.” Of course, you should consume pu-erh tea as part of a healthy, balanced diet and take other cancer-preventing steps. And if you already have been diagnosed with cancer, it’s essential to work hand-in-hand with your healthcare provider to follow the best course of treatment for your particular situation.
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Green tea
As you now know, a tea habit has a whole host of health benefits. But another big thing that tea can do is lower your cholesterol, especially teas with high levels of antioxidants.
An article published in SFGate shares how different types of tea can lower your cholesterol. “Green tea polyphenols might help lower cholesterol by preventing it from being absorbed … Black tea lowered triglyceride levels by 36 percent and raised HDL levels by 20 percent in a study … oolong tea, a type of partially fermented tea, lowers cholesterol levels by preventing fat absorption … volunteers at risk for heart disease who consumed six cups of rooibos per day for six weeks showed lower levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and a significant increase in levels of HDL cholesterol.”
Clearly, tea has some major cholesterol-lowering effects! An article in LiveStrong explains it this way: “Green tea contains the highest levels of antioxidants known as polyphenols. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, several studies show that this beverage can lower LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol levels. It also boosts levels of HDL cholesterol, which sweeps bad cholesterol from your arteries. Researchers believe that green tea’s polyphenols inhibit absorption of cholesterol in the intestines and enhance its excretion from your body.” Green tea also contains a substance called L-thenaine which has been shown to help with mental health, specifically increased focus and relaxation.
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Herbal and ginger tea
Drinking herbal teas can be a major help to your cholesterol for various reasons.
As Healthline reports, “Traditional teas and some herbal teas contain antioxidants. Antioxidant strength depends on the type of tea and its processing method. Hibiscus has the highest recorded level of antioxidants out of all herbal teas. Teas with berries, orange peel, and peppermint tend to have similarly high levels of antioxidants. Some research indicates that antioxidants found in tea may help lower cholesterol.”
The article also states that “Herbal rooibos, or redbush tea, may help improve your lipid profile, or levels of cholesterol in the blood.”
Did you know that ginger tea can also lower your cholesterol? Ginger tea is a variety of herbal tea. It’s usually thought of as a stomach soother, but it may help with cholesterol as well, according to Healthline. “Ginger powder significantly lowered lipid levels compared to a placebo in a double-blind clinical study. Based on animal studies, dandelion tea may also reduce cholesterol.”
Lower lipid levels means lower cholesterol, which is why your tea habit may be great news for your cholesterol levels. However, as the article points out, “You won’t see the effects of herbal tea on your cholesterol right away. Many studies note that you must drink herbal teas for weeks before there is any improvement in cholesterol… Your personal health and metabolism can also affect how quickly herbal teas help to improve your cholesterol.”
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Black tea
Black tea is another great idea to lower your cholesterol! A clinical trial published by the National Library of Medicine
Another Healthline article states, “Black tea is rich in antioxidants that may provide benefits including improved heart and gut health, lowered ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.”
As you can see, black tea is another great idea for getting and keeping your cholesterol levels low!
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The power of tea to lower your cholesterol
Ginger tea is another great choice. But black, green, and herbal teas aren’t the only ones who can help your cholesterol levels. Plus, these are only the main categories of tea, and there are many types of tea that fall within these categories. You already read about some of the main benefits of pu-erh tea. But did you know it can also lower your cholesterol?
Blue Mountain Tea Company shares, “New studies with pu-erh tea and health benefits have made a startling discovery; the microbial aging of pu-erh tea can result in the production of small amounts of lovastatin, a natural statin. In the synthetic form, lovastin is commonly used to treat high cholesterol.”
The article goes on to state, “Additional studies have shown that long term use of appropriate amounts of pu-erh teas have the potential to lower LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and increase HDL levels (the good cholesterol). There have also been some cases where extensive use of pu-erh has resulted in a drop of nearly 100 points in cholesterol levels.”
Of course, if you have high cholesterol, you should always consult with your doctor before beginning any type of treatment plan. Your doctor may want you on cholesterol medications like Livalo, Crestor, Zetia, or Repatha, a new injectable prescription medication for cholesterol. A prescription is required to order from our CIPA-certified Canadian pharmacy.
But in addition to treatment with prescription drugs, a healthy tea habit never hurts!
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