Warming Up to the Benefits of Tea

Written by James Gormley, Natural Products Industry Writer

While the U.S. ranks highest in heart disease rates and in the top 50 countries in rankings of people with diabetes, one country is very low in both: Japan.

In fact, Japan was among three countries with the lowest levels of heart-related problems. Plus, while the U.S. ranked number 35 out of 195 countries for incidence of diabetes, Japan ranked very far down on the list — 137, in fact.

While this does not mean that we should all move to Japan, it does mean that there must be something in the Japanese diet that helps people there stay very healthy.

What is that something?

A big factor is how much green tea Japanese folks consume. Behind China, Japan is the green-tea capital of the world!

Not only that, the Japanese diet may protect people against conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Why? Because it’s naturally rich in green tea, fish, soy, fruits and vegetables and naturally low in added sugar, fat and animal protein.

Not that there’s anything wrong with meat, especially lean meat, but it’s a combination of those parts of the diet that is believed to be of benefit.

Ready to Tea Up?

Although tea consumption in the U.S. is low, tea is still considered the most popular beverage in the world, behind water.

No surprise, because drinking it means we’re drinking less of the unhealthy stuff — like soda — and tea, especially herbal tea, does a lot of other good things, including helping the body get rid of toxins.

In addition, recent research shows that tea helps boost energy, energy levels, assists the body in keeping glucose levels healthy, and helps us lose weight.

Can Tea Tackle Body Fat, Help with Weight and More?

There’s a lot of research which shows that specific herbal tea ingredients can do just that. In fact, a study from Denmark showed that elderflower (Sambucus nigra) extracts contain bioactive compounds that improve glucose and fat metabolism.

In fact, a very comprehensive review of elderberry and elderflower by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration proved that elderflower supports immunity, heart health, healthy cholesterol (already in range), and reduced body weight.

Marjoram tea was shown to support healthy insulin sensitivity in women and, in experimental studies, to aid immunity.

In fact, in a group of adult students, drinking marjoram was shown to produce "A significant reduction in body weight after one month of consuming marjoram."

That being said, marjoram is most certainly not the only herbal tea ingredient to show weight-loss benefits.

Researchers have found, in experimental studies, that whitethorn (also called hawthorn) has “tremendous potential as [a] natural weight lowering agent.”

In addition, recent research shows that black tea and oolong tea also help us jettison fat, but not because of the caffeine. In fact, oolong tea boosts both metabolism and fat burning.

Green tea also helps us reduce body fat, weight and our waistlines. It additionally helps us keep our gut microbiome healthy, our balance of good and bad bacteria.

A less traditional yet effective tea ingredient, celery root, has been shown to support circulatory health, healthy insulin levels already in range, and healthy blood pressure levels that are already in a normal range.

Herbal teas also contain other compounds, like antioxidants and flavonoids, which are health promoting, especially for heart health.

Tea as Part of Your Diet

Aside from the specific health benefits of tea, regular drinkers of tea are more likely to have other healthy habits, too, like eating more fruits and veggies.

The good news — there is a way to fit new healthy hacks, like drinking more herbal tea, into your life with as little disruption as possible. You can change a little or a lot, but it all depends on your goals.

Almased Wellness Tea features a special blend of elder blossoms, whitethorn berries, marjoram, woodruff and celery root — the best thing is that it’s naturally caffeine-free and is a perfect complement to the Almased Figure Plan.

Are you ready to warm up to the benefits of Almased Wellness Tea today?