Known for healing benefits and promoting wisdom and happiness, tea has developed from a medical beverage originating from China to a popular and enjoyable drink.  More than just a beverage which brings people together, tea is known for its healing benefits including help with stopping the growth of cancer cells, heart disease, diabetes, help with weight loss, lower cholesterol and help with mental awareness.

Many students are looking for a drink with an overall health for the body.  The least processed, highly health beneficial, and most popular tea is green tea.  The benefits of green tea are most known for its antioxidants, which can help stop the growth of bladder, breast, lung, stomach, and pancreatic cancer.  It’s commonly made through steamed tea leaves.  Green tea helps prevent blocking of arteries, burn fat and prevent risks of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Black tea, made from fermented tea leaves, is typically the bitterest tea.  Black tea is known for containing the most caffeine out of the teas, with 40 mg of caffeine per cup where coffee is anywhere from 50-100 mg per cup.  Studies show that drinking three or more cups of black tea a day can cut the risk of stroke by 21 percent.  Studies also say black tea can help protect lungs from damage caused by smoke exposure.  Black tea is the base of many instant teas and flavored teas, like chai. Flavored teas may taste better but the beneficial effects lessen if flavor is added, many of the flavors can have lots of sugar.  An example of this is Snapple, many may think it’s healthy because its tea but Snapple’s Half & Half has 50 grams of sugar, more sugar than in one can of coke.  If looking for a pick me up pick black tea for the perfect drink.

Many students want something with an energy boost, these types of tea help with that as well as metabolism.  Oolong tea is able to lower bad cholesterol levels and also help boost metabolism, which can help with weight loss.  This tea is not the only tea that helps with weight loss, Yerba Mate tea can help with raising metabolism and giving energy.  White tea is also a tea that can help with weight loss and helps fight signs of aging and preventing cancer.  White tea is usually uncured and unfermented.

Students with trouble falling asleep, bad headaches or with anxiety should try these teas.  Other teas such as Passionflower tea can help aid with anxiety, its best before bed to help calm a busy mind.  Valerian Root tea can help with the amount of time it takes to fall asleep, its a better alternative to sleeping pills which can be habit forming.  Ginger tea can help with headaches; it has anti-inflammatory agents that help with swelling in the brain, which causes headaches.  Ginger tea is also a better alternative to aspirin because it takes the same amount of time as aspirin to help with a headache.

Tea has many natural benefits that can be better, safer alternatives to medicine.  Some say tea may not be for them because of the taste but herbal teas can help with this.  Herbal teas have flowers and berries in it that gives it a better, sweeter flavor. Peppermint tea is a common known herbal tea.

With all these magnificent qualities tea is an overall great drink. Students at BSM have also taken interest in the perks of tea.   “I think it’s beneficial because I drink it in the morning, and it’s a boost to start my day because it gives me energy, also its delicious” said junior Bailey Howard.  Her favorite type of tea is passion tea; an herbal tea sweetened with hibiscus, citrus, rose hips, mango, a little lemon juice and passion fruit.