Trade in your soda habit for this one
If you're trying to stop the soda habit but haven't quite developed the taste for drinking water all day, then opt for tea.
Next to water, I can't think of a beverage that's healthier for you. And with a 5,000-year record of safety, I'd say it wouldn't hurt to try and develop a tea habit.
Despite its long, honored history, tea has only been the subject of more intensive studies in the past five years. Even then, the studies have looked at populations as a whole, comparing tea-drinking ones to those that don't. Or, they're focused on animals (who I didn't realize conducted tea parties).
Tea is loaded with antioxidants in the form of polyphenols. As I wrote about in House Calls back in the spring, polyphenols are thought to offer a protective effect on the brain, helping to ward off dementia and Alzheimer's.
A research team is suggesting that these polyphenols may also protect against a variety of cancers. His group found that when human prostate cancer cells were implanted in mice, and black and green tea was substituted for regular water, the environment didn't offer a hospitable medium from which the cancer cells could grow.
Also, when green tea polyphenols were applied topically or eaten, the mice were protected against skin cancer.
There is one ongoing trial using human volunteers that shows promise for boosting HDL "good" cholesterol. The participants are either currently smokers or reformed smokers, and they also have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Those who drink tea rather than placebo have shown a significant improvement in their HDL levels.
Another bonus tea ingredient is theanine, which is tiny enough to cross the blood-brain barrier. Evidently it can help you focus better, according to another researcher. He gave his study participants the equivalent of 10 cups' worth of theanine in a single solution, and they could better handle complicated tasks than those who drank a placebo solution. Theanine also calms you by reducing blood levels of adrenalin, a stress hormone. It also gently acts at so-called GABA receptors, which has a tranquilizing effect.
However, this same researcher has found that all it takes is just four cups of caffeinated green tea to help people focus better. And four cups of caffeinated tea doesn't have the same effect as four cups of coffee, which would leave you climbing the walls. In fact, the presence of theanine in green tea may be one reason that its caffeine effect is so mild
Some folks are a little put off when they first try green tea, due to its slightly bitter taste. But more and more teas are coming onto the market every day, flavored with a variety of citrus and berries, so I'm sure you'll find something you'll like. My favorite is a red tea from South Africa called Rooibos Tea. It has a pleasantly bland flavor. I sweeten mine with a teaspoon of cranberry or pomegranate juice concentrate. It's full of health-promoting polyphenol antioxidants and absolutely no caffeine, if that's what you prefer. South African doctors use it as a natural remedy for a variety of ailments. Give it a try if you're looking for a healthy tea drink minus the caffeine.
And don't discount good old-fashioned black teas. They are found to contain many of the same health benefits as the green teas.
