Stressed out?
Reach for a soothing cup of black tea.
A recent study
conducted by University College London researchers evaluated the effects of
black tea on stress in the body. Seventy-five regular tea drinkers were split
into two groups. All study participants gave up their normal tea, coffee, and
caffeinated beverages. One group drank a caffeinated black tea. The control
group drank a caffeinated fake-tea placebo.
To eliminate
the "comforting" effect of drinking a cup of tea, researchers masked
the sensory cues typically associated with tea drinking. Then they had the
groups perform challenging tasks to evaluate their bodies’ stress responses as
measured by the hormone cortisol, blood pressure, blood platelets, and
self-rated stress levels.
The tasks
caused similar stress levels in both groups. However, 50 minutes after
performing the tasks, cortisol levels had dropped by an average of 47 percent
in the tea-drinking group compared with a mere 27 percent in the fake-tea
group. The researchers also found that blood platelet activation (which is
linked to blood clotting and the risk of heart attacks) was lower in the tea
drinkers. And the tea drinkers reported feeling more relaxed in the recovery
period after performing the tasks.
Because tea is
chemically complex, researchers can’t yet pinpoint the ingredients responsible
for its beneficial effects. What they do know is that enjoying a cup of black
tea may speed recovery from the daily stresses in life. And that, in turn, can
help reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease.
Stock up on
healthy and delicious organic black tea. It’s calorie-free, packed with
powerful phytonutrients, and can help soothe away stress too.
[Ed. Note:
Kelley Herring is the founder and CEO of Healing Gourmet
(www.healinggourmet.com), and is editor-in-chief of the Healing Gourmet book
series.
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