There is no better healthy beverage to satisfy your thirst than ice tea. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, iced tea remains one of the healthiest in its league. You can consume various types of tea. The benefits might include important nutrients that go miles in preventing diabetes and heart diseases. Because of tea’s natural flavor, it is possible to go without cream and calorie-rich sugar.
Before looking at the benefits of iced tea, let us first look at tips to prepare and serve this healthy beverage:
Whether you are using your cooker or the best iced tea maker, you should always practice safely whenever you prepare your iced tea. By doing that, you will be able to avoid food-borne diseases. According to the Washington State University, the right way to prepare iced tea is by steeping it in hot water and then adding some ice in order to reduce its temperature compared to making it by allowing it to steep for several hours at room temperature.
The following are some of the iced tea benefits:
Low number of calories
Naturally, iced tea is low in calories. This fact that can help you to reduce your sugar intake and lose weight. By using iced tea to replace high-calorie drinks such as cola and soda, you can be able to cut your daily intake of calories. For example, 12 ounces of iced tea can contain 125 calories while iced tea contains only 2 calories.
Rich in antioxidants
Whether it is black or green tea, iced tea contains huge amounts of free-radical fighting antioxidants. The antioxidants are effective at strengthening bones and offering protection against fractures. They can also protect you from different types of cancers including lung cancer, prostate, skin, and breast. According to a 2001 study that was published in the Journal of Nutrition, black tea antioxidants by the name theaflavins are equally effective compared to those by the name catechins present in green tea.
Prevents Heart Diseases
Drinking iced tea goes miles in preventing heart diseases in various ways. Drinking it helps the hardening of the arteries and lowering the risk of heart attacks. The heart-benefiting properties emanate from its anti-inflammatory properties. According to a 2012 study, researchers noted that iced tea reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease by 10 – 20%.
Boosts Mental Alertness
Iced tea contains a good amount of caffeine that is handy at boosting your mental performance. That way, you will be able to remain alert during the day and conduct your tasks more efficiently. The mild stimulating effect improves your capability to process information. Iced tea might contain roughly 50 milligrams of caffeine in a normal cup. Medical practitioners opine that 40 – 400 milligrams of caffeine is moderate and enhance mental alertness.
Stabilization of Blood Sugar
Ice is great for the general stabilization of blood sugar because of the phytochemicals and flavonoids, which are present. Nonetheless, new studies indicate that hot tea might not be as ideal as iced tea in that regard. Individuals that suffer from blood sugar conditions such as diabetes might discover that taking plenty of hot food cause insulin levels within the blood to break down. That may result in the body to overcompensate through spiking blood sugar products hence increasing blood sugar.
Great Source of Manganese
Incorporating iced tea to your diet is handy at helping you consume more manganese. Every 8-ounce serving of the beverage provides 520 micrograms of manganese (35%) of the recommended intake per day for women and 23% for men.
Due to its manganese content, iced tea usually promotes healthy wound healing as well as helping maintain the strength of bones. What’s more is the fact that it supports metabolism as well as activates superoxide dismutase (an enzyme that prevents tissue damage).
Incredible source of Flavonoids and Fluoride
Consuming iced tea assists increase fluoride intake as well provides beneficial flavonoids. To drive the point home, an 8-ounce portion of ice tea consists of roughly 0.5 milligrams of fluoride that goes miles in improving the strength of both your teeth and bones. Taking appropriate amounts of fluoride also helps to fight tooth decay. Taking foods that are rich in flavonoids can help you fight chronic diseases such as heart diseases.