With so many varieties available, we may find ourselves wondering what the healthiest teas are. These teas often contain high levels of antioxidants, which can protect your cells from free radicals. This is why teas rich with antioxidants are incredibly popular.
To appreciate all the benefits tea has to offer, we need to look closely at antioxidants. We need to explore what they are, how they help, and what the best teas are.
Antioxidants at a Glance
We’ve all heard the term antioxidant, but do we really know what they are or why they’re important? Antioxidants are chemicals that can be man-made or naturally occurring. They work to combat cell damage, working to repair cell oxidation.
Everyone experiences oxidation, as it’s a completely normal part of life. Sometimes imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants becomes a health concern.
If free radicals malfunction within our bodies, we may be more susceptible to infections brought on by pathogens.
This is where antioxidants come into play.
We need antioxidants to offset free radicals. When this partnership is compromised, free radicals can cause many health issues. This is what makes antioxidants so important.
When free radicals and antioxidants lack harmony within the body, oxidative stress occurs.
Health Issues Linked to Oxidative Stress
Fatty tissue and DNA are directly affected by free radicals within our bodies. Since our bodies largely consist of DNA, protein, and lipids (fats), free radical damage can cause serious health issues.
Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and cancer have are all linked to free radical damage.
Pesticides, radiation, cigarette smoke, and pollution are just some of the external factors that can generate free radicals within our bodies, as well as eating excess amounts of sugar, fat, and alcohol.
Free radicals are missing an electron. As a result, they pilfer through our bodies, looking for cells to “steal” an electron from. These cells now function abnormally, since they are missing an electron. They now “steal” electrons from other cells, causing a domino effect.
This, in turn, causes even more free radicals, making the process a vicious cycle.
Our immune system becomes confused. As a result, it starts attacking all types of cells within our bodies, regardless of whether they are good or bad. The casualties are often healthy tissue and cells.
Combating Free Radical Damage With Antioxidants
Antioxidants are found in plant and animal products. They’re an essential part of life, especially Vitamins C and E. This is why a healthy diet filled with colorful fruit and vegetables is so important.
In short, antioxidants give free radicals the electron they’re missing. They’re also capable of disarming the free radical so that it is essentially harmless. They rev up our immune system and help to keep our bodies healthy.
Rife with essential antioxidants, tea plays a huge role in providing our body with nourishing antioxidants essential for healthy living.
The Healthiest Teas Available
Polyphenols, a plant-derived antioxidant, is commonly found in tea. Polyphenols are micronutrients commonly found in dried spices, red wine, cocoa, as well as fruits and vegetables. These play a key role in maintaining our health and general wellbeing.
There are many polyphenols in tea, providing many health benefits. For starters, green tea can help our body burn fat for fuel, amplifying a daily workout. A major benefit is muscle endurance, as well as cardiovascular health and playing a role in cancer prevention.
The antioxidants in green tea include catechins, flavonoids naturally occurring in tea leaves. Since green tea undergoes minimal processing, it has a plentiful amount of catechins.
Catechins are the antioxidants that can fight off and work to prevent cell damage from occurring.
Black tea such as Darjeeling tea is rich with polyphenols such as thearubigins, catechins, and theaflavins. Recent studies have shown evidence of thearubigins reducing blood sugar and cholesterol.
It’s suggested to drink three or more cups a day in order to reduce the risk of heart disease. White tea is another type of tea and thought to have cardiovascular benefits, just like its green and black tea counterparts.
Cascara Tea: The Best of The Best
Cascara tea is another type of tea that provides an abundance of antioxidants. Many people believe that cascara coffee cherries (what we make this tea from) have more antioxidants than it’s competitors, making it one of the best sources for antioxidants.
Cascara tea may help support a healthy immune system and promote mental health, as well as support high levels of BDNF, an element that helps with memory, feelings of happiness, and the brain’s ability to age.
As an added bonus, cascara tea provides a natural burst of energy with a sweeter and fruitier flavor than coffee. It has less caffeine than coffee but all the antioxidants that tea has to offer, making it the perfect drink.
Sit Back, Relax, and Enjoy
Drinking tea is excellent for a pre-workout boost or to help get you through the day. Teas rich with antioxidants provide many benefits. Cascara tea is one of the best ways to incorporate these antioxidants into your daily diet.
Maintaining a healthy immune system is an essential part of life, and antioxidants play an integral role. Cascara tea is one of the healthiest teas available, with the perfect blend of essential antioxidants and flavor, guaranteed to please any tea drinker.
We invite you to explore our wide selection of flavors and to read about the many health benefits linked to cascara teas. We use only the finest ingredients and work to create sustainable products that benefit you and the environment.
