Is drinking hot tea really good for you? (Hot Tea) Let's talk about this!

Tea is an indispensable part of our lives, isn't it? When we wake up in the morning, when we come home after a hard day's work, after a meal, or when a guest comes to our house... At all these times, our hearts yearn for a delicious cup of tea. In fact, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world after water. While some people prefer it cold, many prefer a hot cup of tea. But is drinking hot tea really good for our bodies? Or is it bad? Let's talk about this in more depth.

Let's learn a little about tea types?

Although we say 'tea', tea is actually made from the plant `(Camellia sinensis)`. There are many different varieties of this plant around the world. The main types of tea made from this plant are:

• Black tea: This is what we usually drink as 'kahata'.
• Green tea: This is now very popular in our country.
• White tea: This is a bit rarer and more expensive.
• Oolong tea
• Pu-erh tea

But apart from this, there are a large number of other types that we call 'tea'. They are called herbal teas . These are made from various flowers, leaves, and roots. For example:

• Chamomile
• Hibiscus
• Peppermint
• Rooibos

The health benefits and risks of tea can vary depending on the type of tea you drink, so it's worth doing some research on the type you're drinking.

What nutrients are actually in a cup of tea?

Simply put, the tea you make is water with a very small amount of the aroma and flavor of the things you put in the water dissolved in it. Imagine that you boil some belimal in water and make tea. That gives the belimal aroma and flavor. But only a very small percentage of the nutritional value of the belimal is added to the water you drink . Also, the vitamins and minerals are in very low concentration. However, the important thing here is that most of us drink tea with sugar, and some with milk. Then the story in this nutritional table changes completely. Depending on the number of spoons of sugar and the amount of milk you add, the calorie content, sugar content, and fat content increase.

What are the benefits of drinking hot tea?

Some people say that the temperature of tea has no effect on health. But research shows that this is not entirely true. Hot drinks, in particular, have benefits for mental health.

Mental wellness

There is a concept in psychology called "warmth." It refers to the feelings of goodwill and trust we have toward another person. In one study, a group of people were given a cup of hot coffee or a cup of cold coffee to hold for a while before meeting a stranger. Surprisingly, those who held the hot cup rated the stranger as more trustworthy and "friendly." This suggests that the "warmth" of a hot beverage can affect our minds, much like the comfort we feel after drinking a hot cup of tea.

Helps with weight control

Research has found that drinking hot tea can help with weight control to some extent. It has been observed that people who regularly drink hot tea have lower waist circumference and Body Mass Index (BMI) than others . However, this does not mean that drinking tea will lead to weight loss, but it does show a link between this habit and a healthy weight.

The most important risk to pay attention to: overheating!

Along with the benefits, there is also a serious risk associated with drinking hot tea. That is the risk of esophageal cancer . This high temperature is defined as a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius (140 Fahrenheit) or higher. This temperature is usually reached when you pour the tea into a cup right after pouring it from the kettle, without letting it cool down for a moment. Don't be alarmed when you hear this. This does not mean that drinking tea is bad. The danger lies in drinking it 'too hot'.

So what do we do?

What you need to do to avoid this risk is very simple.

• Let it steep: After making the tea, let it steep for a few minutes before drinking. Drink it until it is warm enough to drink without burning your mouth.
• Add milk: If you like to drink milk tea, adding milk to the tea will quickly lower the temperature . That's also a good way.

Other healthy alternatives to hot tea

For those who are worried about the dangers of drinking hot tea, or who simply don't like hot tea, there's good news. Cold brewing tea contains almost all the antioxidants and nutrients found in hot water. White tea, in particular, has been found to have more antioxidants when brewed in cold water than when brewed in hot water. So if you like cold tea, you can get even more health benefits by choosing a white tea. Tea, hot tea, benefits of tea, side effects of tea, cancer, healthy living, nutrition