
Drinking just one cup of tea could reduce the risk of dementia and cancer, according to experts.
As a nation, we love a cup of tea and there are not many situations that canβt be improved with a good brew, as the Daily Express reports.
But now it turns out thereβs a medical reason to pop the kettle on, as boffins believe that tea could help fight off serious illnesses.
Health benefits begin at just one cup daily but increase with the more you have β which should be good news as we get through around 100 million cups of the good stuff every day.
According to research, 40β50 per cent of dementia cases could be prevented through lifestyle changes β and drinking more tea can be a simple first step.
Nutrition scientist Professor Jonathan Hodgson of the Edith Cowan University in Australia explained that βthere is growing evidence that as little as 1βto-2 cups of tea daily could significantly reduce risk of vascular dementia and potentially Alzheimerβs disease.β
Specifically, data from long-term prospective cohort studies have found that a reduced risk of dementia is associated with the consumption of 1β6 cups of tea daily β peaking at 2β4 cups β with a moderate intake of flavonoids in tea also found to be key.
Various studies have also suggested that tea consumption is positively correlated with a reduced risk of some cancers β including biliary tract, breast, endometrial, liver, and oral cancer.
Nutrition expert Dr Raul Zamora-Ros of the Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research in Barcelona said: βMore research needs to be done to determine the exact dosage.
However, he added, βthe conclusion we can share is that higher intakes of tea consumption may reduce the risk of some forms of cancer.β
