Study: Tea can reduce stress

New research from London suggests that drinking tea can reduce stress.

“One of the things we’ve confirmed in this study is, in the moment of crisis (people should) turn to the kettle,” researcher Dr. Malcolm Cross said.

Scientists put volunteers in a stressful scenario and found that anxiety levels spiked 25 percent in those who didn’t drink tea afterward. Those who did have it were even calmer than before.

People in England said they’ve always known that tea can reduce stress.

“It’s always a nice thing that whenever we’ve got a problem over here, I think everyone turns around and says, ‘Let’s have a cup of tea,’” British tea drinker Clair Benson said. “It’s just that 5 minutes of everyone sitting down together and having a moment of calm.”

“I think anyone can drink tea. It’s a lovely thing to do,” British tea drinker Steph Waite said.

Even if you don't like to drink it, researchers said just the simple act of preparing tea can calm you down.

Recent studies have also linked tea to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

Tea also contains antioxidants, which can be a disease fighter. Higher quality teas usually contain more antioxidants than low quality teas. White teas have the most health benefits, followed by green, then black. Brewed teas have more antioxidants than bottles and instant teas.