A number of our favourite tipples now include caffeine, a stimulant. Tea It has been estimated that 196,000,000 cups of tea are drunk every day in the UK alone, and that the average person in the UK will consume no less than 80,000 cups of tea during their lifespan. Tea does contribute slightly to our intakes of some minerals, and it certainly will help to replace lost fluids, but the health interest in tea at the moment surrounds its proposed role in lowering coronary heart disease risk.
Tea contains a group of antioxidant substances called flavonoids.
These flavonoids have been shown to be able to slow down or inhibit the chemical reactions that are thought to take place during the development of coronary heart disease. But remember that fresh water is still the best way of rehydrating our bodies, so for every cuppa you have, try and drink a glass of water too. There has also been a lot of interest recently in the health advantages of green tea, with many claims that it can reduce blood cholesterol levels. However, scientific studies investigating the effect of green tea on blood cholesterol levels are divided. Some studies have found no effect at all.