You Should Really Drink That Much Tea a Day
A study proves that the consumption of tea can improve our intestinal health. You can find out how many cups of which tea you should drink here.
For some time now, our intestines have been receiving a lot of attention when it comes to living healthily for a long time. And rightly so: it plays a role in the development of various diseases, for example, and a healthy intestinal flora also helps us to reach or maintain our desired weight. British researchers from the Tea Advisory Panel (TAP) took this as an opportunity to investigate how the consumption of tea affects our intestines. They compared data from 24 studies in a meta-analysis.
You should drink this much tea every day – According to your intestines
The result: four to five cups of tea per day are optimal for your intestinal flora. This is because this quantity increases the number of certain good intestinal bacteria, the so-called bifidobacteria: They improve digestion and the immune system by displacing pathogens.
The polyphenols in tea are responsible for the growth of the good bacteria. These are secondary plant substances that have an antioxidant effect and protect us from dangerous free radicals. These are caused, for example, by stress and harmful environmental influences and promote diseases such as cancer or rheumatism. Previous studies have also shown that a high intake of polyphenols can reduce the risk of cancer and diabetes. Polyphenols also have an anti-inflammatory effect.
How do polyphenols work in the intestine?
Polyphenols are relatively large molecules – that is why they cannot be absorbed by the upper part of the digestive tract, but only develop their effect in the large intestine, where they feed the good bacteria. These bacteria produce certain metabolic messengers called metabolites, which reach the brain via the blood and influence its health. These metabolites are also considered to be possible factors for depression, overweight and various autoimmune diseases, but the research on this is still rather thin.
Dr. Timothy Bond, author of the study, told Edinburgh News: “Everyone knows that dietary fibre or probiotics can help convert intestinal bacteria into cheaper strains. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that a simple cup of tea can also be effective”. By the way, the analysis did not include which tea has the best results. But: Especially green and black tea varieties as well as Oolong tea are considered to have a high polyphenol content.