Health Matters with Dr. David: Tea: Help or Hype

"Have read about tea lately? Recent research shows it even helps lower your blood pressure. Now I love a good cup of tea, but is the stuff in this mug really what it's cracked up to be... help or hype?

Tea is the world's second most consumed beverage behind water. It's been around for thousands of years and for much of that time many have suspected it has health benefits... and just recently plenty of evidence has come to light that confirms why we should all be drinking more tea.

And not just the anti-oxidant rich green tea we've heard about for the past decade... it now appears all kinds of tea are beneficial... including the most commonly sold in the U.S.... black tea.

One study showed drinking three cups of brewed black tea daily really will lower blood pressure. Plus tea of any color is rich in flavonoids. Those are plant nutrients that help prevent some cancers and heart disease. Besides tea, flavonoids can be found in fruits... wine... and dark chocolate too.

One word of caution before you throw yourself a tea party... be aware that the drops in blood pressure were small... meaning someone with high blood pressure shouldn't rely on tea to bring their pressure back to normal.

And if you add too much sugar or milk to your tea... it's likely you'll be erasing all the benefits.

"So here's the bottom line. the health benefits of tea are minor, but real. so drink up... it's a help."