Tea Party Diva

We all know how soothing it is to sit down with a cup of tea. A study headed by Professor Andrew Steptoe, at the University College of London has yielded scientific proof that black tea has a positive effect on lowering stress hormone levels.

The Study - Black Tea and Stress
The 6 week study randomly split 75 young male tea drinkers into two groups. One group was given a fruit cafeinated fruit flavoured tea mixture and the other a caffeinated placebo, identical in taste.

While the drinks both looked like regular black tea, the smell and taste were different, to negate the associative effect of “a nice cup of tea and a sit down”.

Participants drank this “tea” four times daily. They were not allowed to drink any other caffeinated drinks, including tea or coffee, during the period of the study.

The University College of London reports,

Both groups were subjected to challenging tasks, while their cortisol, blood pressure, blood platelet and self-rated levels of stress were measured.

Participants were subjected to stressful situations. These included simulated situations where they had to argue their case in front of a camera against e.g. threat of unemployment, being accused of shoplifting or a nursing home incident.

The Effect of Black Tea on Stress Levels & Recovery
While similar stress levels were experienced in both groups,

50 minutes after the task, cortisol levels had dropped by an average of 47 per cent in the tea drinking group compared with 27 per cent in the fake tea group.

UCL researchers also found that blood platelet activation – linked to blood clotting and the risk of heart attacks – was lower in the tea drinkers, and that this group reported a greater degree of relaxation in the recovery period after the task.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION - PLEASE NOTE

Consult your doctor, naturopath or health practitioner for more information. This information is for interest only, and is provided as a starting point for your own research. Under no circumstances, should it be substituted for medical or health advice.

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