This fall, when you want to warm up, reach for a kettle and your cup and steep some soothing tea. There are many healthy and tasty reasons to say, “Pass the tea, please.”

Tea boosts your metabolism

Without milk or sugar, tea has zero calories; it also helps to boost your metabolism. Studies suggest that drinking five cups of tea a day can help you burn 70 to 80 more calories than non-tea drinkers. Couple that with a brisk walk in the autumn air, and you’ll be on the path to better fitness!

Sip tea after the home-cooked meals you are likely to enjoy even more as the holidays approach. There are high levels of tannins in all types of teas that aid digestion. In green teas, this benefit is also enhanced by polyphenols while red teas have been shown to reduce stomach cramping. Along with a low-fat diet, drinking tea may also reduce cholesterol.

Tea boosts your immunity

With the cold and flu season closing in, it’s a good idea to turn over a new tealeaf to help boost your immunity! In group studies, people who drank five or more cups of tea a day showed a five percent increase in immune response compared to those who opted for other hot beverages. According to the National Academy of Sciences, evidence also supports the notion that black tea contains an ingredient called L-theanine that helps raise the body’s defenses against viruses, fungi and bacterial infections. White and green teas are also reported to have alkylamine antigens, which give them anti-viral and anti-infective properties as well. If you already have a cold, a cup of hot tea can help soothe your throat and stuffy head, especially when you add a squeeze of lemon. Tea is also a steady source of antioxidants, which benefit the health of your cells by potentially reducing the risk of certain cancers and helping you keep a youthful appearance.

Tea has more benefits to your body

No bones about it, tea does you good. Even before you pour in a splash of milk, tea has been shown to reduce the risk of arthritis in women who regularly drink tea by 60 percent in some studies. Tea can also keep your teeth healthy. A University of Chicago study concluded tea reduces germs that cause bad breath, plus the tannins in tea have natural fluoride-like properties.

Tea is heartwarming especially when mixed with good conversation and friends, but its benefits to your heart will make you feel good, too! A study conducted in the Netherlands showed that drinking three cups of tea a day regularly can reduce the risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes. Drinking even a cup of green tea daily can reduce high blood pressure and possibly even lower the risk of heart disease. Other benefits of tea include reducing blood sugar and the risk of certain types of diabetes, as well as reducing excessive iron in the blood.  

Tea gives your brain a boost

Tea isn’t just good for your body; it’s also good for your mind! You can sip away your stress by relaxing with a cup of tea. Regularly drinking black tea has been associated with a reduction in levels of cortisol, a stress response chemical in the brain. Red tea is renowned for its calming properties. Tea is also credited with increasing clarity and mental function and can even lower the risk of cognitive problems, according to a Japanese study. You can double this benefit by reading, doing a crossword puzzle or petting a four-legged friend while enjoying your tea, since these activities have also been shown to reduce stress. It has also been suggested that tea can reduce the risk of neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

However you take your tea – with milk, sugar or plain, whether it’s black tea, green tea, red tea or white tea – you may be drinking to your health!