Tea or coffee? Considering these health benefits of tea may help you the next time you need to choose.

What tea lack in variety, it makes up for with some really big health benefits! Researchers have found that polyphenols, a type of antioxidant, and phytochemicals are some of the reasons for tea’s health properties.

1. Tea is proven to improve exercise endurance. The antioxidants in green tea extract help the body burn its fat as fuel, which accounts for improved muscle endurance.
2. The antioxidants could help protect you from getting an abundance of cancers including: breast, colon, colorectal, skin, lung, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver, ovarian, prostate and oral cancers.
3. Tea could help reduce the risk of having a heart attack.
4. Tea could also help protect against cardiovascular and degenerative diseases.
5. Tea helps fight free radicals and since they’ve been linked to cancer, I think we should take all the help we can get.
6. Tea is very hydrating for the body, unlike coffee, despite the caffeine!
7. If you drink tea on a regular basis, it can counteract a few of the negative effects of smoking and can help fight against lung cancer. (This is good news but not a justification for cigarettes.)
8. Tea is beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes; the compounds in green tea could help diabetics better process sugars!
9. Green tea can help improve bone strength.

Tea definitely does have its health benefits, but do not solely rely on it; it isn’t a miracle cure!