Proven health benefits of tea for elderly
Tea is not a “new” beverage, it has been getting praised for its refreshing, and calming effect, alongside health benefits for ages, and modern research confirm, people were never wrong in their opinion of the healthfulness of the beverage. People with different age groups can gain benefit from this delightful beverage including older adults.
Fighting against health issues is most difficult when we grow old and chronic diseases are common in this age group. Teas are packed with antioxidants and healthy nutrients, so drinking tea can especially be beneficial for this age group.
Although all the varieties of teas are packed with antioxidants and essential nutrients, some teas work best for elderly people. In this blog, we are exploring the health benefits of drinking tea for older adults. It is going to be helpful for you to take care of yourself or your loved one in elderly age.
Why is drinking tea great for older adults?
As we grow older, there is less response from our immune system and as a result, our body slows down to respond to outer threats. Our bones and cells start to get weaker and unsupportive. This is the time that requires the utmost care for health. So, it is important to follow a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risks associated. Adding tea to a healthy diet plan with regular exercise can particularly be beneficial, the studies suggest.
With its calming effect, drinking tea can uplift the mood of elderly people, motivating them to have a joyful life. The benefits of drinking tea are the result of the antioxidants and nutrition in this popular beverage. So, what health impacts to expect with this revitalizing beverage? Keep on reading, the benefits are impressive.
Key health benefits of tea for older adults
1. Enhanced heart health
With growing age, the risk of heart disease also increases, so taking care of the heart is very important. The antioxidants, particularly in green tea, black tea, oolong tea, and white tea reduce your risk for cardiovascular diseases.
The polyphenols compound in tea helps in lowering the cholesterol level and functioning of the inner lining of your heart to protect you from heart attacks and strokes.
2. Reduce Inflammation
Inflammation is common in many elderly people who are living with chronic diseases and the worst part is that it further accelerates the growth of the disease. The polyphenols in the tea help the reduction in inflammation and prevent your disease from worsening.
3. Improved blood pressure
Green tea in particular has been praised for lowering the blood pressure of elderly people, thanks to the catechins compound in the tea that relaxes the muscles in your blood vessels to contribute to lowering blood pressure. Let's note that keeping an eye on intake amount is equally important to gain the maximum benefit. Limit your green tea intake to 3 to 5 cups a day for the best results from tea for blood pressure.
4. Protects against osteoporosis
To maintain the strength in your bone, your body keeps breaking your old bone tissue and replacing them with new ones. Unfortunately, after you complete your 40 or 50, your body is unable to accelerate the production of the new bone tissue, so there is more breakdown than replacement.
Studies show that polyphenols provide your bone with essential minerals which slow down the reduction of bone density.
So, what tea is best for protecting your bones? Well, we recommend going for black tea, green tea, or oolong tea for your bones. You can enjoy those teas hot or iced for strengthening your bone.
5. Improves mental health
You are more likely to suffer restlessness, anxiety, and depression in your older ages. It can be devastating for you and the people living around you. If you find your relatives who are struggling psychologically, try including tea in their daily routine, you may just be happy to see the positive changes in their behavior.
Thanks to L-theanine compounds, people who drink tea daily experience improved brain performance.
Tea not only helps the creative brain; but also declines the brain’s aging process. So, encourage yourself and your loved ones to enjoy tea for improved cognitive function.
6. Helps with Sleep
Nothing feels good as a good night's sleep for a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, many people experience insomnia in their elderly age that prevents them from having sound sleep. Thank god, tea is there to rescue us. The tea with its soothing effect helps relieve stress and anxiety to calm your mind before sleep time. However, be careful not to choose highly caffeinated tea. Consider lemongrass herbal tea for the best benefits before bed. The potential sedative property of the lemongrass, helping to extend the sleep duration, provides sound quality sleep.
7. Reduce the risk of diabetes
You can reduce the risk of chronic diabetes by sipping tea daily, thanks to the polyphenols that are abundant in tea. The antioxidants work by controlling the functions of a-glycosidase to reduce the glucose concentration which in turn helps control sugar levels and prevents the risk of diabetes. We advise you to enjoy your tea unsweetened.
8. Boost Hydration
Feeling languid is one of the issues in the elderly age and dehydration only makes it worse. Tea, second only to water is the best option to keep your body hydrated.
Tea has been accused of dehydrating the body for a long time, however, different researchers have found that tea can be as beneficial as water for hydration if consumed at a moderate level. Plus, it is very likely for older people not to show interest in drinking adequate water, so drinking tea can be a great option as it comes with different flavors and tastes that satisfy their taste buds.
9. Helps in maintaining a healthy weight
For the elderly suffering from heavy weight or belly fat, adding green tea to their daily routine can be significant. This is because green tea contains the catechins that boost metabolism and accelerate the calories burn; very impactful especially on stubborn belly fats.
Adding a cup of tea to a “diet and exercise” regime boosts the overall health of the elderly not limited to weight loss.
10. Protect teeth
A smile is always beautiful, whether it be a child, teenager, adult, or elderly person. Tea can make the smile even brighter.
Green tea and black tea in particular reduce inflammation and help fight against bacteria to protect your tea. These teas contain flavonoids and catechins with anti-microbial effects that strengthen your teeth to stand strong against harmful bacteria like Lactobacillus and Streptococcus responsible for different teeth disease.
White tea as a source of plentiful fluoride and tannins to strengthen your enamel protecting against tooth decay is another great option for your teeth’ health.
Let us remember when selecting the available option for oral health, we should go for hot tea over iced tea as freezy drinks lead to cavities and enamel loss.
11. Protect against colds and flu
The immune system weakens with our age and as a result, we are more vulnerable to illness, mainly in the cold seasons. Keeping your body warm during winter, tea provides antioxidants that aid in fighting bacteria and viruses.
Both real tea and herbal tea are suitable for preventing colds, however, with lemongrass herbal tea, you get additional vitamin C that helps you fight colds and flu in a much better way
Which tea is good for older adults?
With so many varieties of tea in the market, you may be confused about selecting the best option for elderly health. So, what are the best teas for the health of elderly people? Let’s explore.
Jasmine Green Tea
Speaking about the healthiest tea in the world, “Green tea” is always there on the top ranks since green tea is one of the most antioxidants packed beverages. And green tea blended with Jasmine blossoms only made it more salubrious.
We all know exercise is vital for elderly people, but it is unfortunate that they are not able to perform their routine as they lack energy. Jasmine green tea can provide some relief though, as L-theanine amino acid and catechin in the tea accelerate energy metabolism.
Great for stress relief, Jasmine Green tea also helps reduce the risks of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke for old adults, thanks to the numerous polyphenols in tea.
Black Tea
Most popular among the tea variety, black tea is rich in antioxidants that are beneficial for preventing diseases such as heart disease, cancer, strokes, dementia, and many others that come with aging. Black tea reduces the risk of heart disease by controlling the cholesterol level with an improvement in the functioning of the inner lining of your heart. This healthy tea has been identified to be effective in reducing the risk of stroke by 21 %; great for the elderly who are at high risk.
Additionally, black contains theaflavins bioactive component helpful in suppressing brain aging and slowing down cognitive decline. So, dementia, which can be an awful experience for elderly people, can be controlled to a certain level by drinking black tea regularly.
White Tea
White tea helps to fight free radicals for protecting against cell damage linked with aging. The antioxidants in the tea prevent the risk factors of heart disease by relaxing blood vessels, and lowering cholesterol and blood pressure level for proper heart function.
With its ability to suppress the growth and spread of colon cancer cells, white tea shields your body against cancer. It also boosts your immunity and is significant in improving cognitive function to contribute to good memory and focus.
Many underestimates white tea when comparing its health benefits with black tea and green tea, however, there is no huge gap. Considerably less caffeine in white tea makes it more suitable for the elderly who need to control caffeine intake.
Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is the best tea for the elderly who are dealing with high-weight issues. Remember, obesity is a risk factor for different chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. So, try including oolong tea in your daily routine if you or your loved ones are dealing with being overweight. Accelerating the metabolism, oolong tea enhances calorie and fat burn to aid weight loss.
FAQs
Is tea good for elderly people?
Yes, tea is good for elderly people as it is full of antioxidants, nutrition, and minerals that might be helpful for elderly people in many ways.
What is the best tea for older adults?
Green tea is considered best for older adults. However, white tea, oolong tea, and black tea are also great options considering their health benefits.
White tea is recommended for “tooth health” for elderly people as it has abundant tannins and fluoride that strengthen and repair enamel.
Can you intake caffeine in elderly age?
Yes, you may intake very moderate amount of caffeine depending on your health conditions. We recommend you consult with your doctor before making lifestyle changes.
Conclusion
Don’t let your age fully control your way of life, instead encourage yourself and your beloved elderly ones to live a healthy and joyful life with the above-mentioned tea from Danfe tea. We believe tea should not only be refreshing, but it also should contribute to a prosperous life for all ages. The highest-grade black teas and white teas from the Himalayas of Nepal are produced from the handpicked finest new buds of the tea plant which ensures antioxidant-packed tea for the elderly to live their life to the fullest.
