A slice of lemon in a cup of tea is tradition from England to Russia and in several countries in between. For most tea drinkers, it serves to merely enhance the flavor, but read on and you will see that it does so much more than that. Check out a few reasons why lemon continues to be a popular and healthy addition to your cup of tea.
- Lemon juice is packed with Vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential to help fight free radicals that damage DNA. Free radicals can lead to diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Vitamin C also helps maintain teeth and bone health as well as decrease the risk of cataracts. If you don’t have a slice of lemon, lemon juice will benefit in the same ways.
- Lemon can help control blood sugar levels. They contain a compound called hesperidin which can modify the enzymes in your body that can cause high blood sugar levels. Hesperidin also has cholesterol lowering effects.
- Lemons contain limonoids. According to a study done by the “Journal of Nutrition” in 2005, this compound has the potential to slow the growth of cancer cells.
- A little lemon can help reduce astringency. Black teas such as an Assam, Ceylon or even Darjeeling is known to have an astringent or “bitter” taste. Lemon juice can help counteract that taste which may be the reason tea lovers have enjoyed lemon in their tea for so long.
- Tea with lemon can improve digestive health. On its own, hot tea can encourage the elimination of toxins and waste products in the body. The addition of lemon can help your body better absorb the beneficial substances in tea such as the antioxidants.
Are you convinced yet, or maybe a little curious at least? As for what tea we recommend with a slice of lemon, we can honestly say that just about all of them go well. Steer clear of white teas though as the delicate taste will definitely be overshadowed by even the slightest squeeze of lemon. Black teas or green teas are all fair game. Even flavored teas, oolongs or pu-erh teas will take lemon. What tea will you try? Drink to your health and good taste.
