Deep, vibrant colors are best when it come to plant-based foods. They indicate high levels of antioxidants -- the stuff that protects our hearts, minimizes inflammation, and cuts the risk of cancer. If you have a choice, you should swap white grapefruit for pink, take dark greens over pale lettuce, and opt for the following black foods whenever you can.

Black Rice. Along with red and purple varieties, this grain is gaining popularity in the United States, probably because it's long been consumed in Asia due to its health benefits. Supplement your diet with black rice, says one study, and your risk of heart disease will drop. So will your chance for inflammation.

Black Beans. Much better than light-colored beans, these high-fiber treats might halt the growth of cancer in the colon, liver, and breast.

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A very interesting study on the effects of black tea on blood glucose levels was just published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

In said study, British researchers revealed that drinking 12 ounces of the beverage after eating a high-carbohydrate meal can reduce blood sugar levels. Test subjects that consumed food that contained high-glycemic indexed carbs and then drank black tea witnessed 40 percent greater decrease in their blood sugar levels than test subjects that who didn't drink the tea after the meal.

Amazingly, this blood sugar stabilization extended over a two-hour period after the meal was finished. Researchers posit that active ingredients in the tea cause the secretion of more insulin, a hormone that naturally lowers blood sugar levels.

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Tea sales are growing every year (according to the Tea Association of American tea sales have increased every year for the last 13 years!) and it's no wonder considering both the ever-increasing variety and choices we seem to have plus the positive health effects we hear about it all the time in the news.

Tea may seem simple enough, but there's more to it than you might think. For example I was surprised to learn in this article that white tea actually has more antioxidants than all the other kinds (green included) and that all standard tea comes from a single very specific plant. There's way too much in the article for me to fit it all here, but if you're interested in tea at all it's totally worth the read!

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I'm trying to become a tea drinker. I like what I'm reading about tea and it's health benefits. The thing is, I really don't like tea, so it's going slowly. I think I'm finally starting to enjoy my morning cup; I brew a little black tea with my breakfast. Not a coffee drinker, I'm enjoying the small jolt of energy I'm getting from the caffeine and the idea that I don't have to rush right into my day, but instead can sit for a few minutes and savor my steaming brew. I want badly to add some sugar, some milk, maybe even a dash of heavenly cream, but I figure if I'm going to do this, I'm going to learn to do it right.

I chose black for the heart benefits, but I have green in my cupboard as well. Hearing more and more about white tea, I decided to do some reading and came across this helpful guide. Though not totally comprehensive, it's a good starter manual for tea-newbies like myself. Choosing your tea may be as simple as taste preference, or you may want to pick your flavor based on the health benefits it offers. For instance, studies done with white tea show that it may prevent cancer, while black tea promises to guard your heart. Green tea may even help you lose weight.

I may pick up some white tea at the grocery store this week. The article describes it as "light and sweet" and that sounds more to my liking than the bitterness of the black. Anyone have a favorite brand they'd like to share with us?

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Repeated studies have shown that tea is good for cardiovascular health. The benefit comes from tea's high concentration of catechin, which aids in the arteries' abilities to relax and expand. Tea also is a very rich source of antioxidants. Countries that drink a lot of the beverage show decreased incidence of heart disease, with the exception of Great Britain, whose tea drinkers tend to add milk.

Many people are tempted to flavor tea with milk. According to this study, however, if you're drinking tea for the health benefits and adding milk, you may not be doing yourself much of a favor. Milk interacts with the tea and reduces the amount of catechin and any heart protecting health benefits along with it. Not only that, milk appears to destroy antioxidants as well.

So how should you flavor your tea? With a touch of lemon, according to the article. I'm not a tea drinker myself, but I have to imagine making the switch from milk to lemon might be a difficult transition. Does anyone have other healthful ideas for giving tea a little flavor without adding too many calories or reducing tea's awesome health benefits?

Interested in making your own tea? Here's a link to get you started!

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Good news for tea drinkers! New research proves that drinking black tea can help your body deal with the harmful long-term effects of stress. More specifically, black tea appears to help the body reduce levels of cortisol, a hormone the body produces after stressful situations, which has been linked to the onset of heart disease.

So, while drinking tea doesn't appear to help the actual stress levels we experience, it can bring those harmful cortisol levels back to normal, faster. Researchers aren't yet sure which ingredients in the tea were active in combating cortisol levels, but you can bet this subject will be researched further. In the meantime, if you're dealing with stressful situation make sure to take time for a nice hot cup of tea. Grandma apparently knew what she was talking about.

Via: The Cardio Blog

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