Nothing warms your body and your soul like a warm cup of tea on a winter morning. Drinking hot tea can positively impact your health and since January is Hot Tea Month, it’s time that we embrace tea’s delicious anti-aging properties.

History of Tea

People have been drinking hot tea since 2700 B.C. It began as a medicinal drink in China and has become a beloved beverage throughout the world. In fact, between coffee and hot tea, this leafy drink is the beverage of choice in Russia, Turkey, India, Great Britain, and Morocco. But even coffee-loving countries like America, with its world famous coffee shop chains, love to drink tea as well. According to the U.S. Tea Association, Americans drank 3.6 billion gallons of tea in 2015 alone. And the most popular teas consumed by Americans are black tea (85 percent) and green tea (14 percent).

Black Tea

Black tea is a fully oxidized tea that can give you a major caffeine boost in the morning. This tea is made from the leaves of a Camellia sinesis plant and contains mainly “thearubigins, theaflavins, flavonols, and catechins.” Black tea is not only delicious and energizing—it’s also a health beverage. Black tea has been said to reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease. This tea has also been associated with lower rates of type-2 diabetes.

The antioxidants in black tea can also help eliminate free radicals that can cause premature aging—thus, this tea can preserve your mental and physical health. Past studies have produced data that shows that black tea can reduce age-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Applying black tea directly to your skin can even help with physical signs of aging. You can even use black tea as a lip toner and dark under eye circle remedy.

Green Tea

Green tea, though not as popular in America, packs a larger nutritional punch than black tea. It’s made from the same Camellia sinesis plant, but is said to have twice the antioxidant potential as black tea does. These extra antioxidants can do the body a world of good. Green tea extracts are thought to have anti-cancer properties. This tea is also said to have anti-aging components, so it’s no surprise that green tea is a common ingredient in skin care products.

Whether you drink it or apply it directly to your skin, tea is packed with health benefits that can help you prevent premature aging. So, with tea, you can literally drink your way to graceful aging.