The beauty of tea

There are few things in life more comforting than a cuppa. There are few things in life less comforting than painful, stiff joints. So it isn’t it relieving to know that a nice cup of tea can help out with the latter? Since working in an office of dedicated tea lovers I have become a lot more experimental with my choice. I never used to stray from a traditional cup with milk and a sugar (about ten cups a day), but now that has taken a firm back seat. There are SO many flavours of tea, it’s almost overwhelming. I have tried hard to get into green tea for ages because of how many people rave about its health benefits. Once used to the taste, it really isn’t bad at all. You can also go for infused green tea in pretty little boxes. Raspberry is particularly lovely.

For those who suffer from bad joint pain, be it with hypermobility or arthritis, green tea should be considered. There is of course no guarantee that it will instantly wade in and evict pain from sore joints, but there is a large amount written about it that suggests it can lend a hand. As do most things associated with joint pain relief, it is a lot to do with anti-inflammatory properties. Green tea can reduce the production of chemokine in the body, which are proteins that promote inflammation.

Another regular on the joint pain circuit is ginger. Ginger tea has become increasingly popular lately. Used to combat colds and boost the immune system, it can also pack a punch when it comes to inflammation. Ginger features in loads of flavours of tea and is particularly taste bud-friendly when paired with lemon. You can of course make your own if you are that way inclined. Tea is consumed so widely in the UK, that a simple swap to one of these for the many sufferers of joint pain could make a difference. Of course if you feel married to and uneasy about betraying your standard Tetley, swapping one cup a day to start with is fine.

There is a short post about a research study into ginger and joints on the Arthritis Foundation website: http://www.arthritistoday.org/what-you-can-do/eating-well/arthritis-diet/ginger-benefits.php 

I’ve also discovered that apparently rubbing green tea on your face makes you look healthy. But that is another road to go down later.