No matter what your age, tea delivers a multitude of health benefits that range from being cardio-protective, a good source of teeth-friendly fluoride.

We all know the importance of eating a balanced diet that contains five portions of fruit and vegetables, plenty of complex carbohydrates and restricted amounts of saturated fat.  However, when it comes to what we drink, even health experts can get a little confused.  In a recent survey of health professionals only 23% of GPs knew that tea could be included in the daily fluid allowance, whereas only around 20% of practice nurses believed tea to contain the same amount of caffeine as coffee. For lots of accurate good news about healthy tea go to: www.teahealth.co.uk

Here are a few of the facts and benefits:

• Approximately 40% of the nation’s fluid intake today will be tea

• Tea is a source of the minerals manganese, essential for bone growth and body development and potassium, vital for maintaining body fluid levels

• The average cup of tea contains less than half the level of caffeine than coffee.  One cup contains only 50mg per 190ml cup.