When
you think of good-for-you beverages, water immediately comes to mind,
but there are others worth adding to your diet.
Some drinks
have tremendous health benefits, from relieving minor ailments like
indigestion to protecting against serious ones like osteoporosis.
Here, five choices that are packed with disease-fighting nutrients.
Now that's easy to swallow.
1. Tea
Tea
is actually one of the three healthiest drinks in the world. In fact,
it is the most commonly consumed beverage after water. The simple tea
leaf has conquered the world and has become a beloved drink that
billions of people enjoy.
However, tea is not just an ordinary
beverage. This delicately flavored drink offers numerous important
health benefits. It’s therefore not sensible to stop drinking tea
in favour of sweetened, artificially flavoured drinks.
The
antioxidants that tea contains in abundance can help keep our immune
systems healthy and fight infections; they have anti-aging
properties, and can even help in the fight against cancer causing
cells.
The polyphenols in tea can reduce gastric, esophageal and skin
cancers. Another health benefit of tea is that it has virtually no
calories. Tea is a perfect beverage for people who are trying to
reduce weight. It is also a preferred alternative to coffee as it has
less caffeine. Tea also contains fluoride for strong teeth.
Green tea
also seems to help protect the body from autoimmune disorders. As one
of the healthiest drinks in the world, green tea aids digestion,
boosts the immune system, promotes weight loss, inhibits carcinogens,
and lowers cholesterol and high blood pressure.
It’s
clear that we should be drinking as much tea as we can. And with a
sophisticated black kettle as a part of your stylish black and white
kitchen, boiling up that brew can be as fun as it is healthy.
2. Cranberry Juice
Helps
prevent gum disease. Research suggests that the same anti-bacterial
properties present in cranberry juice that fight off urinary tract
infections may also protect against periodontal disease.
Experts
theorize that a component of the juice called non-dialysable material
(NDM) inhibits bacteria from sticking to the gums.
Many nutritionists
are wary of fruit juices because of their sugar content, so limit
your intake to no more than one glass (six to eight ounces) daily.
"Make sure the label says 100 percent juice, not 'juice drink'
or 'cocktail,'" suggests Heidi Reichenberger, R.D., a
spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. You can find this
type of juice in health-food stores and some supermarkets.
3. Superjuice
One
of the healthiest drinks in the world – is a superjuice that
contains 19 different nutrient-rich fruits, and the whole fruit:
juice, pulp and skin, so you get all the goodness and antioxidants.
The main ingredient is the acai berry from the Amazon rainforest,
which has been dubbed The World’s Number One Super Food by Dr
Nicholas Perricone.
The other fruits include bilberry, goji
(wolfberry), pomegranate, acerola, camucamu, red and white grapes,
all selected so that the superjuice is packed with health-protecting
phytonutrients right across the entire colour spectrum.
4. Orange Juice
A
glass of fresh squeezed orange juice really hits the spot, but some
feel it takes too much effort to make on a regular basis.
If that is
the case, save it for when it will be most handy, like come allergy
season.
Seasonal allergies have been shown to be soothed with
both vitamin C and quercetin (a form of flavonol found in
certain fruits and vegetables), both of which that freshly squeezed
orange juice contains.
5. Lemon Juice
Yes,
you read that right. Not lemonade, lemon juice. You should drink
lemon juice.
But
no one was going to make you drink it on its own. Promise. Squeeze a
half into a cool glass of water in the morning to get your day going
right.
And
yes, this healthy beverage involves water, but water is really being
used as a mixer here. So it still earns a place on this list.
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