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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- If you have a lot of stress in your life, you may want to add a few cups of black tea to your daily routine.
A new study from University College London reveals the drink can help you recover more quickly from the daily stresses of life.
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Researchers monitored 75 healthy men for six weeks. Half of the participants drank a black tea concoction four times a day; the other half drank a caffeinated placebo. Both groups were put in stressful situations to dramatically increase their blood pressure and heart rate, such as a threat of unemployment or a shoplifting accusation. They then had to prepare a verbal response and argue their case in front of a camera.
Results show similar stress levels were induced in both groups. Fifty minutes after the events, levels of the stress hormone cortisol dropped by an average of 47 percent in the group drinking tea compared to 27 percent in the group drinking the placebo.
Researchers also found the group drinking tea had lower blood platelet activation, which is linked to blood clotting and heart attack risk. Also, the tea drinkers said they were more relaxed in the recovery period after the stressful events.
"Although it does not appear to reduce the actual levels of stress we experience, tea does seem to have a greater effect in bringing stress hormone levels back to normal," says Professor Andrew Steptoe, University College London. "This has important health implications because slow recovery following acute stress has been associated with a greater risk of chronic illnesses such as coronary heart disease."
Researchers aren't sure which ingredients in tea cause the de-stressing effects.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day
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SOURCE: Psychopharmacology, published online September 30, 2006
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