Philobiblon

Another interesting example of science “proving” the truth of “old wives’ tales” – a nice cup of tea does help to deal with stress. (In a genuine double-blind trial tested against a tea-like placebo.)

“Tea is chemically very complex, with many different ingredients such as catechins, polyphenols, flavonoids and amino acids. All have been found to have effects on neurotransmitters in the brain, but we cannot tell from this research which ones produced the differences.”
He added: “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.
“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.”