With or without ever really looking into it, we all know that drinking tea is good for us. Whether it’s a morning cuppa with milk and two sugars or enjoying a cool, ginseng tea on a hot summer’s day, we’ve all been programmed to understand that tea, more so than any other hot beverage, offers a healing touch in more ways than one.But just how and why is tea so good for us, exactly? Surely consuming vast quantities of sugar throughout the day (all those teaspoons do add up!) can’t be THAT beneficial? Luckily, English Breakfast tea is simply black tea and even with the milk and sugar, research has shown that it might not only slow or prevent the growth of cancerous cells but improve artery health too. In this issue however, we’ve looked into hawthorn tea. With the origins of hawthorn berries stemming from within the continent, the berries are mostly used for their medicinal qualities in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and of course the UK. Rich in vitamins and antioxidants, hawthorn berries – as well as the tree’s leaves and flowers –can indeed create a potent healing brew.

Often used as a heart tonic, hawthorn tea is believed to improve cardiovascular function through increasing oxygen and blood supply to the heart, thereby aiding a person’s overall blood circulation. Additionally, it’s also helpful for those with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. By drinking hawthorn tea, levels of clogging or inflammation within the arteries are reduced; once again strengthening your blood flow. For women who are experiencing menopause related hot flashes, hawthorn tea has been known to ease discomfort and even smooth over the occurrence of sudden episodes! Mostly, tea serves as a fallback for relaxation and in this respect, hawthorn does not disappoint! Calming nerves and keeping anxiety at bay, hawthorn tea works wonders by relaxing its drinkers without the dreaded sleep inducing feeling they might experience from other teas. As for what active compounds are at work when you consume hawthorn tea, the plant and berries are rich in vitamin C (prefect for those keen on improving their immune systems) and contains vitamin A and some B vitamins. Magnesium and potassium are also present. Keen on giving hawthorn tea a try? Find it in your local health store such as Holland & Barrett! By Lily Niu.