Everyday there is something new to love about tea.

With varieties such as, black, green white and oolong, there is a tea for everyone who wants to enjoy the health benefits of this plant.

A study done by UCLA, found that drinking three cups (or more) of either green or black tea a day can reduce your risk of stroke by 21 percent. The health benefits associated with tea come from its high levels of antioxidants such as polyphenols, flavonoids and catechins, which fight free radicals in the body and prevent healthy cells from being harmed. Other studies have found that drinking a couple cups of tea a day may also help lower cholesterol and protect against certain cancers.

The ritual of drinking tea is also a great way to break bad eating habits.

Making time to have tea instead of sweetened beverages or colas can help you to shed pounds as an added bonus.

Green tea drinkers seem to stave off the effects of old age better than non-drinkers.

Following nearly 14,000 adults age 65 and older, they found that people who drank the most green tea were the least likely to develop “functional disability” over the next three years.

Functional disability refers to problems with daily activities like going to the store or doing housework, or difficulty with more-basic needs like dressing and bathing.

Not only their mental and physical health was better but also their emotional well being and social lives were better, as well.

The good news is that drinking green tea can lower cholesterol.

Good because we can all do it.

Green tea is accessible and affordable. It also, makes a great replacement for sugary caffeinated drinks because it offers a lift with just a hint of caffeine along with cancer fighting, fat busting polyphenols and flavonoids

Advocates say green tea’s heart-healthy benefits are due in part to a large concentration of polyphenols, which block the absorption of cholesterol in the gut. But skeptics argue that any beneficial effect would be small, and the side effects from a few too many cups a day not worth it.

As part of a healthy diet and lifestyle, the benefits of green tea are hard to ignore.