Research has shown that one of the keys to living a longer life is to drink at least two cups of tea per day.
According to some newly-conduced research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, people who drink two or more cups of tea daily are likely to live longer than those who do not drink any, reports The Manc.
The other good news is that apparently, it doesn’t matter how you like to brew your cup either.
Whether you like it scorching hot or lukewarm, take it black, or with milk and sugar, the study found that the positive affects of a brew appear unaffected.
Genetic variants that influence the rate people metabolise caffeine were also found to not affect a brew's beneficial properties.
So, how was the research conducted then? And can we take it as the truth?
Well, the study was carried out by researchers from the National Institutes of Health using data from the UK Biobank, alongside a questionnaire that was answered by participants between 2006 to 2010, and followed up on more than a decade.
Researchers found that 85% of the 500,000 or so men and women aged 40 to 69 report that they regularly drink tea, and of those, 89% said they drank black tea.
Image: Flickr
In a middle-aged and mostly white adult general population, the research suggested that regular consumption of black tea was associated with between a 9% and 13% reduction in mortality over 10 years.
This was especially true in terms of cardiovascular disease.
The findings from the study have been described as representing “a substantial advance in the field”, according to Fernando Rodríguez Artalejo, who is a professor of preventive medicine and public health at the Autonomous University of Madrid.
Professor Artalejo did however make sure to state that the study does not definitively establish that tea is the cause of the lower early mortality, as it can’t exclude that this is down to other health factors associated with tea consumption, and the question of whether people who don’t drink tea should start doing so to improve their health also remains unanswered at this point.
“Studies should be done with repeated measurements of tea consumption over time,” he explained.
“[They should] compare the mortality of those who do not consume tea on a sustained basis with that of those who have started to consume tea or have increased their consumption over time, and those who have been drinking tea for years.”
The Good Food Guide has just released its list of the 100 best local restaurants in Britain – and one in Sheffield has made the list.
The latest edition of the Best 100 Local Restaurants list celebrates the very best venues that are loved by their communities.
A team of reviewers and inspectors scour the country to find the best of the best, and this year a beloved Sheffield restaurant has earned its rightful place back on the list.
The Orange Bird over in Hillsborough is an award-winning South African restaurant that may be small in size, but the flavours coming out of the kitchen are anything but.
Images: The Sheff
The Orange Bird has become one of the city’s biggest word-of-mouth food spots, with locals flocking there for its bold, modern South African-inspired cooking and seriously impressive braai dishes.
And if you’ve ever tried getting a reservation, you’ll already know just how in-demand this place has become.
Run by Anne Horner and Matthew Duggan-Jones, The Orange Bird has built a loyal following thanks to its vibrant menu packed with smoky, fire-cooked flavours, quality local ingredients, and dishes made for sharing around the table.
Images: The Sheff
But don't just take our word for it, here's what the Good Food Guide said: "The Hillsborough district of Sheffield is home to Matthew Duggan-Jones' homage to his South African heritage, in which the braai barbecue is a long-standing social tradition.
"Behind the Orange Bird’s dark-hued facade, there is always the infectious feeling of a party going on – 'it’s consistently delicious, exciting and inviting,' notes one local."
The Orange Bird was placed at number 54, which we think is pretty good going.
You can read the full list by the Good Food Guide here.
Read more: The Hillsborough restaurant redefining bold South African flavours in Sheffield
Featured image - The Sheff
Eats
Leeds restaurant crowned one of the best local restaurants in Britain just three months after opening
Clementine Hall
The Good Food Guide has just released its list of the 100 best local restaurants in Britain – and three Leeds spots have made the list.
The latest edition of the Best 100 Local Restaurants list celebrates the very best venues that are loved by their communities.
A team of reviewers and inspectors scour the country to find the best of the best, and this year three restaurants in Leeds have earned themselves a place on the numbered list.
One in particular has been included just three months after opening.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The Smithfield opened in April taking over the old Reliance space on North Street, and it's safe to say they had very big shoes to fill.
But they have done with ease, celebrating Yorkshire produce to a crowd that are overjoyed to see the space being brought back to life.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Here's what the Good Food Guide had to say after awarding The Smithfield with 80th place: "Opening in one of the city’s most hallowed restaurant sites was always going to invite comparison. In its day, the Reliance was a much-loved neighbourhood haunt that became the gateway drug for a generation of Leeds foodies, and a return to its burgundy paint job was a statement of intent from its new owners.
"Head chef James Donovan's CV includes Clerkenwell's Rochelle Canteen, and you don't have to do much dusting to see the Fergus and Margot Henderson's nose-to-tail fingerprints: pig's head, ox heart, hogget, and a meritocratic approach to the menu with produce leading the way – occasionally nudged along by a well-timed dollop of gribiche or a slick of bisque."
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Elsewhere on the list, it won't come as a surprise to see that the ever-so-brilliant Bavette has been crowned in 16th place. Described as a "convivial neighbourhood bistro in the northerly suburb of Horsforth" that perfectly exudes a "Franco-Yorkshire alliance".
And lastly for Leeds, the ultra-cool Empire Cafe takes spot 31 where "owners Sam Pullan and Nicole Deighton have done a grand job here, rekindling the nostalgia while making the place feel emphatically of the moment, 'high-class yet down-to-earth'."
It's a trio of great wins for Leeds' foodie scene, and you can read the full list here.