A group of medical experts at the Kings College in London, UK, have recently conducted a new study which completely annuls popular beliefs that tea drinking may cause loss of fluids and dehydration. On the contrary, researchers writing in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition state that tea is far more beneficial for us and our body than water. Besides the fact that tea is as much a rehydrating agent as water, it is an extremely potent antioxidant and anticancer agent. This is mostly due to the flavonoids and polyphenol antioxidants which are natural ingredients in the beverage.

"Studies on caffeine have found very high doses dehydrate and everyone assumes that caffeine-containing beverages dehydrate. But even if you had a really, really strong cup of tea or coffee, which is quite hard to make, you would still have a net gain of fluid. Also, a cup of tea contains fluoride, which is good for the teeth," stated Public health nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton who took part in the investigation.

Tea leaves are a very rich source of flavonoids. Flavonoids are a class of naturally occurring plant compounds that function as antioxidants. They are plant pigments and even if they are not labeled as essential nutrients, they enhance the processing of vitamin C, which is itself a powerful antioxidant. Flavonoids are also needed to maintain capillary walls and protect against infections. Deficiency of flavonoids may lead to easily bruising.

Flavonoids are extremely potent anti-oxidants. Antioxidant properties of the natural pigments fight against molecular oxidation by the free radicals; this is why they are called anti-oxidants. In our body, an infinite number of chemical reactions take place every day.

A part of the chemical changes in the cells that use oxygen give birth to free radicals, which are harmful for the cells and the organism. An excessive amount of free radicals interact with the DNA or parts of the other cells in the body and may damage them. But the antioxidants counteract and neutralize these organic "enemies."

For the study, researchers have analyzed a large number of scientific works on water and tea's properties and effects upon our health. They found that tea rehydrates our body as well as water, but it also contains the "magic" ingredients which keeps us from a wide range of various health disorders.

The team involved in the study showed that consuming 3 or 4 cups of tea daily cuts the odds of suffering from a heart attack. Also, tea drinking clears our mouth of all unfriendly bacteria which form the tooth plaque, therefore preventing from tooth decay and cavities. Regular drinking of tea strengthens the bones and teeth, too.

"Many people wrongly think that inking tea will make you lose fluid and become thirstier, but this is a myth. Tea is in fact rehydrating, not dehydrating. Add to this the overwhelming evidence that inking tea every day can be beneficial to heart health, and you could argue that inking tea is actually better for you than inking water. Our bodies need antioxidants to help fight off the attack by free radicals and tea provides the most abundant source in the UK diet. You don't find these antioxidants in water alone.

We should also consider the positive benefits that inking tea has on hydrating Britons - many of whom are elderly and don't ink water," Dr. Ruxton pointed out.