Antioxidants work to prevent the body’s version of rust and thus help to keep us young and protect us from damage from pollution.

“There’s a lot of literature out there on tea and heart health,” says Anna Ardine, clinical nutrition manager at Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “This is a health effect for which there is the strongest evidence.”In fact, a study published earlier this year that combined data from a host of earlier reports found a nearly 20 percent reduction in the risk of heart attack and a 35 percent reduced risk of stroke among those who drank one to three cups of green tea a day. Those who drank four or more cups of green tea daily had a 32 percent reduction in the risk of having a heart attack and lower levels of LDL cholesterol.

Research on this isn’t as strong, Ardine says, adding that studies that have shown an effect have depended on consumption of large amounts of tea, often in pill form.

Data from recent animal studies has shown that green tea may prevent bone loss.

5. Tea may help battle cancer

Studies on this are currently mixed, which means more research is needed, Bonci says. But, in the meantime, “if you’ve got a strong family history of cancer and you want to do anything you can, you might increase your tea consumption,” she adds.