There’s never a shortage of news reports about the assorted and sundry health benefits tea can provide. Many such reports have appeared in these very pages. And while it’s a good idea to take the sometimes miraculous health claims many merchants make for tea with a grain of salt, there’s also good reason to believe that tea can actually be good for you.

With cooler weather afoot in much of the Northern Hemisphere it’s probably not a time that many of us are thinking of hydration. But with the cool dry air of winter siphoning off our body’s moisture, it’s still something to keep in mind. We reported on the links between tea and hydration in this previous English Tea Blog article. Since then the UK Tea Council has reported on the results of a study by the Tea Advisory Panel that suggests that caffeinated beverages such as tea can be just as good as water when it comes to hydration.

Speaking of the UK Tea Council, here’s yet another report they’ve put together on the links between tea, caffeine and health. It suggests that, contrary to what many people believe, caffeinated beverages like tea “can make an important contribution to good health.”

According to Dr. Carrie Ruxton, who conducted a research review on the health aspects of caffeine-containing beverages, such as green tea, optimal intake of some caffeinated drinks deliver key benefits in terms of mental function and heart health.

Among the findings Ruxton uncovered, “caffeinated drinks in appropriate amounts contribute to healthy hydration” and “provide a range of compounds, such as polyphenols which are associated with health benefits.” As to the recommended limits for daily caffeine intake, results of the study suggested, that about 400mg a day, or about eight cups of tea, maximizes “the likelihood of health benefits,” while caffeine intakes of 600mg a day or more might result in adverse consequences.

Don’t forget to check out William’s blog, Tea Guy Speaks!