"Tea is nothing other than this: Heat the water, prepare the tea and drink it with propriety. That is all you need to know."
- Sen Rikyu, 16th Century Oriental Tea Master

A research reported in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition has confirmed that tea is a healthier drink than water.

Apparently, tea doesn't dehydrate the drinker, but rather rehydrates just as well as the equivalent quantity of water would. Tea can also protect against heart disease and some cancers.

Desk research conducted by Dr. Carrie Ruxton, a public health nutritionist at London's Kings College found that drinking

three or four cups of tea a day can minimize the chances of a heart attack, and some reports suggested it protected against cancers.

Tea contains polyphenol antioxidants, which have been shown to help prevent cell damage.

"Drinking tea is actually better for you than drinking water," says Dr Ruxton. "Tea replaced fluids and contains antioxidants, so it's got two things going for it".