Scientists confirm every day drink is packed with health benefits and anti-aging properties

Three is the magic number, according to scientists who have confirmed that a drink Irish people consume every day is packed with health benefits, anti-aging properties and best of all, it's cheap.

The humble cup of tea that thousands of people start and end their day with may be boosting our gut and brain health while giving us a good dose of antioxidants.

A study carried out in the Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, found that three cups of black tea a day was the benchmark for reaping all of the possible health benefits.

Black tea in particular boosts our brain, gut and heart health, found the study.

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A team of scientists looked at two groups of participants, nearly 6,000 British people between the ages of 37 and 73 and nearly 8,000 Chinese people aged between 30 and 79.

Those in the study were asked how many cups they drank a day and was their preferred tea of choice, black, green, oolong etc.

Scientists then examined blood pressure, body fat percentage and cholesterol to work out each participants age.

Their findings discovered that dinking up to three cups of black tea a day offered the most evident anti-ageing benefits. Researchers also found that polyphenols, a component in tea, is the key to it's anti-ageing properties while also having a beneficial impact on the gut, immunity and cognitive function.

Antioxidants in tea can slow down the skins ageing process while shielding the skin from damage.

The study discovered very little differences in ageing between green tea drinkers from China and black tea drinkers from Britain.