Who out there drinks tea for the health benefits?

I have enjoyed reading this thread. I was a compleat coffee snob until about a year ago.
I french pressed my freshly ground beans and had favorites from Africa, South America, and other places across the globe. Then I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. While looking at my diet and changes I needed to make, I found a lot of research about the
positive effects of green and oolong tea on type 2 diabetes. I started with bagged but when I started dabbling in loose leaf, it was all over. :) I happened upon Steepster, made some friends
and enjoyed some generous samples that have helped shape my tea taste.
I rarely drink coffee now, and have changed my preference to something that is not only
good but good for me. (sorry, that sounds like a commercial slogan)

I’d like to quote a fellow tea addict, I would love to take credit for this but I think they might be on steepster and then I’d be caught red handed.

“Drinking tea for the health benefits is like having sex for the exercise.” Sure they exist but its not why I do it, drinking tea that is. :)

That being said like SimpliciTea said my mind races none stop and is always trying to tackle at least a dozen projects at a time, gets quite dizzying after awhile. Everyday after work I come home and make a strong Chinese black and I notice my head clearing, and instantly relaxing.

Now is this from the tea, because its a hot beverage or some other unknown factor? I really don’t know and don’t care. Its not why I drink tea it is however a very nice plus.

I started drinking tea mostly to replace my afternoon cup of coffee because my stomach couldn’t handle that much coffee any longer. At the time I was mostly in the cheap Bigelows and playing with the sweet flavors like chocolate, caramel, and vanilla. It wasn’t about health, it was about afternoon caffeine.

From there, I found I loved black tea so much that I was soon into exploring the nicer bulk teas in the grocery store and trying all the fancy tinned stuff. And then exploring the ‘wake me up’ breakfast teas imported from England and Ireland.

Now I’ve completely replaced coffee throughout the day. I drink tea because I like the taste and because I like the mild buzz of caffeine that it provides me. I’m probably enjoying the health benefits without trying just because I drink so much tea, but that’s just a bonus.