In a small village in China’s Fujian Province, an old man begins each morning the same way he has for 80 years: He warms a clay pot, rinses a handful of leaves, and pours himself the first cup of the day. Ask him the secret to his long life, and he will smile and lift his cup. For millions of people across East Asia, the health benefits of drinking tea are not a modern discovery but a daily companion, woven into the rhythm of ordinary life.

We tend to chase wellness in expensive supplements and superfoods with unpronounceable names. Yet one of the most studied wellness drinks in the world has been sitting quietly in our cups all along. Tea is simple, affordable, and gentle, and both ancient Chinese wisdom and modern science keep arriving at the same conclusion: a daily cup does a great deal of good for the body and mind.

Here is what tradition and research together reveal about tea, and how to make it work for you.

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