Drink up: Tea is believed to fuel friendly bacteria in our bodies. Stock Image

Tea lovers can raise a cup to the fact the nation's favourite hot drink can boost the immune system and even help us shed weight.

The ancient drink has long been linked to health benefits but researchers have linked tea to high levels of friendly bacteria.

Tea drinkers also have fewer levels of firmicutes which are microbes linked to inflammation, obesity and even diabetes. Tea contains polyphenols which are believed to fuel friendly bacteria, while helping to reduce the troublesome firmicutes.

The research looked at 24 different trials and found tea drinkers have higher levels of helpful bacteria.

The study, published in the journal 'Nutrients', says the focus has mostly been on the benefits of green tea.

However it is believed black tea, a staple of the national diet, also provides benefits.

Indeed the paper states that "emerging teas of interest, such as Pu-erh, Fuzhuan and Oolong, also brought about some favourable changes in gut profiles".

It adds: "A number of studies have shown that tea drinking could be associated with weight loss and it now seems plausible that the effects could, in part, be attributed to change at the gut microbiome level."

The paper states that overall, "these findings appear to support the hypothesis that tea ingestion could favourably regulate the profile of the gut microbiome".

This process can help to offset an imbalance of microbes triggered by obesity, or high-fat diets.

"Further well-designed human trials are now required to build on provisional findings."

Irish Independent