Hot tea is delicious; if for no other reason, enjoy a cup for this one! I add nothing to my tea (whether black or green, fruit flavored or Earl Grey) but a nice dollop of honey; others like cream and sugar, cinnamon sticks, sprinkled spices and plenty of other additives for a nice kick.

From almond to chocolate mint, you can pretty much make any tea into a delicious treat—or even a dessert. And whether it’s Amaretto or bourbon, the addition of alcohol can make one tasty tea cocktail as well. Some even enjoy a nice hot toddy while under the weather. Remember, the longer your tea steeps the stronger it will be.

But January’s celebration of hot tea extends far beyond the palette. Hot tea comes with a variety of health benefits that are sure to make it even that much more enticing.

Women who drink hot tea are 60% less likely to develop arthritis; in fact, tea has been linked to preventing plenty of health problems, such as Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and even cavities.

Depending on the variety, tea may also help stop cancer growth, prevent cancer in general, fight the flu, increase bone density, decrease the risk of a heart attack or stroke, lower cholesterol, soothe strep throat, fight bad breath, and control blood pressure.

That said, drinking very hot beverages may be linked to esophageal cancer; always allow a hot drink to cool a bit before enjoying it. You’ll save yourself from a burned tongue, too. The recommended amount of tea to drink for the benefits listed above is three to five cups daily.

Here are just a few other ways to enjoy a good cup of hot tea.

Add lemon. While you might be avoiding this additive at restaurants where it’s caught a bad rap, you can always cleanly slice your own at home and steep it in your brew.

Add something spicy, like red hots or cayenne pepper.

Use a different sweetener, such as maple syrup or brown sugar.

Top it off with some whipped cream and sprinkles, like nutmeg or cinnamon. Top with nuts if you like.

Stir in your favorite coffee creamer, such as French Vanilla or hazelnut.

Use a fruit syrup flavor, like blackberry or raspberry. If you have a snow cone machine, try some of those flavors.

Add some mint leaves for a burst of fresh flavor. If you don’t have any on hand, use a leftover candy cane from Christmas.