International Tea Day

On this day the tea trade and farmers want you to appreciate and enjoy this easily found and  tasty drink.

A bit of history . . .

Tea started in China during the Shang Dynasty, in the years 1500 BC to 1046 BC.  At that time it was mostly used for medicinal purposes.  One legend has it that the god of agriculture used to test plants for medicine.  He would chew on leaves, stems and roots.  If he found they were poisonous he would chew on tea leaves as a remedy.

At one point tea was taxed in China.  That brings us to tea in Europe.  The Dutch were the first tea drinkers around 1610, followed by the British in 1650.  The British later decided to tax tea.  

The tea taxes eventually spread to the American Colonies and the rest is history! Fast forward to 2022 and the United States enjoys tea, the most popular drink in the world.!

What are the health benefits of tea . . .

According to Penn Medicine from a report this year you will find the benefits are plentiful.

• White Tea – least amount of caffeine; lots of antioxidants; may help fight some cancers; contains some fluoride to help your teeth.
• Herbal Tea – low caffeine in some. Helps you sleep (Chamomile), improves your blood pressure, keeps hair strong (Rooibos), soothes stomach upsets, can help with IBS and migraines (Peppermint), fights morning sickness, relieves joint pain caused by osteoarthritis (Ginger), helps liver health, lowers blood pressure (Hibiscus).
• Green Tea – high in flavonoids; can lower your bad cholesterol, reduce blood clotting, can act as an anti-inflammatory.  Matcha is a fine, high quality green tea, very popular now.
• Black Tea – caffenaited so watch intake. Contains flavonoids to fight inflammation and promote a healthy immune function.
• Oolong Tea – in between a green and black tea.  You will find an amino acid, I-theanine, that can reduce anxiety and help increase alertness.  Some evidence shows that it could help with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Private Home Health Care loves sitting down with a nice cup of tea.  Be cautious of adding sugars or drinking latte or bubble teas with sugar, carbs and calories.  You could try using Stevia, a natural sweetener and sugar substitute which is very safe.