Lucas Bottelier, Junior
January 12th is the perfect day to sit back, relax, and enjoy a nice hot cup of your favorite tea. Tea has been in our cups since the second century B.C. Originating in China, tea has grown to be one of the most popular beverages today, and the numerous different blends of herbs and spices can be used for many purposes.
Legend has it that tea was accidentally created by some leaves falling into a boiling pot of water that was for a Chinese emperor named Shen Nung. He decided to drink the water anyway and found it to be very relaxing and pretty tasty. The earliest known evidence of tea being popularized comes from the mausoleum of Emperor Jing of Han in Xi’an; this means tea was a very special drink, as the evidence shows that it was really only consumed by emperors. The first record of tea cultivation also comes from this period of time, which was cultivated on Meng Mountain in China.
As the beverage was popularized, it slowly ran its course around the world and spread to different parts of the world. During the 16th century, tea was first introduced to Western priests and merchants in China. It slowly became popular in provinces such as Macao and smaller neighboring nations such as Indonesia and India. It was then sold in more casual settings—like coffee shops around London, and eventually made its way to the English court, where Charles II got hooked. From that point on, tea quickly made itself present in many other countries in Europe.
Although it was gaining popularity, it didn't really have a smooth entry into the marketplace. During the 18th century, tea was only made accessible to the public through private traders illegally smuggling tea to things like coffee shops and small markets. In hopes of eliminating this problem, the British government eliminated the tax on tea, which allowed tea to become mass produced and sold in many different types of shops. This accelerated the production of different kinds of tea and made people curious about the beverage’s medicinal uses and began to conduct research on different herbs and spices and their specific effects for the body and mind.
There are hundreds of different kinds of tea, but many make the mistake of assuming that all tea is used to relax your mind and clear your head. Studies have shown that the daily consumption of certain kinds of tea can help lower the risk of developing cancer and heart disease; lower cholesterol; helps with weight loss; strengthens immune system function; and can help improve mental alertness. There are four main types of tea: green tea, black tea, white tea, and oolong tea. All of these teas contain caffeine, which heightens mental alertness, but since they have a much lower content than other beverages—like coffee and some energy drinks—it is not overstimulating, addictive, and does not result in a caffeine crash.
One of the most widely studied teas is green tea; it is made with steamed leaves and is very antioxidising. This can help prevent the development of clogged arteries, reduce the risk of neurological disorders and diseases, and can improve cholesterol levels. Black tea is made with fermented tea leaves; it usually has the highest concentration of caffeine compared to other types of tea and forms the base for many different flavors like chai, along with some instant teas. Studies have proven that black tea can help lungs recover from exposure to cigarette smoke and may even reduce the risk of stroke. White tea is made from uncured and unfermented tea leaves and is proven to have the most potent anti-cancer properties out of the bunch. Oolong tea is made from the leaves, buds, and stems of the camellia sinensis plant—the same plant that is used to make certain kinds of black teas and green teas. Oolong tea is currently being studied and supposedly is in the process of being made into a weight loss supplement and also has proven to improve cholesterol levels when consistently used.
There are many different kinds of teas in these main categories that have specific uses and benefits.Although some kinds of tea are still being studied, and experimented with, there is no doubt that any kind of tea has at least some sort of benefit. Instead of making the decision to grab an unhealthy, and highly caffeinated cup of coffee in the morning, consider opening a box of tea for its numerous benefits and medicinal properties.
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