Showing posts with label Tea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tea. Show all posts

September 15, 2011

Brief Information About Tea

You drink tea everyday and of course you enjoy it. But do you know the information about tea?. Tea is a favorite drink around the world made of camellia sinensis plant. Historically, tea leaves were found in Southeast Asia, especially parts of Southern China and parts of India. Not only it is relaxing but also making you health., if you drink it regularly and properly.

Caffeine Content In Tea :
- Caffeine Content In Green Tea - 8 to 30 mg (8 oz) 
- Caffeine Content In Oolong Tea- 12 to 55 mg (8 oz)
- Caffeine Content In White Tea - 6 to 25 mg (8 oz)
- Caffeine Content In Black Tea - 40 to 120 mg (8 oz)

Tips to brew tea properly :
- Choose the Right Water
- Understand the Requirement for Different Types of Tea
- Handling the Tea Leaves well

Health benefits of tea  : As antioxidants,  containing less caffeine than coffee, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke, protect your bones, strengthening your immune system,  against cancer, keep you hydrated, calorie-free,  increase your metabolism.and others.

Types of Tea
- Black tea: Black tea is oxidized the most among the different types of tea.
- Green tea:  In front of black tea, green tea has a oxidizes at least a different tea. - Oolong Tea: One of the most popular tea in China, Oolong tea is more oxidized than green tea but less than black tea. - White tea:  White tea undergoes minimal oxidation, even if the tea leaves chosen to prepare this variety is harvested from young buds.

Side Effects of TeaThis side effects can occur if you drink tea excessively such as hard to fall asleep, restlessness, anxiety, irritability, stomachache, dehydration, tremor, loss of appetite, diarrhea, dizziness, frequent urination.

Where You Can Find Tea :
- Traditional market
- Supermarket
- Order by online shop

I hope this brief information about tea is useful for you. Be healthy with tea
READ MORE - Brief Information About Tea

August 25, 2011

Can Drinking Tea Lead To Iron Deficiency?

Tea lovers agree that drinking tea can help the drinkers get the required energy during the tiring day. Consuming tea regularly you will get many benefits such as : increase mental alertness,  increase the rate of metabolism, helps lose weight, maintain the level of cholesterol in blood,  protects you from diseases of cardiovascular,diabetes and some types of cancers. Tea also helps lower the levels of stress hormones in the body and fight depression. It will strengthen both your immune system and bones. Therefore tea becomes number one reference as the healthiest drink around the world. However, tea lovers must be aware of excessive consumption of tea for according to a study report released by the "Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics" stated that " excessive consumption of tannin through tea can inhibit non-heme iron absorption in your body and can thus lead to iron deficiency"

The two forms of dietary iron are heme and non-heme. Heme iron comes from meat and non-heme iron comes from plant sources such as : cereal grains, legumes, dried beans, nuts, tofu, potatoes, raisins, broccoli and other leafy vegetables. A study stated that tannins in tea can affect the absorption process of non-heme iron even though the iron absorption process depends on some factors like your overall health and balanced diet. Tannins do not inhibit the process of heme iron absorption process.

If vegans and vegetarians drink tea along with their meals, they are at a greater risk of developing an iron deficiency.. Those who seldom consume fish or meat should check their iron levels regularly and should take proper care to prevent iron deficiency anemia. Those who are suffered from diseases of kidney, celiac or Crohn's should keep alert on the levels blood iron. Studies have shown that those who drink tea in between meals or immediately after the meals, usually have low blood iron levels that effects devastating, especially for pregnant and breastfeeding women, babies and toddlers, teenage girls and athletes as they need more iron. For people who are diagnosed with iron deficiency, it is dangerous to consume tea excessively, but it is helpful for people who has problem of hemochromatosis ( problem of too much iron stored in the body)

In order to have healthy blood iron levels, you are necessary to know foods that inhibit iron absorption and promote iron absorption along with good sources of iron such as tannins in tea; soy proteins, calcium, polyphenols and phytates present in legumes and whole grains (in the bran of wheat, oats, maize and other cereals) can also inhibit the process of iron absorption in the body. Over-steeping the tea releases more tannins (resulting in bitter taste). Avoid drinking over-brewed tea and avoid drinking tea along with meals. Low absorption of non-heme iron depends upon the type of tea you consume.

If you follow a diet that is rich in iron, then one or two cups of tea daily would not make any difference. But drinking too much of tea during the day can affect the process of absorption of non-heme iron. Iron is a vital mineral as it plays an important role in the formation of healthy blood, transfer of oxygen to body cells and formation of various enzymes. You should plan your diet in such a way that whatever vitamins and minerals you provide regularly, do not destroy your life due to wrong combination of foods and drinks.
READ MORE - Can Drinking Tea Lead To Iron Deficiency?

June 23, 2011

Tips On Brewing Tea Properly

Tea has already becomes favorite beverage around the world due to it is refreshing as well as making human body healthy. But, as a tea lover, do you know how to brew it properly? Here is few tips on brewing tea properly :

- Choose the Right Water 
Ensure that the tea you are making is being made with the best possible water. Water quality and taste varies depending on the place. If you feel that the water in your area is treated water and so has a slight metallic taste or a taste of chlorine, then there are chances that you will feel this taste in your tea as well. The best option in such cases is to go in for filtered water or spring water. Try to avoid distilled water as much as possible. Also, use fresh water, not water that has been boiled recently. Also, use a small amount of heated water to warm the pot before you begin brewing tea properly. Furthermore, ensure that you take the right amount of water,  the preferred measurement of water is one rounded teaspoon every eight ounce cup.

- Understand the Requirement for Different Types of Tea 
The most common mistakes that people make when brewing tea is to make the tea at the wrong temperature. Black tea, should be made with water at boiling temperature and should be steeped for four to six minutes. Oolong tea should be made with water that has a temperature that is just below boiling temperature. The water for Oolong tea needs to be steaming rapidly and there should be bubbles rising up in the kettle. The steeping time for this tea varies greatly, between three to eight minutes! Green tea should be made with slightly cooler water, with the steam wafting or gently swirling out of the kettle. The steeping time for green tea is also quite less, around two to three minutes. White tea on the other hand, should be made with still cooler water and should be made when the water hits the very first hint of steam. This tea should be steeped for around two minutes. Herbal tea needs to be made in boiling water and should be steeped for a minimum of four to six minutes.

- Handling the Tea Leaves
When you make tea, the tea leaves will expand to more than double their size. Hence, ensure that there is enough space in the tea pot for the leaves to expand. Brewing leaves loose in the tea pot and then carefully straining them works best when it comes to brewing tea properly. Also, ensure that you separate the leaves from the liquid when the tea has steeped for an adequate amount of time. Do not leave the tea leaves in the water for long, as this will tend to make the tea bitter.
Although brewing tea is easy, you need to understand that the only difference between brewing tea and brewing tea properly, is a little attention to detail!
READ MORE - Tips On Brewing Tea Properly

June 19, 2011

Is There Any Antioxidant In Tea?

People may think that antioxidants in tea is not real. But in fact some researches done by experts have proved that green, black, and oolong tea contains antioxidants and one of the important elements that make tea becomes healthy drinks is the amount of antioxidants in it. The specific type of antioxidants in tea called phenols.

Amount of Antioxidants in Tea
With over 3 billion tea cultivated and manufactured each year,  tea has become one of the largest consumed beverage in the world. And consuming such high level of tea means it is essential to understand possible health aspects of tea. Good news is that tea contains various beneficial compounds like theaflavins (black tea), epicatechins, catechins (green tea), etc. which are antioxidant polyphenols found in tea leaves.

To calculate the amount of antioxidants in tea, let's take one tea bag of each and steep in 200 ml distilled deionized water at 100ยบ C for about 2 minutes. We can find that the antioxidant capacity per serving of black tea comes to 239 mg vitamin C equivalents and for green tea, 436 mg vitamin C equivalents. Hence, green tea has more health benefits than an equal volume of black tea, while talking about antioxidants in tea.

Benefits of Antioxidants in Tea
The benefits of antioxidants in tea are :
  • Drinking tea can reduce the risk of certain caners, heart disease and stroke, protection against Alzheimer's disease and help weight loss.
  • Black and green tea can block DNA damage related with tobacco and other toxic chemicals.
  • Green tea has highest flavonoid content (30% to 40% in dried green tea) known as catechins. Just 1 gm of green tea leaves contains 127 mg of catechins.
  • As white tea dries in natural sunlight, it becomes a good source of antioxidants.
  • 1 cup of green tea contains 200 mg of catechins, which is equivalent to 8 apples.
  • Green tea contains gallic acid (an antioxidant), carotenoids, tocopherols, minerals like manganese, zinc, chromium and other phytochemical compounds.
  • Drinking at least 3+ cups of green and/or black tea (together or separately) each day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and promote fertility.
Since there is antioxidant in tea, why not enjoy a nice cup of hot or iced tea. Be tea lovers !
READ MORE - Is There Any Antioxidant In Tea?

June 15, 2011

How Low Is Caffeine In Tea?

Tea lovers should have right information about the content of caffeine in tea to avoid overdose. .People in the world enjoy drinking tea, but they do not know how much caffeine is in tea. To give you information about it, let's see the content of caffeine in teas :

- Caffeine Content In Herbal Tea - 0
There is no any caffeine in herbal teas. They are made using flowers, roots, stems or leaves of various herbs.  Some popular herbal teas are chamomile tea, ginseng tea, mint tea, spearmint tea, lemon ginger tea, licorice tea, etc.

 - Caffeine Content In Green Tea - 8 to 30 mg (8 oz)
 Due to a unique process, the tea leaves retain many valuable and healthy nutrients like flavonoids, polyphenols, catechins, etc. Hence, the caffeine content in green tea is less compared with its benefits.

- Caffeine Content In Oolong Tea- 12 to 55 mg (8 oz)
This is a semi-fermented tea which renders only 15% of the caffeine. The antioxidants present in this tea are said to lower down the bad cholesterol levels in the body.

- Caffeine Content In Decaf Tea - 1 to 4 (per tea bag)
Caffeine content of this tea is very less because it goes through a process of elimination of caffeine.  Decaf tea is available in many flavors like decaf masala chai tea, apricot decaf tea, peach decaf tea, orange spice decaf tea, etc.

- Caffeine Content In White Tea - 6 to 25 mg (8 oz)
White tea has many health benefits. It helps to prevent cancer and lower cholesterol. It also protects the heart and has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Drinking regular white tea provides the body nutrients which promote healthy skin.

- Caffeine Content In Black Tea - 40 to 120 mg (8 oz)
Black tea has a distinct flavor and color and there are many blends of it available like famous Assam Tea, Darjeeling Tea, Ceylon Tea, etc. One can find this tea in any food store.

- Caffeine Content In Instant Ice Tea - 26 mg (12 oz)
Ice tea can be made using various types of tea like black tea or green tea. Ice tea is a popular drink which is made by preparing tea and then cooling it down in a refrigerator. Ice tea caffeine content is high.

This was information about caffeine in tea. So drink and enjoy tea but not in excess
READ MORE - How Low Is Caffeine In Tea?

March 24, 2011

The Facts Of Antioxidants In Tea

The antioxidants in tea is not a fad or a voice that has spread around the world. Expert Studies show that black, green and oolong tea are a lot of antioxidants in them.

One of the main factors why tea is so healthy, is due to the antioxidants in tea. Since antioxidants are chemicals that have voluntarily provide electrons to these free radicals and help save the cell damage.

Amount of antioxidants in tea

With over 3 billion tea cultivation and production each year, it is not surprising that tea has become one of the most consumed beverage in the world. And drinking such high tea means that it is important to understand the potential health aspects of tea. The good news is that tea contains various substances such as theaflavins (black tea), epicatechin, catechin (green tea), etc., which are polyphenol antioxidants in tea leaves. We note that the antioxidant capacity per serving of black tea is equivalent to 239 mg of vitamin C and green tea, 436 mg vitamin C equivalents. Therefore, green tea has more health benefits than an equivalent amount of black tea while talking about antioxidants in tea.

Benefits of antioxidants in tea

Legend has it that tea was discovered by a Chinese emperor when some leaves blew into his bowl of warm water. Although the process of preparing tea has slightly changed, we drink tea for the moment is always the same. Rich in antioxidants, tea on a regular basis can reduce the risk of certain Caners, heart disease and stroke, protect against Alzheimer's disease and help weight loss.

Black and green tea can prevent DNA damage associated with tobacco and other toxic chemicals.

Green tea is the highest flavonoid content (30% to 40% in the dried green tea), known as catechins. Only 1 g of green tea leaves contain 127 mg of catechins.

Why does the sun dry natural white tea, you can easily maintain its antioxidant properties. This means that white tea is also a good source of antioxidants.

1 cup of green tea contains 200 mg of catechins, which corresponds to 8 apples.

Green tea contains gallic acid (an antioxidant), carotenoids, tocopherols, minerals like manganese, zinc, chromium and other phytochemicals. Green tea has beneficial synergistic effects.

Since the consumption of black tea and green, our body makes antioxidants in tea with milk added does not affect the body's ability to profit at all.
READ MORE - The Facts Of Antioxidants In Tea

9 Essential Health Benefits Of Tea

There are many reasons why I like hot tea. One of them is the health effect of tea. Here are the 9 health benefits of tea

1. Health benefits of tea as antioxidants:  Antioxidants protect the body from the destruction of the tea and the effects of aging. The study showed that topical green tea formulations reduce sun damage to the skin, destroying free radicals. Tea is also known to reduce sagging skin, drooping eyes, and in particular

2. Health benefits of tea for containing less caffeine than coffee :  A cup of coffee contains eight ounces of approximately 135 mg of caffeine, tea contains only 30 to 40 mg per cup. If drinking coffee gives you the jitters, causes indigestion or headaches or interferes with sleep - switch to tea.

3. Health benefits of tea as reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke : Drinking tea may help keep your arteries smooth and clog

4. Health benefits of tea to protect your bones :  It's not just the milk added to tea that builds strong bones. A study that compared tea drinkers with non-drinkers, found that people who drank tea for 10 years or older had the greatest leg

5. Health benefits of tea in strengthening your immune system : Drinking tea may help your body's immune combat system infections. When 21 volunteers drank either five cups of tea or coffee per day for four weeks, researchers saw higher immune system activity in the blood of tea drinkers.

6. Health benefits of tea against cancer :  While research is inconclusive in general, there are enough studies that show the potential protective effects of tea consumption for tea add to its list of drinks per day.

7. Health benefits of tea helps to keep you hydrated : Caffeinated beverages such as tea, used to be on the list of thatdidn't beverages contribute to our daily cash requirements.

8. Health benefits of tea as calorie-free :  Tea has no calories unless you add sweetener or milk. If you are looking for a satisfying, calorie-free beverage, tea is one of the best choices.

9. Health benefits of tea to increase your metabolism : Green tea has been shown to increase metabolic rate so you can actually burn 70 to 80 extra calories by consuming five cups of green tea per day. More than a year could lose eight pounds just by drinking green tea.
READ MORE - 9 Essential Health Benefits Of Tea

March 22, 2011

Different Types Of Tea

There are different types of teas, from black tea to green tea.  Black tea, green tea, oolong tea and white tea are the four kinds of tea, which is divided into several varieties. Generally, the plant also called the tea factory and the areas where these plants are known as the tea plantations.Since ancient times, tea has been associated with many cultures around the world.

Different types of tea

Black tea: Black tea is oxidized the most among the different types of tea. Pu-erh tea is a type of black tea is oxidized twice, and, therefore, is stronger than other types of black tea. Although it refers to tea such as black, is actually a crimson color, and therefore, the Chinese refer to this variety as red tea.

Green tea:  In front of black tea, green tea has a oxidizes at least a different tea. While constituting only 10 percent of total production and consumption of tea in the world, is closed quickly because of its increasing popularity in regions where black tea is the most popular type of tea.

Oolong Tea: One of the most popular tea in China, Oolong tea is more oxidized than green tea but less than black tea. Oolong tea is divided into different subtypes depending on growing region and the types of tea leaves used. Learn more about the benefits of tea.

White tea:  White tea undergoes minimal oxidation, even if the tea leaves chosen to prepare this variety is harvested from young buds. Most of the subtle differences between different types of tea, white tea has a natural sweetness associated. White tea varieties include white Ceylon, White Darjeeling, Assam, white and black Africa. Studies have shown that anti-bacterial properties of white tea is much higher than green tea. White tea grown in Sri Lanka is different with white tea grown in India.
READ MORE - Different Types Of Tea

The Important Benefits Of Tea

What are the important benefits of tea which recognized scientifically? Here is the answer :

 Benefits of tea : Aging

In a recent experiment conducted jointly by researchers from the US, Taiwan and Japan, mice which were fed tea displayed fewer signs of aging than mice that were fed water. The Straits Times, Sept. 24, 01

 Benefits of tea : Allergies

Green tea, rich in antioxidant treasures that protect against heart disease and cancer, nowadays shows promise as a fighter to allergy. Green tea perhaps useful against a wide range of sneeze-starting allergens, including pollen, pet dander, and dust. Prevention, April 2003

Benefits of tea : Arthritis

Green tea catechins are chondroprotective and consumption of green tea can be prophylactic for arthritis and may benefit the arthritis patient by reducing inflammation and slowing cartilage breakdown. Green tea can be useful in controlling inflammation from injury or diseases such as arthritis.

Benefits of tea : Bone Strength

Tea flavonoids may be bone builders. Compared with nonhabitual tea drinkers, tea regulars had higher bone mineral densities, even after exercise and calcium-which strengthen bones-were taken into account. The latest tea discovery? Strong evidence that both green and black tea can fight cancer-at least in the test tube-though green tea holds a slight edge. In a recent study, both teas kept healthy cells from turning malignant after exposure to cancer-causing compounds. It would take about 4 cups of green tea a day to get the blood levels of EGCG that inhibited cancer in the study. Black tea also contains EGCG, but at much lower concentrations. Prevention, Aug 1999

Benefits of tea : Cholesterol

Tea can lower 'bad' cholesterol levels. Researchers at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland, asked test subjects to eat low-fat, low-calorie prepared meals and drink five cups of caffeinated tea or caffeinated and non-caffeinated placebos that mimicked the look of tea. Levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol dropped 10 percent among the test subjects who drank tea.

Benefits of tea : Heart Disease

Drinking black tea may lower the risk of heart disease because it prevents blood from clumping and forming clots.

Benefits of tea : Weight Loss

Trying to lose weight? Reach for a cup of green tea instead of a diet beverage. Compared to the placebo and caffeine, green tea extract consumption produced a significant 4% increase in 24-hour energy expenditure. According to a new study, green tea appears to accelerate calorie burning - including fat calories.
READ MORE - The Important Benefits Of Tea

March 21, 2011

Brief History Of Tea


Do you know the history of tea ?. Botanically, the tea we drink is of the genus camellia and the species sinesis. Black teas, which account for approximately ninety percent of U.S. tea consumption, include such favorites as Orange Pekoe, English Breakfast, and Darjeeling.
Recent studies have shown that this tea can help reduce the risk of cancer. With oolong teas, the leaves are withered, rolled, twisted, and semi-fermented, producing a color and flavor that falls between that of black and green teas.

Although herbal teas are designated as teas, they are not comprised of any tea leaves. Instead, these herbal teas contain peels, grasses, berries, leaves, flowers, and flavorings from a variety of plants.
As each variety of tea has evolved through centuries of refinement, the origin of the first tea is clouded by myth.

While preparing his water one day, a light wind deposited several tea leaves into his boiling pot. At the time, tea, no longer confined to medicinal and religious purposes, had become a beverage of choice, but production methods for tea were varied and disconnected.

At first, the East India Company's tea shipments were meager and subject to tariffs. Consequently, enterprising merchants of the piratical sort ignored the imposed monopoly and illegally imported tea. These contraband shipments not only increased the supply of tea on mainland England but also stimulated its sale and allure by offering this forbidden tea at a lower price.

Unfortunately, the colonial tea trade was almost exclusively with the Mother country. Following the Revolutionary War, America staked its own claim in the Chinese tea trade, and by the turn of the twentieth century, tea became a source of social congregation.

In both America and England, fine hotels housed tea courts and tea rooms, where men and women could gather in the late afternoon, sip tea, and exchange pleasantries. These tea rooms and tea courts soon moved to host tea dances, where spirits soared over the freedom and conveniences afforded by the ever evolving technology of the day.

During this time two particular tea discoveries were made almost accidentally. A second evolution of tea occurred in 1908 when Thomas Sullivan began to ship tea samples in individual bags to New York area restaurants. Tea historian J. M. Scott chronicles these superstitions:

To stir tea in the pot is to stir up strife. Unquestionably, today's ubiquitous cup of tea continues to be an event maker. That's the brief history of tea to know

READ MORE - Brief History Of Tea