What You May Not Know About Tea

How do you prefer to drink tea, hot or iced? While people world-wide drink hot tea, many people in the southern United States prefer iced tea. William Ewart Gladstone, a British liberal statesman is quoted to have said, "If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you." Linda Solegato, poet, naturalist and gardener, said, "Iced tea may not have as much wisdom as hot tea, but in the summer better a cool and refreshed dullard than a steamy sweat-drenched sage - leave sagacity to the autumn!"

All teas come from an evergreen tree called Camellia Sinensis. Black and oolong tea go through a drying and fermenting process, while green and white tea are promptly steamed. Black tea is the most processed tea. Ah, you do not believe that all tea comes from the same plant? Well, remember that herbal tea is not really tea, although quite nutritious, it is a blend of herbs.

The first history records people drinking tea originates in China. China increased tea trade with the western nations during the 19th century. Tea is only second to water as the most consumed beverage on Earth. To prepare tea, pour boiling hot water over cured tea leaves. Some people prefer lemon, sugar or honey in hot or ice tea. Many teas are blends containing flavored variants and herbs, such as bergamot, vanilla, chamomile, and others.

After a bad day at work, try a cup of black tea to reduce cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. Tea can lower blood pressure and thwart the chance of a blood clot, which may lead to strokes and heart attacks. Tea may mean fewer trips to the dentist because of its ability to reduce cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth. Be sure to drink tea after a meal as a digestive aid or to relieve menstrual cramps. White, green, oolong and black teas all contain antioxidants, which aids in cell regeneration and repair, slows the aging process, improves cognitive abilities and some studies suggest that it may help prevent cancer. Studies suggest that green tea can enhance the bacteria fighting effects of antibiotics and may improve the body's immune defenses.

So next time, consider tea:

On a cold day to warm the body and the soul.
On a hot day to cool off.
After a stressful day to wind down.
To halt menstrual cramps.
At the end of a meal to aid with digestion.
To slow the aging process.
For your health and well being.

*Image courtesy Flickr creative commons.

More about oolong, sinensis, camellia, herbs, white, tea, antioxidants, quotes, green, black, benefits, Carolyn

Carolyn
June 19, 2012, 9:19 am
Fellow writers, your vote is appreciated! Some of you may feel that you would rather save your votes for someone that does not recieve many votes. You may not be aware that votes from our friends and family members that vote only on our articles does not count as much as someone that votes for many varied writers. Although the crew at the Flaming Vegan will not reveal all that goes into the choice for Top Posts, the crew has written me revealing this information. To prove that the articles that receive the most votes, do not always make Top Posts, consider my recent article on pizza that received 13 votes, but did not make Top Posts! Again, consideration for your vote is appreciated!
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1. Akanksha
  June 19, 2012, 2:54 pm
  You are right Carolyn. And I think it is your vote that does it for me ;-)
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  1. Carolyn
    June 19, 2012, 6:39 pm
    I always try to vote for your articles Akanksha! Best Wishes for a happy and healthy life for both of you!
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    1. Akanksha
      June 20, 2012, 10:27 am
      Thanks! Now me and hubby will be same IP
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Veganara
June 19, 2012, 10:41 am
Vote no 2 Carolyn. I am a great tea-drinker, so I loved this piece!
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1. Carolyn
  June 19, 2012, 11:52 am
  Thanks Veganara for your vote, comment and friendship on The Flaming Vegan!
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Jalenagraham
June 19, 2012, 11:11 am
I don't think I could live without iced tea... No sugar in mine, please :-) - Something I didn't realize was such a big deal till we vacationed in the south one year.
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1. Carolyn
  June 19, 2012, 11:53 am
  Oh yes, in the South you will be asked sweet or unsweetened and if you want hot tea...you will have to request it special!
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pftsusan
June 19, 2012, 11:32 am
Ace of an article! I drink green or black tea every day. Also they aid the sore throat, laryngitis (sp), colds ect... What I need is an article here, on how to make natural home made iced tea. Voted.
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1. Carolyn
  June 19, 2012, 11:59 am
  Thanks for the vote and comment Susan! This is probably not what you are referring to, but in the south, we bring tea bags to a boil and strain over a pitcher or large glass jar. Each time we pour the water off the tea bags, we add more water to the pot with tea bags and pour that into the pitcher until the pitcher is full. Then we discard the tea bags. We place the pitcher in the refrigerator and ice to the glass before pouring tea into the glass. For sweet tea, we place sugar or other sweetener into the pitcher before pouring the hot tea into the pitcher. This allows the sugar or sweetener to dissolve well. Some sweeteners can be added to tea after it cools.
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  1. pftsusan
    June 19, 2012, 1:03 pm
    It's very very important to put ice in the glass jar or pitcher before hand. Or use an plastic eco one. That's how I wound up in the hospital in June 1995, with second degree deadly poisonous burns all over my body for a week. I was in ICU for three days. So ice first.
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    1. Carolyn
      June 19, 2012, 1:12 pm
      Oh Susan I did not know that you experienced second degree burns. Did you spill scalding tea?
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      1. pftsusan
        June 19, 2012, 3:53 pm
        I poured hot boiling water into a glass picture that exploded before I had the chance to put it down. Burned me from the neck down. The biggest burns were on my hips and legs. I got out og ICU in three days. Went home in 6 days. Then went to a Melissa Etheridge Concert the following day that I had tickets for. All together, this took four years to heal altogether.
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        Carolyn
        June 19, 2012, 6:42 pm
        Susan you are such a witness for so many things including surviving these burns and losing all the weight!
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Sheila Ray
June 19, 2012, 1:53 pm
Voted! I drink green tea every day and I drink it hot in cooler months and iced in warmer months. In fact, my husband and I have tea every night after dinner to aid in digestion just as you suggested. Bravo! :)
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1. Carolyn
  June 19, 2012, 6:44 pm
  Thanks for the vote and comment Sheila! Mike, Caitlin and I all love green tea. I have noticed that the price of Lipton Diet Green Tea in bottles has dropped in the past year. During the school year, I often pack these in Mike's lunch and in care packages to Caitlin. At home, I usually brew tea myself.
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  1. Sheila Ray
    June 20, 2012, 12:55 am
    I always brew it myself :)
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Akanksha
June 19, 2012, 2:53 pm
Cool...reading this feels like my habit of tea consumption is not that bad after all :)
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1. Carolyn
  June 19, 2012, 6:44 pm
  Tea is very good for you! Thanks for the vote and comment Akanksha!
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dianabart
June 19, 2012, 3:11 pm
Awesome thanks.. I Love lots of teas. The poet was right! ;) voted and tweeted!
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1. Veganara
  June 19, 2012, 4:30 pm
  It's great you have got so many votes already for this piece Carolyn - I didn't think you Americans were into tea that much (not like us in Britain!), I thought it was coffee more over there, Starbucks,etc! I am pretty sure tea is better for you than coffee, especially green tea. I remember when I was travelling round California and the West Coast and I wanted a cup of tea I had to make sure to ask for "hot tea", or I would be served iced tea! Iced tea is good as well though.
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  1. Carolyn
    June 19, 2012, 6:48 pm
    Veganara, I live in south Alabama. If you ask for tea here, you will automatically be given ice tea. The waitress may ask sweet or unsweetened, but rarely is hot tea mentioned. However, you can often get hot tea if you ask for it specifically. Thanks for the vote and comment Veganara.
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2. Carolyn
  June 19, 2012, 6:45 pm
  Thanks Diana! I shared the article on the Faith, Food and Fitness site. It just took me a while to figure out how to post it! LOL!
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Fifi Leigh
June 20, 2012, 1:33 am
interesting information. i just drank a cup of black tea.
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1. Carolyn
  June 20, 2012, 12:07 pm
  Thanks for the comment Fifi Leigh!
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Trisht
June 20, 2012, 10:13 am
great article although you may want to enlighten readers that loose leaf tea is the way to go...not tea bags. there's no comparison! and thanks to personalities like Dr. Oz, more people are being tuned in to the health benefits of tea.
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1. Carolyn
  June 20, 2012, 12:08 pm
  I am assuming that since you mentioned Dr. Oz that you are from the U.S. Thanks for the comment!
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SnakeWitch
June 20, 2012, 5:05 pm
Does a 'red' tea - or a pale black tea - carry some qualities of its own? Great article!
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Carolyn
June 20, 2012, 9:42 pm
I can see where you would like the fuller flavored black tea. I hope this information helps! Thanks for the comment. 1. A study from the Netherlands claims that there is a decrease in risk for stroke in people that drink black tea. 2. The flavenoids in black tea have been found to reduce "LDL" or bad cholesterol. Improvement in the functioning of blood vessels and a reduced risk for heart attack was seen in people that consume black tea. References: www.holistic-center.com www.webmd.com www.streetarticles.com. www.healthdiaries.com www.fitday.com chinesefood.about.com whatscookingamerica.net www.ivillage.com
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1. SnakeWitch
  June 20, 2012, 10:53 pm
  I like them all, actually. I don't really have a preference. And I was kinda wondering if, say, a darjeeling has the same properties as a black tea. Even though they are both supposedly black teas, the darjeeling is so pale in colour that I can't help but put it in its own category. Thanks for the info!
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  1. Carolyn
    June 21, 2012, 3:08 am
    Sorry, without additional research my information is nil on darjeeling. It is new to me! Is it easy to find in most grocery stores in your region/state/country?
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    1. SnakeWitch
      June 21, 2012, 3:18 pm
      Although not unheard of, red tea is not commonly sold in regular grocery stores. I recommend natural and organic stores, or tea shops. Starbucks, I believe, has a red tea flavour as well.
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BuddhasDelight
June 25, 2012, 12:58 am
hey carolyn... this article really rocks, i keep coming back to it. i LOVE tea! congrats on all the FB shares... thanks for posting. i hope you have more tea ideas/recipes to share in the future!
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