My Cup of Tea

 

We all need a start. Every morning you start your day with a freshly brewed morning cuppa. Some may prefer coffee but for me, it’s always a cup of fresh Natural tea with ginger. There is nothing like a hot cup of tea to Kick start your Day.  Chinese Culture has references to Tea and ceremonies around it for ages. The tea plant, Camellia sinensis originates from the land between today's northeast India, north Burma, southwest China, and Tibet, one of the earliest tea drinking is dated back to China's Shang dynasty, in which tea was consumed as a medicinal drink. An early credible record of tea drinking dates to the 3rd century AD, in a medical text written by Hua TuoIt first, became known to western civilization through Portuguese priests and merchants in China during the early 16th century. Drinking tea became popular in Britain during the 17th century. The British introduced commercial tea production to India, in order to compete with the Chinese monopoly on tea. In fact, I remember the Tea custom reference in Asterix Comics in its title Asterix in England.  Popularly Western Hemisphere has been more coffee-driven historically except maybe reference to the Boston Tea Party. Tea and selling Tea have many references in modern Indian politics and Chai per charcha (Discussion over a cup of Tea) has different political connotations.    

   

Our life is filled with infinite memories of Tea.  Many have met their ‘to be’ spouses over tea ceremonies. We have popular Bollywood songs over the cup of tea.  Hot cups of tea along with Pakodas during monsoons have resulted in many love stories. Hardened trekkers won’t forget the experience of Tea and snacks during monsoon and snow treks. Tea at various train stations, across dhabas spread over the country, has been superimposed in our memories. Infinite hours of debates and meaningless discussions have been spent in college canteens and vendor carts over infinite cups of tea.  

  

I was told very recently about the possible health benefits of Tea. But then biochemistry it’s not my cup of tea. My daughter an ardent tea fan and aspiring researcher in biochemistry wrote in her blog: People drink tea for its natural and earthy flavor, however, the tea you drink has so many health benefits as well. So if you drink tea on a regular basis, pat your back because you gave your body a great gift of health! There are many tea types which include black, green, white, chamomile, and herbal teas. Amongst these types, green tea has been rewarded the title of “the healthiest tea.” Adding green tea to your diet, which should comprise whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, has reduced the risk of heart diseases, cancer, and diabetes. Professor Qi Shun, an assistant professor at the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, mentions that green tea contains a substance of polyphenols, which is assumed to be an effective anti-inflammatory substance. Polyphenols have a compound known as catechins. The most significant type of catechins present in green tea is known as the epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Research conducted on EGCG has demonstrated the ability of the compound to prevent or treat cancer. Hence, this proves that drinking green tea on a regular basis has a major health benefit. So it may be a good idea to add green tea as a part of your diet.   

The second type of tea that my Daughter explains in her blog is black tea or popularly known as the Engish Breakfast Tea.  Any type of black tea like earl gray or Indian Masala Chai is her personal favorite. Black tea generally contains caffeine. Nevertheless, the amount of caffeine present in black tea is generally less than that present in coffee. Black tea obtains its color when the leaves of Camilla sinensis  (the plant where the tea leaves come from) are crushed, dried, and fermented. It is because of its fermentation, that the tea obtains its characteristic black color. During the fermentation process, the catechins react to form theaflavins or other flavonoids. These flavonoids have health benefits including weight and sugar management. It is also linked with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Black tea provides you with all these health benefits. Has it convinced you to try black tea as your morning dose of energy?    There are numerous types of herbal tea available on the market. Some of these include chamomile, mint, lemon ginger, rooibos, and honeybush.  Popularly, chamomile and rooibos teas are consumed at night because of their soothing qualities. Not all people can tolerate herbal teas, so it is beneficial to ask your primary health care providers before you consume any type of herbal tea.   With that being said, let us go back to the health benefits of chamomile tea, Medical News Today mentions a significant amount of benefits linked to chamomile tea including relieving menstrual cramps, inducing sleepiness, and reducing inflammation. They also mention that people who have severe allergies to pollen should steer away from chamomile tea.   

The Biochemistry Major Finally adds: Along with chamomile tea, rooibos tea, which is also known as red tea, has calming qualities. Rooibos has a sweet nutty taste and is shown to have minerals like calcium, iron, and magnesium. It also contains Vitamin C. With all these vitamins and minerals, rooibos has put forth a strong case in its favor and demonstrated how healthful this tea is. It aids in weight loss, improves skin appearance, and helps with digestion. But as always, be careful about adding anything to your diet before talking with your doctor. There is a ton of information on the internet available about teas and their potential side effects. 

 

It is said: We are like Tea; we don’t know our own Strength until we’re in Hot Water. They say where there is tea there is hope. Some people will tell you there is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea. Sometimes all you need is a good cup of Tea