History

English Tea Story

Tea is not a strange product to English people. Tea was introduced to UK since 17 th century. At that time tea was popular amongst the wealthier classes of society. Prior to the introduction of tea into Britain, the English only had two main meals-breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was ale, bread and beef. Dinner was a long, massive meal at the end of the day. It was no wonder that Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861) experienced a "sinking feeling" in the late afternoon. Adopting the European tea service format, she invited friends to join her for an additional afternoon meal at five o'clock. The menu centered around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, assorted sweets, and, of course, tea. This practice proved so popular. The practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon was quickly picked up by other social hostesses and become British Afternoon Tea.

Chinese Tea Story

The story of tea began in ancient China over 5,000 years ago. According to legend, Shen Nung, an early emperor was a creative scientist. His far-sighted edicts required that all drinking water be boiled as a hygienic precaution. One summer day while visiting a distant region of his realm, he and the court stopped to rest. In accordance with his ruling, the servants began to boil water for the court to drink. Dried leaves from the near by bush fell into the boiling water, and a brown liquid was infused into the water. As a scientist, the Emperor was interested in the new liquid, drank some, and found it very refreshing. And so, according to legend, tea was created.

Health & Fact

Calories

•  Tea without milk has no calories. Using semi-skimmed milk adds around 13 calories per cup, but you also benefit from valuable minerals and calcium

Nutrition

•  Tea with milk provides 21% of daily calcium requirement in 4 cups

•  Tea contains some zinc and folic acid

•  Tea with milk contains Vitamin B6, Riboflavin B2 and Thiamin B1

•  Tea is a source of the minerals manganese, essential for bone growth and body development, and potassium, vital for maintaining body fluid levels

•  Tea is a natural source of fluoride and drinking four cups makes a significant contribution to your daily intake

•  Green and red teas are from the same plant, and contain similar amounts of flavonoid* antioxidants, theanine** and caffeine.

•  Drinking a cup of tea a few times a day to absorb antioxidants and other healthful plant compounds. In green-tea drinking cultures, the usual amount is three cups per day.

The best way to drink

•  Allow tea to steep for three to five minutes to bring out its catechins.

•  The best way to get the catechins and other flavonoids in tea is to drink it freshly brewed. Decaffeinated, bottled ready-to-drink tea preparations, and instant teas have less of these compounds.

•  Tea can impede the absorption of iron from fruits and vegetables. Adding lemon or milk or drinking tea between meals will counteract this problem.

Flavonoids

•  a group of compounds that have powerful antioxidant properties that may help to protect the body's cells against damage and assist with arterial function.

Theanine

•  It is a non-protein amino acid that is rare in nature, but found naturally in red and green tea where it is thought to be a flavorous constituent of tea leaves. antioxidant power of tea

•  tea is a natural source of flavonoids that generate antioxidant activity.

•  many scientific papers suggest that four cups of tea a day could help to protect your body against the damaging effects of free radicals.

•  Studies have found an association between consuming green tea and a reduced risk for several cancers, including, skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder.

Oral health

•  drinking tea, without the addition of sugar, is compatible with dietary advice to prevent dental decay, thereby helping to promote overall health and well being.

Caffeine content of tea

Product	Serving size	Caffeine per serving ( mg )
Black tea	8 oz / 250 ml	25-110
Red tea	8 oz / 250 ml	25-110
Golden Brown / Oolong tea	8 oz / 250 ml	12-55
White tea	8 oz / 250 ml	5-30
Green tea	8 oz / 250 ml	8-30
Floral / herbal tea		0
Coffee , brewed	8 oz / 250 ml	135
Coffee, decaffeinated	8 oz / 250 ml	5
Coffee, espresso	2 oz / 57 mL	100
Cocoa or Hot Chocolate	8 oz / 250 ml	5
Soft drink, Coca-Cola Classic	12 oz / 355 mL	34

Source:

1. Nutrition Action Health Letter ? Caffeine: Caffeine content of foods and drugs, http://web.archive.org/web/20070614144016/http://www.cspinet.org/nah/caffeine/caffeine_content.htm source

2. Tea4Health, http://www.tea.co.uk/healthresources.php

3. Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Women's Health Watch | September 2004, www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/benefit_of_drinking_green_tea.htm