Tea comes in many varieties - it is black, green or red, and even yellow and white. It can be prepared and drunk in various ways. Tea is a drink of aristocrats and ordinary people. Get to know its healing properties.
This evergreen plant with slightly oval, smooth and shiny leaves, belonging to the Camellias family, came to us from China. There it was known to medics as early as 2,000 BC. The priests used tea leaves to make a tart, refreshing drink used in religious rituals. Only in the 5th century AD tea began to be drunk widely in China. Tea has become the national drink.
Today, its largest plantations are located in China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, as well as in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Iran and Taiwan. The tea leaves are not picked up until 4-5 years after planting the bushes. The harvest takes place several times a year and lasts from the beginning of April until September. Connoisseurs say that the earlier, the better the tea.
International tea career
Tea was brought to Europe from India by trade companies. The first party appeared in Rotterdam in 1610, and in England 60 years later. The saying: Five o'clock tea - which is tea at five in the afternoon - is known all over the world. They are attributed to Anna, the wife of the Seventh Duke of Bedford, who reportedly started the tradition of drinking afternoon tea between lunch and dinner in 1800.
The English pioneer in the tea trade was Thomas Lipton in the second half of the 19th century. He bought the land of coffee plantations in Ceylon for almost nothing, planted it with tea and began to cultivate it. He soon lowered the price so much that it became affordable even for the poor. The English developed their own way of drinking tea; instead of sugar, they add sweet cream or milk.
Tea was brought to Poland from England in the first half of the 18th century. Soon it became fashionable in Warsaw's artistic circles. Later, she wandered to magnate and then noble courts. However, it was expensive, so not everyone could afford it.
Healing properties of tea
Modern medicine confirms the healing properties of tea. Thanks to ingredients such as tannins, theine, pectins and essential oils, it helps … almost everything. It prevents, among others stomach ulcers, atherosclerosis, heart conditions, strokes and eventumors. It can be helpful when we suffer from joint pain and rheumatism.
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What happens when you stop sweetening your tea?
Tea without sugar is he althier. Our great-grandmothers recommended strong, bitter tea for stomach problems. It perfectly regulates the digestive system, has a bactericidal and analgesic effect. It also has a great effect on the work of the brain, facilitates concentration and reduces the feeling of fatigue. In addition, sugar-free tea is less caloric.
One teaspoon of sugar equals about 20 kcal. Multiplying it by the number of teaspoons of sugar and teas you drink, you get a lot. By giving up sugar, you will get to know the true taste of tea. However, if you can't fight it and drink bitter tea, use honey, xylitol or erythritol instead of sugar.
Tea also cares for the skin
It is more and more often used as an ingredient in cosmetic preparations. Tea compresses soothe tired eyes, eliminate puffiness and help heal bacterial conjunctivitis. Even dentists recommend drinking tea. It contains fluoride which strengthens the teeth. Green tea fights bacteria that cause tooth decay.
However, its excess may cause the deposition of a dark deposit on the enamel. Green tea reduces the risk of stomach cancer and lung cancer. Some of its ingredients neutralize carcinogens contained in tobacco! Red pu-erh tea helps with weight loss. Americans call it the "fat killer" and recommend drinking 3 cups a day. Pu-erh owes its properties and aroma to fermentation.
- The art of making TEA
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