[lou_lou]

Earl Grey*
http://www.health24.com/dietnfood/He...18-181-657.asp

Key health benefits of Earl Grey

Bergamot has been documented as a useful and healing fruit in 12th century Europe
The Italians used bergamot for treating fever and intestinal worms
Bergamot's main properties are as a disinfectant and an antidepressant
The esters and alcohols present in bergamot reduce anxiety by calming the nervous system
The active components in bergamot are antiseptic, germicidal as well as relaxing
The catechin and fluoride content of black tea prevent tooth decay, while the antiseptic properties of bergamot can alleviate halitosis and oral infections
Contains beneficial amounts of caffeine that helps you to think clearly
The bergamot content fights flu, fevers and colds

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Downsides of Earl Grey tea
Tea has half the amount of caffeine than coffee and far less than coke, nevertheless, too much of a good thing CAN cause insomnia and nervousness. Note that out of the three main types of tea, green tea contains the least caffeine.

Extensive research shows that up to 300 milligrams of caffeine (about eight cups of tea) is not a health risk.

Anaemics should avoid excessive tea drinking during meals because the antioxidant properties of tea can reduce an individual's ability to absorb iron.

[lou_lou]

Oolong Tea*

Key health benefits of oolong tea

Large amounts of polyphenols found in oolong tea remove free radicals
Prevents skin damage such as dark pigmentation and liver spots that are caused by free radicals
Free radicals turn skin lipids that are supposed to keep the skin fresh into lipid peroxide and this accelerates the ageing process. By combating free radicals, the polyphenols found in oolong tea slow down the ageing process
Polyphenols enhance the function of enzymes
The polyphenols in oolong tea help to control obesity by activating the enzyme responsible for dissolving triglyceride (fatty deposits) and enhancing the function of fat metabolism
Chinese herbalists believe that oolong tea is highly effective in improving symptoms that are associated with weak kidney and spleen energy
Polyphenol helps reduce and prevents tooth decay

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Downsides of oolong tea

Tea has half the amount of caffeine than coffee and far less than coke, nevertheless, too much of a good thing CAN cause insomnia and nervousness. Note that out of the three main types of tea, black tea contains the most caffeine and green tea the least, oolong tea is somewhere in the middle.

Extensive research shows that up to 300 milligrams of caffeine (about eight cups of tea) is not a health risk.

Anaemics should avoid excessive tea-drinking with meals because the antioxidant properties of any tea can reduce an individual's ability to absorb iron.

Too much tea can discolour your teeth.
http://www.health24.com/dietnfood/He...18-181-655.asp

[lou_lou]

The wonders of tea

Tea comes in many different varieties and shopping for the healthiest brand is quite a bewildering experience, but rest assured that whatever tea you put into your trolley, regardless of what type it is, will have the following health benefits:

Antioxidants – Tea leaves contain even more natural antioxidants than most fruit, vegetables and red wine. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals – incomplete cells that attack healthy cells and cause oxidative damage that can lead to heart disease and cancer. In so doing, antioxidants have significant disease-fighting properties.

Tea is rich in a powerful type of antioxidant compound known as flavonoids.

Flavonoids are more effective antioxidants than vitamin C and E and beta-carotene. They have been found to improve the blood vessels' ability to relax and therefore stop the arterial blockage that leads to heart attacks and strokes. Flavonoids also stop "bad" cholesterol from oxidizing and hardening the arteries.

Because flavonoids have a short life, you need to continuously ingest flavonoid-rich foods, such as fruit, vegetables and tea to experience their full health benefits.

As long as you don't overload your tea with sugar or high-fat milk, it's a low-calorie way to increase your antioxidant level with almost no downsides. Tea cannot replace but can supplement the recommended flavinoid-rich five fruits and vegetables a day.

Both black and green teas contain cancer-fighting polyphenols. Also known as tea tannins or catechins, polyphenols seem to be the most potent therapeutic plant-derived chemicals because of their triple function – they are antiseptic, antioxidant and detoxifying. Polyphenols that have antioxidant properties seem to help inhibit the growth of cancerous tumours.

Tea and vitamin C
Both green tea and herbal teas are sources of vitamin C.

Ethylamine, found in black and green teas, also targets pathogens including parasites, viruses and perhaps, tumours.

A recent experiment by the National Academy of Sciences in the US found that the immune system blood cells from tea drinkers responded five times faster to germs than the blood cells of coffee drinkers.

Tea has antioxidant, antibacterial, antiseptic and detoxifying properties. What more can you ask for in a drink?


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Types of tea

There are three base types of tea that are classified according to the way that they are processed, namely black, green and oolong tea. All three come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. However, black tea comes from African, Indian and Sri Lankan plantations, whereas green tea comes from the Far East.

These three teas are often classified by their region of origin, for example, Ceylon, China and Darjeeling.

Further sub categories of tea include scented tea, decaffeinated tea, organic tea (like Rooibos or Honeybush), herbal infusions (made from flowering plants) and Earl Grey ( a black tea and bergamot mix). Manufacturers may flavour their teas with flowers or herbs, but, if the tea does not contain one of the three main bases, then it isnot really a tea in the true sense of the word.

Black tea is the product of the cutting, withering, rolling, fermenting and drying processes that result in brownish black tea leaves.

Green tea is steamed to preserve the green colour of the tea leaves and in doing so prevents fermentation as the veins of the leaves are not broken. The green leaves are then crushed and dried. Oolong teas are semi-green teas that are partially fermented.

Comparing the three: Black tea Fermented Fully oxidized Lowest amount of tannin Most caffeine
Green tea Unfermented Not oxidized Highest amount of tannin Least caffeine
Oolong tea Semi-fermented Partially oxidized Average amount of tannin Average amount of caffeine


All three types of tea come from the same plant and therefore share many of the same health benefits, such as antibacterial and antioxidising properties. But the efficacy decreases slightly the darker the tea leaf becomes.

http://www.health24.com/dietnfood/He...18-181-653.asp

[lou_lou]

honeybush tea
Key health benefits of Honeybush

Caffeine-free
Very low tannin levels
It is very soothing and calms the central nervous system
Eases constipation
Can be applied topically to skin irritations
Full of antioxidants to guard against free radical attack
Contains polyphenols that boost the immune system and and to help reduce the degenerative effects of lifestyle diseases
Rich in minerals such as iron, potassium, calcium, copper, zinc, magnesium, manganese, and sodium

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Downsides of Honeybush
None whatsoever as no negative side effects ever reported therefore Honeybush tea can be drunk freely.

If Honeybush is brewed or boiled for longer than ten minutes, the antioxidant activity becomes much higher.
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Interesting facts about Honeybush

Honeybush is similar in apperance and taste to Rooibos, but is naturally sweeter. Honeybush, a herbal tea comes from the the Cyclopia plant that is grown in the high mountains of the Western and Eastern Cape regions.

Correctly called tisanes, herbal teas are made from flowering plants without woody stems. Herbal infusions can include flowers, herbs, fruit and spices. These infusions are caffeine-free unlike all other types of tea.

Herbal teas do not contain tea leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant and therefore cannot be technically classified as a tea. This does not mean that herbal teas do not have health benefits, they have many, but these perhaps differ from those of real tea.

http://www.health24.com/dietnfood/He...18-181-656.asp

[MooseasaurusRex]

20% payraise for your efforts, beautiful. Thanks for taking the time to share all this.

And a quote from "Harvey"....

Spooky. That's my last name.

Not an invisible rabbit though.

[Chemar]

see

we Brits had it right

TEA rules!!!


thanks for that Tena

ps I drank a lot of Red Bush tea as a kid in south africa
MEGA healthy!
http://redbush.com/

[mrsD]

I agree. I had a miracle cure from Yerba Mate! It fixed my gall bladder.
(there are studies on it on PubMed about helping with bile flow).
Jcc from here sent it to me one Xmas and it saved me from surgery!

I only drink the green unsmoked variety that I get from EcoTeas online.
Yerba Mate has been tested to have DOUBLE the antioxidants than green tea, and also minerals and some amino acids. It has to be carefully brewed at lower temperatures to preserve these nutients however.

I have a huge mug of English Breakfast tea in the morning, and a green tea
or two later in the day. ( I use Salada decaffeinated green tea).
Sometimes I'll have a Lipton green tea in the bottle..say in car, etc.

Coffee just does not agree with me, GI wise and jitter wise. I like the aroma, but I just gave it up years ago.