Camellia Sinensis: The Benefits of Tea
Today we’re going to talk about a drink that you’ve surely all heard about at least once. Knowing the scientific name of this plant is something we’ll leave to the scientists, we’re going to be referring to it simply as tea. Tea drinks are made from the leaves of this beautiful plant, which in addition to providing us with an excellent medicinal service since ancient times (tea was used in ancient China as a curative plant), it also has precious flowers.
In was introduced to the Western world by the Dutch who returned to Europe from their travels to Asia. But it wasn’t the Dutch who made the drink popular, but rather the English (In England, one of the most common and frequently used phrases is: Would you like a cup of tea?).
It is often said that there is no disease that a plant can’t cure. Human beings have used plants as medicinal remedies since ancient times (in Mesopotamia, Egyptian, Greek cultures, just to name a few…) both in Europe as well as Asia, although the use of tea originated in Asia.
Benefits
Tea can offer us many benefits if taken regularly. First of all, tea contains caffeine, and though this can be a handicap for certain people (caffeine intake is not recommended for small children or people who suffer from hypertension), it can help keep us awake and alert. But, it can also improve our mental agility and help us concentrate. This makes it ideal during exam season or for long demanding work hours.
Tea contains much less caffeine than coffee does, which makes it an ideal substitute. Tea not only helps your mind, but also the rest of your body. Its antioxidants help stimulate our circulation, and it provides us with many vitamins, including but not limited to Vitamin C.
It can aid in the fight against cavities because tea also contains fluorides that strengthen our enamel. Yet, these aren’t only strictly beneficial, because an excess of fluorides can be toxic (but don’t be alarmed, the amount of tea you would have to consume for this to happen is enormous).
It is usually recommended that you drink tea separately from your meals, because consuming it with food impairs iron absorption.
How should I consume tea?
We urge you to drink tea on a daily basis, because it is truly worth it. There are many recipes in cookbooks or on the internet on how to prepare it. Usually these are very simple, and you can make a very delicious and healthy drink with minimal effort. Don’t worry about drinking it cold, it’s properties are not diminished at lower temperatures. Furthermore, this is a type of drink that quenches your thirst and is much better for you than a Coke, for example.
Coca Cola contains an extravagant amount of sugar, ten spoonfuls worth. The body has to do something with the sudden arrival of such a big amount of sugar. So the liver will probably respond to the increase of insulin by producing fat. It has even worse ingredients, such as E388, which is ortho phosphoric acid. Due to these reasons and all of the ones mentioned before hand, you should at least give tea a shot. We’re sure you’re going to like it!