JANUARY
Health Boost
INTRODUCTION Tea is a very important part of British culture, with around 165 million cups drunk per day. The 12 books that make up The Daily Brew come together to form a tea-lovers guide, full of facts, tips, stories and knowledge to tip the cup of life. With each book you are given a short piece to digest each day, whilst you sip away at your morning cuppa. So take the time to sit down and find out everything you can possibly know about tea, without taking too much time out of your busy lives. January is all about the health boost!
1 I
In terms of all round health, the best tea for you to drink is black tea. It’s a rich source of both manganese and fluoride, which help keep your bones strong, and it also helps cut the risk of a heart attack if you drink four cups a day.
2 II
Green tea should taste rather sweet. If your green tastes bitter, the leaves have been burnt from the water being too hot. Green tea should be brewed at a lower temperature of 75 to 80 degrees, which also helps to preserve the healthgiving properties.
3 III
If you’re feeling stressed, tea is a great way to calm yourself down, as it contains a natural theanine which works as an anti-stress agent.
4 IV
Although all three teas come from the exact same plant, as white tea is only processed very minimally, it provides more antiviral properties than both green tea and black tea.
5 V
For a lower caffeine intake, go for a green tea over a black tea. Black has on average 64 to 112mg of caffeine per serving, whereas green tea has 24 to 39mg caffeine per serving.
6 VI
For a tea that’s great for your digestive system go for either milk thistle or dandelion tea, as they are gentle liver cleansers.
7 VII
Although we cannot be so sure of the exact origin of Peppermint Tea, there have been dried leaves found in Egypt that date back to 1000BC.
8
VIII
Matcha is a super concentrated green tea which means it’s packed full of goodness. One cup of matcha tea is the equivalent of 10 cups of normal green tea and has around 70 times the amount of antioxidants in a glass of orange juice!
9 IX
The rooibos plant grows naturally without any caffeine, so it’s the perfect choice for a caffeine free drink.
10 X
Camomile tea is helpful for digestion and is also calming, so it’s great to drink just after dinner or just before bed.
11 XI
The high levels of antioxidants in tea slow the absorption of caffeine, which results in a gentler increase of caffeine in your system and a longer period of alertness with no crash at the end.
12 XII
Black tea actually contains half the amount of caffeine as that in a cup of coffee, which makes it a lot healthier for you.
13 XIII
Oolong tea activates an enzyme responsible for dissolving the dietary fat that’s stored in fat cells, and therefore is thought to aid weight loss.
14 XIV
Although matcha tea contains caffeine, drinkers often experience a boost of energy throughout the day that’s actually from the combination of matcha’s natural properties.
15 XV
Green tea is filled with endless anti-oxidants, vitamins and general goodness.
16 XVI
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17 XVII
Due to it’s semi-fermentation process, Oolong tea contains the highest amount of polyphenol, which helps to relieve physical and mental stress.
18 XVIII
Peppermint tea is best brewed for 3-5 minutes to get the full flavour, without it getting spoiled.
19 XIX
If you want an energy boost with less of the caffeine, a cup of matcha tea has three times the energy of an espresso, and the energy is released slowly, lasting for many hours.
20 XX
Green tea is known to give your immune system a boost, so it’s great to drink if you’re feeling under the weather.
21 XXI
Although green tea is great for you, white tea is even better! It’s incredibly high in antioxidants used to fight off free radicals and reduce cholesterol in the body.
22 XXII
For a caffeine free drink, go for a herbal tea. There are plenty to tickle your tastebuds, from fruity flavours to nettle and peppermint.
23 XXIII
It is thought that black tea can prevent the body from absorbing iron effectively due to the tannins it contains, whereas rooibos tea actually supports the body’s absorption of iron.
24 XXIV
Rosehips are the fruit that comes from the rose plant and they are one of the best plant sources of vitamin C. This makes rosehip tea a great way to boost the immune system, skin and tissue health and adrenal function.
25 XXV
Green tea is thought to help burn fat, because it’s antioxidant features help speed up your metabolic rate.
26 XXVI
Tea is a great source of both manganese and potassium. Manganese is essential for body development and bone growth, whereas potassium is vital for maintaining body fluid levels.
27 XXVII
Fruit teas are great, because they’re not overly sweet and still have all the benefits found in the raw form of the fruits they contain.
28 XXVIII
Studies have shown that tea has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, and drinking it can actually help to prevent cardiovascular disease.
29 XXIX
Although black tea does contain some caffeine, drinking an average of four cups of it a day keeps you well within the caffeine level that is considered safe.
30 XXX
Tea is a natural source of fluoride, and can therefore help protect against tooth decay and gum disease.
31 XXXI
Tea made from loose leaves contains more antioxidants than that made with tea bags, as they tend to contain lowerquality, powdered leaves.
PHOTOGRAPHY Sophie Kean - 1-3, 5-7, 9-13, 15, 17-18, 20-24, 26-31 Gregory Povey - 4 Taylor Gabriela - 8 Flickr: DaseinDesign - 14 Roccoforte Hotels - 16 Veganbaking - 19 Flickr: madlyinlovewithlife - 25