Tea vs Coffee: The Health Debate

Most start their day with a hearty cup of coffee while some cannot do without their cup of tea. Coffee to most is like a drug that jolts them out if their sleep, drives away fatigue, and gives an energy boost. Coffee can cause a person to be addicted due to its high caffeine content, while tea can provide the needful caffeine fix without the jitters.


Tea is the most consumed beverage in the world. It even tops beer in terms of popularity. Coffee too is hugely popular. Both drinks, however, have been around for a long time. Tea was discovered by the Emperor of China in 2737 BC. According to legend, the emperor was drinking a cup of boiling water when leaves from a nearby plant flew into the cup releasing a beautiful colour and aroma. Intrigued, the emperor took a sip and was pleasantly surprised by its flavour. Tea then became popular among scholars and priests in China and Japan, who drank tea to stay awake, study, and meditate. This is perhaps why the hot drink has always been associated with mindfulness, calm, spirituality, and solid health.


Coffee, however, did not appear until much later. It is generally believed to have been discovered by a goatherd Kaldi in the Ethiopian highlands. Kaldi noticed that his goats became hyperactive after eating berries from a certain tree. This was the coffee plant. Coffee then spread to monks at monasteries, where they drank the beverage to keep them alert while praying. From there, it began making its way across the Arabian Peninsula. Both coffee and tea remained Eastern beverages for a long time; coffee didn't even arrive in Europe until the 17th century.



A lot of research has been conducted on the benefits of both tea and coffee. Researchers have focused on specific potential benefits of coffee, with some studies finding that coffee might have the ability to reduce the incidence of dementia or Alzheimer's or even Type Two diabetes. Coffee has higher caffeine content than tea, meaning its levels of the stimulant might help people with asthma by relaxing the lung's airways. Caffeine also helps in constricting blood vessels in the brain and reducing migraines. A Harvard School of Public Health research suggested that while coffee does not harm the body in any way, it did not provide any long term health benefits either.



Tea, on the other hand, is filled with antioxidants and potential cancer-fighting properties. According to the National Cancer Institute at the NIH, tea contains polyphenol compounds, which are antioxidants that might aid in cancer prevention. Some studies, however, suggest otherwise. Hence, while concluding evidence is not present in this matter, tea is still considered to be a medicinal beverage with therapeutic properties. All types of tea are made from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis, which wilt and oxidize after harvesting; oxidation results in the breaking down of chemicals. The amount of oxidation that occurs in the leaves is what defines different types of teas, from black tea to white tea, and of course green tea. Polyphenols in particular are a group of plant chemicals that are believed to be involved in health benefits — especially in green tea. Teas with the highest levels of polyphenols are usually brewed hot teas rather than cold (and sugary) bottled teas. Polyphenols in green tea, and theaflavins and thearubigins in black tea, contain free radicals that might protect cells from DNA damage.

The Benefits of Having Darjeeling Tea- Buy Darjeeling Tea Today

Darjeeling Tea or Assam Tea is known as shepherd's tea is made from leaves of plants from the Sideritis species. This beverage is essentially herbal and is drunk by people not only because of its taste but also for its unique benefits. This tea is made from freshly harvested herbs in the Mediterranean. The leaves of this plant are available as dried form. The tea is easily available at some grocery stores and health food stores. The Darjeeling Tea is filled with natural antioxidants and other important properties that will help the body in various ways.


Flavonoids and Antioxidants

In 2011, the "Journal of Ethnopharmacology" published a study on the flavonoid content of all plants found within the Sideities genus of plants. The plants has an overall species of 150 trees, researchers found out that this particular species showed to have anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic properties. It was also found the leaves were rich in a number of natural oxidants like flavonoids and few essential oils. When you buy Darjeeling Tea, you ensure that these properties come on your cup of beverage.


Regulates Blood Pressure

Another publication issued in 2012 titled the "Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology" found out that the extracts made from Sideritis helps in lowering down the blood pressure by making the blood vessels to relax. This animal study measured the arterial blood pressure and revealed that a dose of Sideritis extract led to the blood vessels dilation, thus enabling the pressure levels to fall and reduce the stress on the muscle of the heart. Though the tea is perfect for dealing with blood pressure, it cannot be considered as a constant treatment for heart conditions. More research and experiments are required on this matter.


Protects The Digestive System

Again, in 2012, "Planta Medica" published an animal study on the effects of Greek Mountain tea on the gastrointestinal health and disorder of the animals. Researchers found out that taking an oral dose of this beverage led to less inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. This happened most likely because of the presence of antioxidants and phenols found naturally in a plant. The researchers also found out that this supplement led to the reduction of toxicity in the body for long term. The study proved beneficial and proved why people should buy Darjeeling Tea; however, it did not offered any result for gastrointestinal complications, as more study was needed to perform the research. Buy Tea Online from any tea brands. Many sellers also offer this tea online.



Brewing The Tea

When brewing this Darjeeling Tea, especially from fresh plants, you can use the leaves, stems of the plant. Place around six to eight inches of the tea leaves and pieces into the boiling water and then lower down the heat. Allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. For dried tea leaves, add 2 tablespoons in a teapot and let it rest for five minutes. Add flavors as you want and the tea is done.


Authors BIO: Rickey is an avid blogger, he writes various blogs on several topics. Like in this article he writes about varieties benefits of organic teas such as Darjeeling Tea, Oolong Tea etc.

 

Know More about the Green Tea

"A lone, lonely, loner" – if that's what you are, Tea and a good story book can be your friend. Some people in the world just love to be alone and enjoy their solitude. In a sunlit winter morning what can be more refreshing than warm wrap up with a Tea, soothing music and a book to read. That it you are all set for the weekend. Well to put it correctly not all Tea lovers are book lovers.

Therefore, you can also enjoy Tea watching movies or a Cricket match. What matter the most is the flavor of the Tea that adds to the ambiance and helps you to think. If you are Tea lover, you probably know where to find the best Tea in the world. Some of the finest Tea is brewed in Greece. Green Tea is popular for the roasted Tea beans that are broken and mixed to make Tea.

When you are traveling to Kolkata, do not forget to take out a separate time and visiting at least two to three Greek cafes. What matters the most is finding the appropriate Green Tea that can serve you the perfect Tea and the side dishes that will give you a memorable taste. Making Tea is no joke and not everyone can do that. The perfect Tea will have a mixture of bitterly sweet taste. People all around the world, especially the ones who are fond of Tea, prefer to have it with brown sugar that mixes with caffeine and give the perfect flavor. The normal sugar actually kills the bitter taste of the Tea and tends to make it sweeter than it actually should taste.


In Kolkata almost 90% of the people know how to make a perfect Tea with correct and appropriate mixing of all the ingredients. You can taste Green Tea from any random shops of Greece or choose to visit a popular restaurant. Knowing about a place prior your visit is not possible but it’s true that none of the Greek cafes will disappoint you where Tea is concerned.


Tea lovers are very selective about their Tea and therefore, numerous Tea shops are running successfully satisfying their regular customers. Greek cafes are there to not only satisfy your taste but also to make sure that the ambiance of the place attract more and more customers day in and out. The Tea lovers are one of a kind and they expect the perfect mood to be set in the café that they choose to go to. Long gone are the days where the owner of the café could satisfy their customers with white sugar, now there are options like brown sugar, sugar crystals, honey and low calorie sweetener. Honey is a sweetener that adds not only the sweetness to the Tea but brings a new taste to the Tea. Not only that there are supplements for sugar, but there are supplements for the whitener as well. The whiteners may include whole, semi-skimmed, skimmed milk and poured cream. People do not look for a Tea Cup now-a-days but whole experience. People in Greece know very well how to make their Green Tea better and successful.