TEA BEVERAGE

Effects of Tea on Cardiovascular Disorders

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:58:00 +0000

Effects of Tea on Cardiovascular Disorders
The physiological effects of the prevention and tea products on the cardiovascular system and their potential uses doe the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disorder have drawn a great deal of interest.

In traditional Chinese medicine, tea, especially green tea, can be used as a major component in a composed prescription for treatment of hypertension or coronary heart diseases.

Epidemiological experimental investigations on the effects of tea on cardiovascular disorders have been concentrated mainly on the effects on blood pressure, on blood lipids and on atherosclerosis.
Effects of Tea on Cardiovascular Disorders

Nomenclature of Tea

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:55:00 +0000

Nomenclature of Tea
By the time the nomenclaturist Linnaeus published his Species Plantarum (1753), tea had already grown and consumed for centuries and he was aware of the availability of green and black teas.

Accordingly, he identifies two separate species of plants that yield tea: Thea virids (green) and Thea bohen (black).

Those inaccurate classification held until the early 19th century, when it was determined that these two plants were, in fact, one and the same.

The species of the tea plant is Camellia sinensis.

It is in the the family Theaceae of order Theales.

Interestingly enough, over 2000 varieties of tea are derived from this one plant species.

The differences are one function of the way o which the tea leaves are processed.

Study of relationship between green tea and cancer

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:01:00 +0000

Study of relationship between green tea and cancer
Studies conducted in China revealed that green tea users had an approximate 50% reduction in risk for both esophageal cancer and stomach cancer.

Inhabitants of tea producing districts in Japan have a lower mortality from stomach cancer, possibly the result green tea consumption.

In addition to a regular tea drinking, this population consumes green tea all types of products, including candy, gums, bread, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, etc.

Contrary to the preceding, however to recent studies found no association between green tea consumption and stomach or colon cancer.

Green tea was linked to a reduced risk of oral cancer in northern Italian and a Chinese population, esophageal cancer in Chinese women, gastric cancer in Swedish adolescents, pancreatic cancer in residents of a retirement community in the United States, and colon cancer in retired male self defense official in Japan.

Cohort studies suggest that there is a protective effect of green tea for colon, urinary bladder, stomach, pancreatic and esophageal cancer.

In Japanese survey, an overall protection by green tea was observed, together with slowdown of the increase of cancer incidence with age. The effects were more pronounced when the tea consumption was more than 10 cups/day.

In another Japanese study, consumption of 7 or more cups per day of green tea significantly decreased the risk of cancer of both the stomach and rectum (by 31% and 54% respectively) compared with non-users.

Regular tea drinkers in China experienced a lower incidence of cancer of the colon, rectum, and pancreas compared with non drinkers of tea.

A case control study from Poland reported a significant reduction in risk of pancreatic cancer with increasing lifetime tea consumption.

Increased green tea consumption was closely associated with decreased axillary lymph node metastases among patients who were premenopausal with stage 1 and 11 breast cancer and overall decreased recurrence of stage 1 and 11 breast cancer.
Study of relationship between green tea and cancer

Tea and War

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:19:00 +0000

Tea and War
Throughout the nineteenth century tea continued to play a powerful role as an important commodity.

By the end of century tea was an essential part of the daily rations of many armies throughout the world including both British and American.

It was considered necessary, not only because of its soothing effects but perhaps more importantly, because tea necessitated boiling water, thus helping to ward off many of the intestinal diseases that had plagued armies for centuries.

Much has been written about the role tea played during the two world wars, not only as necessary refreshment for the troop but also as an item of trade.

During the first two wars of World War I, from 1914 to 1916, tea as enjoyed by the British as it had been before the war began.

When German submarines began sinking British ships, however supplies became less available and the price of tea rose dramatically.

In response to the scarcity of tea, the government classified it as a luxury and began rationing it to civilians.

The public uproar that resulted soon made it clear that tea would have to be reclassified as a basic necessity, essential for keeping up national morale.

The government then took over all tea imports, fixed process and controlled sales. By 1918, all the tea available in Britain was owned and meted out by the government at the rate of two ounces of tea per week per person.

In 1919, after the war ended, normally auctions resumed and consumption rose to three ounces of tea a head weekly by 1931.

While both wars did have an impact on the world’s consumption of tea, some things never change, and the British continued to import at an astronomic rate.

Primarily through the efforts of the British owned plantations, 470 million pounds of India tea were plucked in 1945, in spite of the turmoil in India during World War II.

This was the largest tea crop ever from India, and British profits in tea increased by 200 percent.
Tea and War

Antimicrobial Activity of Tea

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:36:00 +0000

Antimicrobial Activity of Tea
Medical books written as early as in the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279) in China mention that green tea in combination with ginger can effectively cure dysentery disorders, including those so-called red and white in appearance.

Modern medical research has demonstrated that tea and tea products are active against a wide range of microorganism, implying that tea may be potentially useful for treatment of some infectious illness.

A number of reports indicated that green tea and black tea can inhibit the growth of a wide spectrum of pathogenic bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhosa, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio choilerae, and others.

Both tea powder and tea infusion are active. In a comparison of the activity of green tea and black tea against various bacteria known to cause disease, the Gram-positive bacteria with more sensitive Gram–negative.

In the case of Staphylococcus aureus, black tea showed stringer bactericidal activity than green tea and coffee.

Tea polyphenols are major components responsible for the antibacterial activity of various tea products.

The active tea polyphenols and theaflavins and their minimum inhibition concentration values were estimated in the range of 100-800 ppm.

In addition,, tea aroma compounds such as linalool, geraniol, nerolidol, cis-jasmone and caryophyllene, also display antibacterial activities.

It is of importance that tea can inhibit methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus which poses severe problems in clinical chemotherapy.

The anticaries activity of tea has drawn much attention. Tea products have shown inhibitory activity against mutans streptococci and glucosyltransferases.

Mutan streptococci that are known to synthesize glucans have been implicated as primary causative agent of caries.

Two types of glucans, water soluble and water insoluble are synthesized by two different groups of glucosyltransferase in these bacteria.

The water insoluble glucan is highly adhesive to tooth surface resulting in the formation of dental plaque.

The bacteria grow in dental plague, metabolize varies sugars there and produce organic acids, especially lactic acid, which retains in the plaque, eventually to decalcify the tooth enamel and develop dental caries.

An earlier investigation conducted at primary schools over a year has found that the incidence of dental caries among children who took a cup of tea immediately after lunch was found to be significantly lower than that among children who did not.

Various tea extracts have shown bactericidal activity against mutan streptococci. Moreover, several catechins, the components from green tea, are active against cariogenic bacteria.
Antimicrobial Activity of Tea

The Art of Tea

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:20:00 +0000

The Art of Tea
Nothing warms the body and soul like holding a fragrant, steaming cup of herbal tea, inhaling its subtle scents as you slowly sip.

Tea is among the most ancient, basin and simple methods of healing and nourishing body, mind and spirit.

As science has proven time and again, plants are endowed with important nutrients and potent healing compounds.

Some of those elements come from the raw earth: for example, a plant grown in calcium - or iron-rich soil draws those elements into its own body.

When you brew plants in water, the resulting beverage – herbal tea – is imbued with those constituent, carrying them into the body, where they are quickly absorbed.

Even better, teas are very easy to prepare, inexpensive and delicious.

Plant constituents that release their properties into water include carbohydrate protein, enzymes, mucilage, pectins, saponins and polysaccharides.

Essential oils are soluble but evaporate easily gums and tannins are partially soluble. All can play a role in improving and supporting human health.

Even though there is a wide array of medicinal herbal preparations, including capsules, tablets and tincture, drinking herbal tea offers unique benefits that should not be overlooked.

Teas are rapidly absorbed in the body. Also teas, are flavorful and aromatic. When we drink herbal tea the brain is soothed and nourished by aromas inhaled though the nose and the tasty sensory messages received by the tongue.

Another important benefit of drinking herbal tea is that it gives us an opportunity in our busy day to take a bit of time out for ourselves.

Taking tome out to taste and savor herbal teas provides an opportunity for reflection. Rather than swallowing a couple tasteless capsules with a gulp of water as we run out the door, we can use our time drinking herbal tea to think about intention - nourishing nervous sytem strengthening nervous system.
The Art of Tea

Processing and Varieties of Tea

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:14:00 +0000

Processing and Varieties of Tea
Tea has more naturally occurring caffeine than does coffee.

However, the brewing process typically dilutes tea more than coffee, resulting in on quarter to one third less caffeine per cup.

The processing of all teas begins with the Camellia sinensis plant.

Only the top two leaves and the unopened leaf bud from the plants are used.

There are four principal methods for processing the plant, and they result in the major of tea that are the most widely consumed.

These are white, green (or fermented), oolong (or semi-fermented), and black (or fermented) tea.

White Tea
White tea tea is derived by the simplest of the four processing methods and in some classification schemes, is group with green tea.

Only the youngest leaves are picked for white tea, and these leaves still contain short white “hair”.

The leaves are simply steamed and dried and their appearance is relatively unaltered.

Brewing then produces a pale yellow cup of tea with a fresh flavor. Examples of white tea are imperial Silver Needles, Drum Mountain White Cloud, Pai Mu Tan and Poobong White Tea Darjeeling.

Tea leaves for the production of green tea are handled with special care because preservation of the healthy natural, active substance in the fresh leaves is essential for the tea to be at its best.

After picking the leaves are set in hot air wither and them usually pan fried to prevent oxidation or fermentation.

The more oxidation takes place, the darker and more pungent the tea is.

Once fried, the leaves are rolled, giving them a twisted, curly or balled appearance and increasing their durability.

This process also helps regulate release of natural substance during steeping.

The leaves are next dried, using a process called firing, in which the leaves are placed in a heat controlled environment.

The most common approach is to move the tea on a conveyor through a rotating drum.

The drum is heated by fire to a temperature that is constantly controlled to ensure even firing of the leaves.

The goal is to reduce the moisture in the leaves to about 4%. In addition, some sugars are caramelized in the process and the polyphenols undergo epimerization.

Firing stabilizes the fragrance and flavor of the tea. The resulting green colored leaves yield a cup of tea high in nutrients and minerals that is the subject of many medical studies.

During production of oolong team the leaves are allowed to mature longer before picking, which results in fuller body.

Upon picking, the leaves are withered much as they are in green tea. However, after withering, their edges are bruised by shaking.

Bruising mixes the cellular constituents and starts the oxidation process. Bruising is typically repeated several times and the leaves are the spread out to dry.

The next step is oxidation, which continues until 20 to 60% of the tea leaf is fermented, depending on the variety of oolong.

Although avoided in creating green teas, this process is essential in oolong and black teas because it yields the heartier, richer flavors characteristic of these varieties.

Fermentation is finally stooped by pan firing and the leaves are ready for export.

Black Tea
Unlike other teas, black tea is completely fermented, giving their characteristic color as well as a strong, rich flavor.

The first treatment of the leaves for black tea is again withering, followed by rolling. Then the leaves are piled up in cool humid rooms to ferment.

After full fermentation, the leaves are fired to stop the process, and the juices that are the product of fermentation dry on the surfaces of the leaves an remain until steeping.

The processed leavers have budding tips called pekoe from Chinese Pak-Ho, meaning hair, probably a reference to the white “down” that appears in the budding leaves.
Processing and Varieties of Tea

Tea for Everyone

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:37:00 +0000

Tea for Everyone
In 1878, Samuel Phillips Day wrote in his book Tea: Its mystery and History, of the working class family: “What was first regarded s a luxury, has now become, of not an absolute necessity, at least one of our accustomed daily wants....Consumed by all classes, serving no simply as an article of diet, but as a refreshing ad invigorating beverage tea cannot be too highly estimated.”

By the time Queen Victoria died in 1901, tea was the drink for the masses in England, Tea’s importance to the lower classes was exemplified by the women in small villages who sometimes banded together to form “tea club”.

The purpose of these clubs was to get together in the afternoon and share tea, gossip, advice and the like.

When the money was scarce they shared responsibilities as well, one woman bringing the tea, another the biscuits or small breads, another bringing the teapot and so forth.

Tea was served in the finest manor houses as well as the humblest cottage. Tea was served after lawn tennis, on picnics after cycling – just about anywhere and everywhere that people gathered.

Afternoon tea during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century included many of the items that we traditionally associated with modern tea gatherings – scones or biscuits, éclairs, small cakes or muffins, small sandwiches, shortbreads, an larger cakes flavored with almond, ginger, or madeira.

How one drink tea soon became as important as when and with what.

Ladies of high fashion thought that a teacup should be held with three fingers, with the pinky extended.

This tradition went back to medieval times, when the gentry ate with three fingers, and commoners ate with five.

An extended pinky finger became a mark of elitism and is still parodied as such today.

One custom that was not adopted by the British was the Chinese was of loudly slurping tea.

The Chinese drank tea very hot, and it was perfectly acceptable (and even encouraged) to make loud slurping noises while drinking.

The Temperance movement in England during the mid-nineteenth century provided a added incentive for drinking.

At meetings throughout the country, tea was served as a replacement for gin or beer and was thought to be much healthier because it did not contain alcohol.
Tea for Everyone

Chemical Composition of Tea Flush

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Sat, 23 May 2009 23:45:00 +0000

Chemical Composition of Tea Flush
Tea flush is generally a reference to young shoots of tea that consist of tea that consists of the terminal bud and two adjacent leaves.

In fresh tea flush there exist a wide variety of non-volatile compounds: polyphenols, flavonols and flavonol glycosides, flavones, phenolic acids and depsides, amino acids, chlorophyll and other pigments, carbohydrates, organic acid, caffeine and other alkaloids, minerals, vitamins and enzymes.

The chemical composition of the tea leaves depends upon leaf age, the clone being examined, soil and climate conditions and agronomic practices.

Tea total polyphenols in tea flush ranges form 20% to 35%. Tea polyphenols include mainly mainly six groups of compounds.

Among them, the flavonols (mainly the catechins) are the most important group and occupy 60- 80% of the total amount of polyphenols.

The catechins have been widely and intensively investigated for their bioactivity and utilization.

Four major catechins, namely epigallocatechin-3-gallate, epigallocatechins, epicatechins-3-gallate and epicatechins, constitute around 90% of the total catechins fraction and catechins and gallocatechin are present about 6% of the total fraction.

There are some minor catechins that constitute less than 2% of the total catechins.

The catechins that are water-soluble, colorless compound contribute to astringency and bitterness in green tea.
Chemical Composition of Tea Flush

Tea and Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:55:00 +0000

Tea and Cancer
Most of the on cancer chemoprevention by tea has been conducted using green tea or its individual polyphenolic constituents.

Less work has been reported on black tea.

In animal studies, the polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea. The water extract of green tea, or individual polyphenolic antioxidants present in green tea have afforded protection against chemically induced carcinogenesis in the lung, liver, esophagus, forestomach, duodenum, pancreas, colon, and breast.

The raises possibility that green tea consumption and its associated catechins may lower cancer risk in humans.

Studies have shown that green tea intake increases the excretion of a class of carcinogens known as heterocyclic arylamines formed during the cooking of meat, poultry and fish; this is expected to reduce DNA adduct formation, in particular and carcinogenesis, in general.

Consumption of both green and black tea aqueous extracts influences the excretion of mutagens and promutagens in the urine of animals.

Several epidemiological studies suggest that tea and its associated compounds may prevent some, but not all, cancers.

This is understandable, because cancer is a complex disease with multiple etiologies, even for one body site.

It is, therefore a false hope that any nutritional or synthetic agent can prevent or treat all cancer types.

However, based on a large volume of cell culture, animal studies and human observational studies, there is hope that green tea consumption can retard cancer development at selected sites in some populations.

The challenge is to elucidate what cancer type can be prevented by tea. This requires extensive research for which considerable resources are required.
Tea and Cancer

Applications of Chrysanthemum Tea

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:08:00 +0000

Applications of Chrysanthemum Tea
Chrysanthemum tea is prepared in the same way as traditional tea. The dried flowers are infused with hot water for over 10 min, and the tea is ready to serve.

For clinical usage, the chrysanthemum is boiled either alone or together with various other herbs, according to the prescriptions to suit a specific clinical purpose.

Based on traditional usage, in addition to use as a tea, C. morifolium is used for the common cold, fever, migraines, conjunctivitis, eye, irritation, hypertension, ulcerative colitis, vertigo, ophthalmia with swelling and pain, etc.

As a mixture with other herbs, it has been claimed to be able to relieve migraines and eye irritation, improve vision, and cure keratitis.

The curing rates of ulcerative colitis and hypertension are reported to be more than 90% and 80% respectively.

Apart from the above traditional usages, there are also reports of other usage, such as antitumor activities.

Chrysanthemum water extract was found to significantly inhibit growth of transplanted tumor in nude mice, suggesting that the water-soluble components of chrysanthemum may have potent chemopreventive effects.

Although chrysanthemum is considered to be a “mild” herb and almost with no side effect in traditional medical practice, adverse effect has been reported with its flowers, and leaves may cause skin dermatitis.

In contrast there was no report that drinking chrysanthemum tea could cause respiratory or alimentary tract irritation.
Applications of Chrysanthemum Tea

High and Low Tea

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:18:00 +0000

High and Low Tea
With the growth in popularity of serving tea to friends and family, inevitably, a new set of rules also came into being. “Tea etiquette” became the rage, and new conventions and a new vocabulary quickly evolved.

There were many different kinds of meals and occasions that were called “tea”. Today the terms “low tea” and “high tea” are often used incorrectly in the United States.

A formal affair, “low tea” was called this because the tea and food were served on low tables next to armchairs on which the guests were seated.

“High tea,” on the other hand, indicated and still does a less formal, family affair served at 5.30 or 6.00, when workers returned from the field and children were home from school.

High tea, also sometimes called “meat tea.” Was much more substantial meal served on a kitchen or dining table, and included savory meats, soups, puddings and sweets and lots of robust tea.

High tea, the referred not to “high society” but to the height of the table.

“At home tea” and “tea receptions” were huge social events that often included as many as two hundred guests.

People customarily dropped by anytime between four and seven in the evening to enjoy bountiful displays of food and tea.
High and Low Tea

Physiological and Therapeutic Effects of Tea

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 03:46:00 +0000

Physiological and Therapeutic Effects of Tea
In China, from Tang Dynasty to Qing Dynasty (618-1911 A.D.), there had existed a great number of books contributed to tea. Those included mainly 3 categories, namely books in herbal medicines, tea manuals and general historic publications.

Tea was repeated to exhibit 24 kinds of physiological and therapeutic effects, such as causing less sleep, calming down, clearing sight, relieving headache, dispelling thirst, dissipating fever, detoxification, helping digestion, reducing obesity, diuresis, as a pectoral for chest disease, invigorating, strengthening teeth, and more.

In addition to the probable applications as medicine, tea, used as a daily beverage has made great contributions to human health in at least two major aspects.

Firstly, tea drinking changes the habit of how people consume water.

In ancient times, when people felt thirsty they would simply drink natural, unprocessed water that might contain pathogenic microbes.

Since the adoption of tea drinking, people had used boiling water to make tea infusion. In fact this practice helped people avoid a variety of infectious disease.

Secondly tea appears to be a good substitute for alcoholic beverages. This people who very much enjoyed tea drinking might avoid alcohol over consumption that causes severe damage to the human body.
Physiological and Therapeutic Effects of Tea

Tea and Its Chemical Constituents

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:38:00 +0000

Tea and Its Chemical Constituents
Tea from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, a plant of the Theaceae family, is consumed by more than two thirds of the word’s population and is the most popular beverage next only to water.

The tea plant is cultivated in more than 30 countries. Approximately 2.5 million metric tons of dried tea are produced annually.

Production involves a series of drying and fermenting steps.

Green tea is consumed primarily in some Asian countries, such as Japan, China, Korea and India and a few countries in North Africa and Middle East.

Black tea is consumed in some Asian countries and Western nations. Oolong is consumed in southeastern China and Taiwan. There are also many products sold in the market as herbal tea, which are not derived form the plant camellia sinensis. They are extracts of several herbs.

Teas differ regarding how they are produced. Green tea production involves steaming fresh leaves at elevated temperatures, followed by a series of drying and rolling so that chemical composition essentially remains to that of the fresh leaves.

Black tea production involves withering plucked leaves, followed by extended fermentation. Thus, depending on the extent of fermentation, the chemical composition of most black teas is different.

Oolong tea is made by solar withering of tea leaves followed by partial fermentation.

Tea leaves are unique because they are rich source of catechins and theanine. These constituents impart flavor and taste to tea beverages. Green tea also conations caffeine, theophylline and theobromine, the principle alkaloids, and gallic and theanine, the phenolic acids.

Black tea in addition to the catechins, also contain thearubigins, theaflavins and caffeine.

Oolong tea contains monomeric catechins, thearubigins, and theaflavins.

Caffeine is a natural component of all teas. Although a serving tea usually contains less than half the caffeine of coffee, actual caffeine levels are dependent on specific blends and the brew strength.

In general green tea contains 3 – 6% and black tea contains 2- 4% of dry eight caffeine.

Tea contains phenolic acids, mainly caffeic, quinic and gallic. Theanine is an amino acid found only in tea leaves, which imparts a pleasantly sweet taste to tea. It is degraded to Glutamic acid and has relaxation effects in humans. Up to one third of the dry weight of tea comprises catechins and other polyphenols such as quercitin, myricitin and kaempferol.
Tea and Its Chemical Constituents

Acne and Green Tea

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Acne and Green Tea
Green tea is used by the Chinese as a traditional medicine to treat many ailments including acne and to improve general well-being. But does it provide an effective herbal alternative to modern medication?

In a recent study, a green tea cream was trailed against a 4% benzoyl peroxide solution on people suffering with moderate to severe acne. The results from this research study showed that green tea was just as good in treating acne as the benzoyl peroxide.

But benzoyl peroxide dries out skin causing itching or allergic reactions. Unlike green tea that has the added advantages of natural anti-bacterial properties and antioxidants, particularly epigallocatechin gallate which is 200 times more powerful than vitamin E at fighting free radicals.

Green tea also helps to reduce inflammation, hormonal activity and aids in detoxification - which is all good news for acne sufferers.
Green tea extract is an extremely versatile herbal supplement - it can be administered topically, often being used in creams, taken as a in the form of a pill or incorporated into your diet and drunk as a tea.

This last method is very popular (Green Tea with Honeysuckle is often known as Pimple Tea in many Chinatowns) when drunk after a meal it aids digestion and helps to detoxify your system, getting rid of the toxins that can cause acne. Tip: don’t drink it with sugar, this will neutralize the worthwhile effects of the tea.

It seems that taking green tea for acne is a win-win situation It has many beneficial properties which promote good all-round health with little or no known side effects and for the price, green tea its definitely a herbal treatment that is worth trying.
Source: articlehub
Acne and Green Tea

Tea Consumption

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 06:03:00 +0000

Tea Consumption
Tea from leaves of Camellia sinensis, a plant of the Theaceae family, is consumed by more than two thirds of the world’s population and is the most popular beverage, next only to water.

The tea plant is cultivated in more than 30 countries. Approximately 2.5 million metric tons of dried teas are produced annually. Production involves a series of drying and fermenting steps.

Green tea is consumed primarily in some Asian countries, such as Japan, Korea, China and India and a few countries in North Africa and Middle East. Black tea is consumed in some Asian countries and Western nations. Oolong tea is consumed southeastern China and Taiwan.

There are also many products sold in the market as herbal tea which are not derived from the plant Camellia sinensis. There are extracts of several herbs.

Teas differ regarding how they are produced. Green tea production involves steaming fresh leaves at elevated temperatures, followed by series of drying and rolling steps so that the chemical composition essentially remains similar to that of the fresh leaves.

Black tea production involves withering plucked leaves, followed by extended fermentation. Thus, depending on the extend of fermentation, the chemical composition of most black teas is different. Oolong tea is made by solar withering of tea leaves followed by partial fermentation.
Tea Consumption

Tea: From China to Europe

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 11:39:00 +0000

Tea: From China to Europe
Tea continued to gain popularity in China after Tang dynasty. Teahouses first appeared in Song dynasty (960 – 1279 A.D) and quickly spread throughout the country. Teahouses were known as places where one could relax and have a good time.

Black tea which the Chinese called “red tea” was manufactured and consumed in Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644 A.D.). Most of the manufactured black teas were exported and the majority of Chinese remained consuming green tea.

Drinking of tea was considered beneficial to health. In the book ‘Tea Manual’ (Cha Pu) written in Ming Dynasty, the author concluded that “Drinking genuine tea helps quench the thirst, aids digestion, checks phlegm, wards off drowsiness, dispels boredom and dissolves greasy foods.”

In Japan the first tea was brought from China in the early 9th century. China started supplying Russia with small quantities of tea toward the end of the 17th century, and the trade was first carried overland by caravans.

The first tea to reach Europe went by the way of the Dutch who brought the first consignment to Holland in the early part of 17th century. The early supplies of tea entering England were brought over from Holland. In London the first tea was served to the public in 1657. By the mid 1750s tea houses and tea gardens were appearing in and around London.

Tea was soon to become the national drink in the British Isles. An author in the late 18th century described the difference in the way of tea drinking between Chinese and the European. He mentioned that Chinese drank tea without sugar; however, almost everyone in Europe added sugar to tea.

Since then, great changes have taken palaces and the difference, at least in some region, seems to be less prominent in the represent time.
Tea: From China to Europe

Origin of Tea and Its Health Benefits

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:25:00 +0000

Origin of Tea and Its Health Benefits
The tea plant Camellia sinensis has been grown in Southeast Asia for thousands of years. According to Chinese mythology, it was the emperor Shen Nung who discovered tea in 2737 BC. In ancient China, tea was considered as a medicinal remedy for headache, body aches and pains, depression, immune enhancement, digestion and detoxification; as an energizer and to prolong life.

The Japanese population learned the habit of drinking tea from the Chinese in approximately 800 AD. Tea consumption has now been adapted and assimilated by many cultures around the world. In Kamakura era (1191 – 1333), the monk Eisai stressed that beneficial effect of tea in his book, ‘Maintaining Health by Drinking Tea’ in 1211 in which he emphasized: “Tea is miraculous medicine for the maintenance of health.”

Of all the beverages consumed today, tea is undoubtedly one of the oldest, most widely known, and most widely consumed. Its consumption was introduced throughout the world by traders and travelers. One thing that makes tea attractive is that it is inexpensive and comes in numerous flavors.

Tea drinking is a pleasurable experience that is enjoyed either alone or shared at social gatherings. The Japanese tea ceremony and the English 4 o’clock tea are examples of how important tea has become in the tradition of some cultures.

As the people age, a major health issue becomes remaining disease free. Thus, understanding what to eat and drink and what to avoid is important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Evidence is accumulating that tea has the potential to help reduce the incidence of major diseases, especially when combined with a healthy lifestyle. Such a lifestyle includes plenty of exercise and minimizing mental stress. It also includes consuming a diet that possesses health promoting effects.

Nutrition has, therefore, been an area of intense investigation during the past few decades. Some foods and beverages have a beneficial and protective effect. Daily intake of tea, fruit juice, and soy milk is part of a health promoting dietary tradition. This undertaking is based on differences in disease incidence as a function of locally prevailing nutritional habits.
Origin of Tea and Its Health Benefits

Instant Tea

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:00:00 +0000

Instant Tea
The commercial production of instant teas began in the 1940, and this form of tea has grown in popularity in the United States to the extent that it now comprises 42% of tea sales in that country, although on a worldwide basis instant tea accounts for only a very small proportion (less than 5%) of consumption. The demand in the United States is for instant teas soluble in cold water, because it is iced tea which is the real basis for the success of instant tea in that country.

In the other countries, hot tea is the preferred beverage and it would appear that here the popularity of tea bags has been the factor responsible for the limited consumption of instant teas.

The methods used for instant tea production have been protected by patents, and the patents published up to 1969 have been reviewed in 1977. The basic steps in the preparation of instant teas are extraction of tea solids from fermented but unfired tea leaf black tea, or green tea, followed by concentration of the extract, and drying of the concentrate to a powder.

Extraction may be effected by a variety of method among which counter current extraction and percolation methods have been widely used. Concentration of the extract is effected by evaporation of the water under reduced pressure at a moderately elevated temperature and during this process various methods for trapping the escaping volatile compounds have been devised. These trapped volatiles are concentrated and retained for incorporation into the final dried product.

The concentrated extract is turbid due to the formation of cream and solubilization of this cream is a fundamental problem in the production of instant teas soluble in cold water. The finals step of drying the concentrated tea extract is commonly achieved by spray drying, but other methods, such as freeze drying or drum drying are the subject of published patents.

The importance of instant teas to the World Tea Industry may be gauged by the intense activity which is current in the field, and this activity is itself an indication that a truly acceptable instant tea has not been yet produced.
Instant Tea

Drinking Tea to Stay Young

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0000

Drinking Tea to Stay Young
Second only to water, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world. Our ancestor must had some clue about tea’s benefits; archeology evidence credits the first use of tea more than 500,000 years ago, even though science has only started empirically proving tea’s numerous benefits in the past 20 years.

The three main types of tea (black tea, green, tea, and oolong) all come from the same plant. The differences in color and taste result from the degree of fermentation the tea leaves undergo after harvesting. The fermentation, in turn determines the type and amounts of flavonoids that are present in the final products. Tea is thought to be beneficial because the flavonoids in it have been shown to have powerful antioxidant properties.

By drinking tea, you stay younger and healthier. They combat the free radicals, or toxins that can alter the chemical structure of your cells, which affects your DNA. Without tea, your DNA starts to age, which means you do too.

As if keeping your cells younger weren’t enough, there is a report on tea consumption and cardiovascular disease that for every three cups of tea a person consumed in a day, there was a 26 to 66 percent in reduction in the risk for stroke. Another study in 2003 revealed that when combined with the diet low is saturated fat, taking a supplement of bioflavonoid-enriched green tea extract served to further lower “bad” cholesterol levels. Unlike other prescription drugs, which can have some unpleasant side effects, the green tea supplement was well tolerated. Catechins, one of the many flavonoids found in green tea, may help to prevent plague buildup in the hearty. A cup a day is cheaper than an angioplasty.
Drinking Tea to Stay Young

How to Enjoy Tea

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 08:40:00 +0000

How to Enjoy Tea

Try bottled as a portable beverage choice. Many bottled or canned ice tea drinks as much added sugars as a regular soda; read the label to check calories. Look for those flavored with noncaloric sweeteners.

Watching calories? Enjoy tea without added sugar or honey. For a touch of flavor in unsweetened tea, just add a slice of lemon or lime, fresh ginger or fresh mint leaves.

Add citrus juice for flavor and smart nutrition! Tea’s flavonoids partly inhibit the absorption of nonheme iron (iron from legume, grain products, and eggs). A squeeze of vitamin C rich lemon, orange, or lemon juice in tea can counteract some of the action.

For more calcium, enjoy “milk tea”: hot or cold tea added to milk. Some believe that adding milk to tea lowers tea’s antioxidant power. However, no scientific evidence proves that milk binds to and inactivates polyphenols. If enjoy milk in tea certainly add some!

Experiment with culinary uses of dried tea leaves: as a flavor rub for a roast, for tea marinated meat, or in homemade sorbet.

Use tea – perhaps a flavored variety – in place of water in dough or batter for breads, cookies, cakes, and brownies.

How to Enjoy Tea

Tea: Types and Health Benefits

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:14:00 +0000

Tea: Types and Health Benefits
Tea is the most common beverage choice through the world. Whether it’s black, green, or oolong tea, tea comes from the same plant, called Camellia sinensis. Differences in color and flavor depend ion processing.

For black tea, the most popular type in the United States, tea leaves are exposed to air, the natural biochemical process turns them a deep red-brown color and imparts a unique, rich flavor. Many flavored specialty teas start with black tea.

For green tea, typically served in Chinese and Japanese restaurants, the tea leaves are not processed as much. Instead, they’re just heated or steamed quickly to keep their green color and delicate flavor.

Oolong tea is “between” tea: between black and green tea.

Whether black or green or oolong, tea appears to have potential health benefits, perhaps derived from its flavonoids. Flavonoids and other polyphenols, which are phytonutrients, work as antioxidants that may help protect body cells from damage done by free radicals. Using the oxygen radical absorbency capacity (ORAC)) score, which may ranks the antioxidants potential of plant based foods, tea ranks as high as or higher than many fruits and vegetables.

Can tea drinking help keep our body healthy? May be, but the research linking tea consumption and disease prevention is too new for certainty, And there’s not enough evidence yet to offer specific advice about tea drinking. Some promising areas of study suggests that tea or tea’s flavonoids may reduce risk of gastric, esophageal and skin cancers and may offer protection from heart disease and stroke – if consume enough (four to six cups a day). Some studies are investigating whether tea plays a role in relaxation or mental performance.

Tea may supply fluoride, which helps strengthen tooth enamel, if it’s made with fluoridated water. Tea also may help fight cavities by reducing plaque formation and hindering cavity-forming bacteria.
Tea: Types and Health Benefits

How afternoon Tea started?

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:21:00 +0000

How afternoon Tea started?
The idea of afternoon tea as a meal and a social event is universally attributed to Anna Maria Stanhope, Duchess of Bedford (1783 – 1857), wife of the seventh duke. She apparently often experienced what was commonly called “a sinking feeling” between lunch and evening meal.

Thinking that a little substance might help, she began drinking tea and nibbling small savory treats in the late afternoon. In the first half of the nineteenth century, luncheon was a small meal taken during the middle of the day, and dinner was often not served until eight o’clock at night. The duchess found that taking tea with little food in late afternoon was so beneficial and pleasant that she soon begin inviting friends to join her at Belvoir Castle for this small afternoon meal, around five o’clock. The menu typically included small cakes, sandwiches of bread and butter various sweets and of course tea.

This practice had proven so successful and pleasant at her summer residence that when the family returned to London in the fall, Anna continued it, inviting friends for “tea and walk in the fields”. The custom caught in with others, and soon many people copied her idea.

It was probably not until the middle of the nineteenth century that late afternoon tea became an established custom throughout the country, and then, still only among the well to do. Queen Victoria loved tea, and her enthusiasm for the afternoon tea party made it even more popular.
How afternoon Tea started?

Tea: From Japan to Europe

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 04:39:00 +0000

Tea: From Japan to Europe
Monks first introduced tea to Japan in the sixth century, but it wasn’t until the eighth century that cultivation began and tea became an important part of Japanese life. During the fifteenth century, tea masters in Japan developed rituals and symbolism around serving tea that resulted in the Japanese tea ceremony, which is still practiced today with such grace.

The first European port city to experience tea was Amsterdam, during the first few years of the seventeenth century. At first tea was treated as nothing more than a novelty-though a very expensive one. Tea didn’t make it to London for another half-century, but once the Brits found a taste for tea, they were never the same again. The British developed such a mania for tea that it quickly became part of the national culture.

The obsession for tea in England during the nineteenth century had devastating effects half a world away in China and India. As England expanded her imperialistic power, she became more greedy for tea and the profits it engendered. When British that trading opium for tea was more lucrative than buying tea with silver, they quickly developed a huge opium industry in India. The ruling British class in India forced local farmers to grow opium poppies in their field, rather than food crops. The result was hunger and deprivation in India and the Opium Wars and their tragic toll in China.
Tea: From Japan to Europe

Hot Water Soluble Tea

noreply@blogger.com (A.Hart) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:15:00 +0000

Hot Water Soluble Tea
In country consuming the traditional hot beverage the instant product has not, so far, enjoyed the same fairly wide acceptance as has instant coffee. Only on the last few years has there been any serious attempt to market instant tea in the United Kingdom outside the catering and vending sector. The market is still in an early stage of development with several freeze dried products of reasonable quality consisting of 100% tea solids retailing alongside mixes containing whiteners or sugar and other flavoring.

The manufacturing process is essentially similar to that for instant coffee, namely the preparation of an aqueous extract, followed by concentration and drying of the extract to yield a completely soluble powder or granules. In the case of tea, however, control of the processing condition is much more critical of product degradation is to be avoided. The extract may be prepared from conventional black tea or from undried green leaf which may be partly processed before the extraction. In either event the extraction conditions must be precisely controlled in order to provide both satisfactory quality and a commercially viable yield. After extraction the liquors require very careful handling to minimize undesirable changes before the final drying step. This may be by spray drying or freeze drying.

For a retail product, marketing considerations dictate that the product density should be such that one tea spoonful of powder or granules corresponds to a cup of average drinking strength.
Hot Water Soluble Tea