Tea tastes fantastic- that we do know, but here are a few fun facts about our nation’s favourite drink that will have you reaching for your kettle.
1. Tea is good for you
Theanine is the stimulant and antioxidant found in green tea. Studies reveal that it can naturally calm and focus the brain[1]. Not only does tea provide health benefits for the mind, but the body too. Drinking tea can help you maintain a healthy weight, keep your heart strong and improve your eyesight.[2] It’s like a miracle in a mug!
2. It helps keep your home mosquito-free
A natural way to keep the bothersome blood-suckers away is to dampen tea leaves and leave their scent around your home[3]. (Top Tip: Chamomile can be used to reduce the redness and itch from the bites!)[4]
3. It was not always Britain’s national beverage
Sometime during the mid-eighteenth century Britain made the right choice and replaced Gin with tea to be the drink of the masses.[5] A wise decision when you consider that Britain consumes 165 million cups of tea daily! [6]
4. The love for tea stretches across the globe
After water, tea is the second most consumed drink in the whole wide world, with Ireland being the largest nation of tea-drinkers per-capita.[7] However, the East have had access to tea for much longer than the West- a whole 4000 years longer![8]
5. Tea has many uses
From fertilizing plants to a form of currency in Siberia[9], tea has had many different uses in and out of the teacup. If you’re looking for an innovative way to get the most out of your tea leaves why not use them to clean your floors (the tannins in black tea can get hardwood floor sparkly clean[10]), or tenderise meat (meat marinated in black tea is often more tender)[11].
Tea is often used by Hollywood as a whiskey substitute in film and on TV, as watered-down tea looks the same as whiskey on screen![12]
We can conclude that tea is certainly worthy of the love bestowed upon it the world over. It is dazzling drink with a fascinating history. Time to put the kettle on!
[1] http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/vitamin-supplements/theanine.htm
[2] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristin-kirkpatrick-ms-rd-ld/tea-health-benefits_b_3504917.html
[3] https://www.finedininglovers.com/stories/tea-facts/
[4] http://www.woodlandherbs.co.uk/acatalog/natural_insect_repellents.html
[5] https://www.finedininglovers.com/stories/tea-facts/
[6] http://www.tea.co.uk/tea-faqs
[7] http://facts.randomhistory.com/tea-facts.html
[8] http://www.notimeliketeatime.com/26-interesting-facts-about-tea/
[9] http://facts.randomhistory.com/tea-facts.html
[10] http://www.networx.com/article/49-uses-for-tea
[11] http://www.networx.com/article/49-uses-for-tea
[12] http://facts.randomhistory.com/tea-facts.html