Thursday, May 08, 2008

TEA - BEST DRINK OF THE DAY


Britons have always been renowned for being a nation of tea drinkers (although many people here do drink coffee too and some prefer it to tea!) As a nation we get through a staggering 48 billion cups of tea every year according to the results of a recent survey. According to the Tea Council, the average person drinks three cups of tea a day, getting through nearly 75,000 cups of their favourite brew in a lifetime. Indeed a cup of tea has become almost like a national icon to many people in this country. Tea is often referred to as “the best drink of the day”. People often reach for a cup of tea as a pick me up or to cheer them up in times of crisis.

I smiled when I heard that top secret documents released this week show that government officials in Whitehall were worried about a possible tea shortage in the event of a nuclear attack in the 1950’s! Apparently the documentation revealed that a nuclear attack would result in the loss of 75% of tea stocks and the tea supply situation could be “very serious”. Never mind the radiation then!

Britons are the world's second biggest tea drinkers, behind the Irish, consuming 165 million cups a day. Researchers have discovered that drinking tea is even better for you than drinking water. It contains antioxidants and doesn’t dehydrate you. Three or more cups of tea a day can cut the risk of heart attacks whilst other benefits include bone strengthening and protection against dental plaque, one of the main causes of tooth decay. All the more reason to have a nice cup of tea!

7 comments:

Kilroy_60 said...

Pomegranate green tea is one of my personal favorites. I like to brew a pot then pour it into a tall glass with ice.

After stumbling for a few days I'm Stumbling my blogging friends this morning. I stopped by to give you a big thumbs up.

Cheers!

Jackie said...

Can't do without my tea. Lady Grey being my favorite but not always easy to get so usually land up with Earl Grey.

Tried the new White tea which is similar to regular Ceylon tea and promoted as having more antioxidants than Green tea but it was dreadful so will stick to what I know and like.

Kyle and Svet Keeton said...

Thank you for a very interesting article, Naomi!

I am a big tea lover, really - think I drink 5-6 or more cups of tea a day. Hot tea is a main drink for me. As for coffee I did not get used to it - drink coffee just in an emergency case - when I did not sleep enough and feel very very tired.

As for Kyle - he like a lot of Americans prefers coffee or cold drinks - especially Diet Pepsi ;).

Best wishes,
Svet and Kyle

Naomi said...

Sounds great Kilroy. I've never had Pomegranate tea. I'll have to try that one. Thanks for the thumbs up!

I love both Lady Grey and Earl Grey teas Jackie. They are both wonderful. I'm not keen on the white tea either and much prefer green.

I'm a big tea drinker too Kyle and Svet and rarely drink coffee. In the warmer months I drink nothing but water but in Winter I drink several cups of tea. I think a lot of Americans enjoy their coffee. Diet Pepsi is a good choice though. I like that too!

erikko said...

tea is good for our body but sometimes people didn't appreciate it because the taste of a tea lies in how it will be prepared. it goes with a process

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Anonymous said...

I love tea but with ice. Since moving to Australia however, I have become more forgiving of a hot cuppa.

cheers
dale

Naomi said...

I agree how the tea is prepared does make a difference to how it tastes. Thanks for stopping by Erikko. I hope you enjoyed your visit here.

I've had both iced tea and warm tea Dales but I have to say my personal preference is for a hot cuppa! Thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed your visit here.