Fun With Tea Time Trivia

I had a little tea party this afternoon at threeTwas very small three guests in all, just myself, I and meMyself ate up the sandwiches, while I drank up the teaTwas also I who ate the pie and passed the cake to me

Anonymous

Before tea came to the attention of scientist and the public for its medicinal qualities; it already had a long and fascinating history. It was the drink of kings, the maker of a saint, the basis of an art form, the spark for independence of a young country, the saver of lives, and the star of a social trend. For the last century or so, coffee has taken the limelight from tea. But recent studies showing tea's positive effects on health has made it once again a popular drink.

Medical research has shown that drinking tea can aid in the fight against cancer, heart disease and other health related issues. The ingredients in tea that have drawn so much attention are polyphenols, flavonoids and catechins. Polyphenols, flavonoids and catechins are naturally occurring antioxidants (antioxidants are also found in fruits and vegetables). Antioxidants work by binding free radicals and peroxide that can damage cells. Free radicals form naturally as food breaks down and is digested. While green tea has more of these antioxidants, black tea also has them. The Chinese have known for a long time about the health benefits of tea.

The Chinese have been drinking tea for over 5,000 years. Legend says that tea drinking began with Shen Nung, a progressive Chinese Emperor. A natural scientist and believer that good hygiene was a necessity for good health, Shen Nung insisted that all drinking water be boiled. Once while traveling across his province, Shen Nung stopped for a rest. While servants were boiling his drinking water, a dried leaf from a nearby bush dropped into the water. Shen Nung's scientific curiosity led him to drink the brew; tea was born.