Tea - Quotes

A simple cup of tea is far from a simple matter. - Mary Lou Heiss

Drinking tea ... punctuates our day with precious and refreshing pauses, whether it is after a satisfying meal or when taking a much-needed break in our busy schedule. - Mutsuko Tokunaga

Ever since tea was first discovered, its cultivation and consumption have been encouraged because of its apparent ability to ward off disease, strengthen powers of concentration, cleanse the body, and aid digestion. Legends of its medicinal properties reached Europe and the New World from China, intriguing the Western consumer, and now, centuries later, modern research has begun to confirm many of those early beliefs. - Jane Pettigrew

I am so fond of tea that I could write a whole dissertation on its virtues. It comforts and enlivens without the risks attendant on spirituous liquors. Gentle herb! Let the florid grape yield to thee. Thy soft influence is a more safe inspirer of social joy. - James Boswell

I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea. - Fyodor Dostoevsky

If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty. - Japanese Proverb

If you are cold, tea will warm you; if you are too heated, it will cool you; if you are depressed, it will cheer you; if you are excited it will calm you. - William Ewart

If you ask Zen people, they will say tea is not something that you pour with unawareness and drink like any other drink. It is not a drink, it is meditation; it is prayer. So they listen to the kettle creating a melody, and in that listening they become more silent, more alert. - Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

In an age when everyone is constantly busy and short of time, what could be more enjoyable than taking time to indulge in what was once part of everyday life, but has now become a luxury – afternoon tea. - Lesley Mackley

In English society while there is tea there is hope. - Arthur Wing Pinero

In my own hands I hold a bowl of tea; I see all of nature represented in its green colour. Closing my eyes, I find green mountains and pure water within my own heart. Silently sitting alone and drinking tea, I feel these become a part of me. - Sen Soshitsu

My dear if you could give me a cup of tea to clear my muddle of a head I should better understand your affairs. - Charles Dickens

One sip of this will bathe the drooping spirits in delight, beyond the bliss of dreams. - John Milton

Some people will tell you there is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tea ... is one of those rare treasures, enjoyed throughout the world, that actually benefits health. - Kit Chow

Tea beckons us to enjoy quality time with friends and loved ones, and especially to rediscover the art of relaxed conversation. - Dorothea Johnson

Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage. - Kakuzo Okakura

Tea is hot and getting hotter. From iced to spiced, from austere black tea to sweetened and milky chai, from a flowery pick-me-up to a healing herbal. No other beverage has such a place in the heart of every civilization. No wonder it is the most popular beverage in the world, next to water. - Sara Perry

Tea is like a perfect gentleman whose nature has no evil. - Brother Anthony of Taize

Tea is more than an idealization of the form of drinking, it is a religion of the art of life. - Kakuzo Okakura

Tea is so important to the Russians that prisoners receive a regular ration as a basic requirement. - Emily Kearns

Tea is wealth itself, because there is nothing that cannot be lost, no problem that will not disappear, no burden that will not float away, between the first sip and the last. - The Minister of Leaves, The Republic of Tea

Tea tempers the spirits and harmonizes the mind, dispels lassitude and relieves fatigue, awakens thought and prevents drowsiness, lightens or refreshes the body, and clears the perceptive faculties. - Lu Yu

Tea! thou soft, thou sober, sage, and venerable liquid, thou female tongue-running, smile-smoothing, heart-opening, wink-tippling cordial, to whose glorious insipidity I owe the happiest moment of my life, let me fall prostrate. - Colley Cibber

Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence. It inculcates purity and harmony, the mystery of mutual charity, the romanticism of the social order. It is essentially a worship of the Imperfect, as it is a tender attempt to accomplish something possible in this impossible thing we know as life. - Okakura Kakuzo

Teapots should be used for tea only. Tea is like a blotter and will pick up off flavours. - Mary Louise Starkey

Tea's proper use is to amuse the idle, and relax the studious, and dilute the full meals of those who cannot use exercise, and will not use abstinence. - Samuel Johnson

The mere chink of cups and saucers tunes the mind to happy repose. - George Gissing

The Philosophy of Tea is not mere aestheticism ... for it expresses conjointly with ethics and religion our whole point of view about man and nature. It is hygiene, for it enforces cleanliness; it is economics, for it shows comfort in simplicity rather than in the complex and costly; it is moral geometry, inasmuch as it defines our sense of proportion to the universe. - Kakuzo Okakura

The proper, wise balancing of one's whole life may depend upon the feasibility of a cup of tea at an unusual hour. - Arnold Bennett

The spirit of the tea beverage is one of peace, comfort, and refinement. - Arthur Gray

The very act of preparing and serving tea encourages conversation. The little spaces in time created by teatime rituals call out to be filled with conversation. Even the tea itself - warm and comforting-inspires a feeling of relaxation and trust that fosters shared confidences. - Emilie Barnes

There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. - Henry James

There is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is no problem on Earth that can't be ameliorated by a hot bath and a cup of tea. - Jasper Fforde

There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life. - Lin YuTang

To the Chinese people, tea is like a free spirit. When tea enters the body, one is immediately filled with the nutrition of sunshine, the bright moon, the richness of the land, and the wonderment of the entire universe. - Ling Wang

Who would then deny that when I am sipping tea in my tearoom I am swallowing the whole universe with it and that this very moment of my lifting the bowl to my lips is eternity itself transcending time and space? - D. T. Suzuki

9 Surprising Health Benefits Of Drinking Tea

The benefits of drinking tea. Article from MindBodyGreen.com

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-17286/9-surprising-health-benefits-of-drinking-tea.html

Drink Up The Five Big Benefits Of Tea

Experts share the latest research on the health effects of the aromatic beverage.

Lea Wee reports

A cup of tea wakes you up in the morning, rounds off an evening meal and, well, they do not call it teatime for nothing.

Now, it has been further confirmed that tea leaves steeped in boiling water are good for health as well.

Tea is good for hydration, said Ms Wong Yuefan, a senior dietician at the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics.

It also helps keep a person’s weight under control and his mind mentally sharp.

Researchers from Singapore and overseas have also found that tea contains chemical components such as catechins that may prevent diseases.

Here are h five main health benefits of tea.

1. Hydration

Tea is a calories-free beverage which is good for hydration, said Ms Wong. She said: “It is common myth that tea acts as a diuretic and may be dehydrating because of its caffeine content.”

A cup of tea contains about 40 to 60mg of caffeine. A cup of coffee contains more- about 60 to 180 mg of caffeine.

The daily recommended caffeine intake for a healthy adult is not more than 300mg or about five cups of tea, said Ms Wong.

Research shows that this amount of caffeine does not lead to dehydration.

Caffeine has a diuretic effect only if a person takes more than 500 to 600 mg of it a day, said Ms Wong.

People who drink caffeinated beverages also typically develop a tolerance to caffeine, she said. Hence, any initial diuretic effect is diminished over time.

2. Weight management

Tea, when served without milk or sugar, contains virtually no calories, said Ms Wong

This makes tea an ideal choice for people who wish to maintain a healthy weight.

There is also some evidence that catechins, a group of flavonoids found in high quantities in green tea and, to a lesser extent, in black tea, may be useful in preventing obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases, said Ms Wong.

A 2005 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that daily consumption of tea containing a total of 690mg of catechins for 12 weeks can help to reduce body fat.

Of course, this applies only to tea which has no sugar or milk added to it.

3. Mental alertness

Studies show that black tea has a positive effect on a person’s levels of mental alertness.

The key ingredient is said to be L-theanine, an amino acid found only in tea leaves. Each cup of black tea contain 5 to 23mg of L-theanine, depending on the blend and brewing method.

Studies show that drinking two to there cups of tea increases alpha brain activity gradually over time with its effect becoming apparent after 80 minutes and lasting as long as 105 minutes.

Alpha brain waves occur when people are in a state of physical and mental relaxation, but are aware of what is happening around them.

A rise in alpha brain activity is associated with an increase in alertness.

4. Cognitive performance

A 2010 study on more than 700 Chinese adults in Singapore by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore found that tea(black, oolong and green tea) was associated with better cognitive performance, including memory, executive function and information processing speed.

The authors said in their paper published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Ageing, that this could be due to the synergistic effect of many of its chemical components, such as theanine, flavonoids (catechines) and vitamin C.

5. Cancer and Parkinson’s disease

Laboratory research has shown that catechins found in green and black tea may prevent the onset and progression of cancer.

A study of 63,000 middle aged and elderly Chinese Singaporeans in the Singapore Chinese Health Study – conducted by Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore between 1993 and 2007 – showed that women who drink green tea daily could possibly have  a lower risk of breast cancer.

Also, men and women who drink black daily had a lower incidence of Parkinson’s disease and possibly diabetes.

Parkinson’s disease is a neuro-degenerative disorder that often leads to tremors and problems with balance, walking and coordination.

A separate team of researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and National Neuroscience Institute later identified a component in green tea, a catechin call EGCG, that provides cellular protection against Parkinson’s disease.

The researchers, who published their findings in the Journal of Neuroscience, said their findings hold promise for the development of more effective drugs fro patients afflicted with this debilitating disorder.

Tea

Green, black, oolong … what’s the difference?

All tea varieties are obtained from the leaves and leaf buds of the evergreen plan called Camellia sinensis.

Tea can be broadly categorised into three basic types: green tea, black tea and oolong tea.

During the manufacturing process, the leaves are heated at different stages of oxidation (commonly known as fermentation).

The is produces chemical reactions that result in different flavours and colours as well as the different health benefits of tea.

Green tea is the “least processed”. To produce it, freshly harvested leaves are rapidly steamed or pan-fried to deactivate the enzymes, thereby preventing fermentation and producing a dry, stable product,

To produce black tea, the fresh leaves are allowed to wither until their moisture content is less than 55 per cent of the original leaf weight.

The withered leaves are then rolled and crushed.

Black tea can then be further processed into oolong tea.

Shortly after the leaves are rolled, they are further fired or friend in a drying chamber to terminate the oxidation.

Indian and Ceylon tea, such as Darjeeling and Earl Grey, are all blends of black tea.

Unlike other types of tea, herbal tea is not derived from the tea plant but rather, is made from a blend of herbs, flowers, fruits and spices. So far no studies have shown that they yield the same benefits as tea varieties obtained from Camellia sinensis.

Source: Ms Wong Yuefan, a senior dietician at the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics

Does Green Tea Reduce Blood Pressure?

The Claim: Green Tea can help lower blood pressure.

The facts: Few foods have a reputation for soothing stress quite like a hot cup of tea.

Green tea, in particular, has been credited with reducing stress and anxiety and is believed to contain compounds that relax blood vessels.

However, when scientists looked at whether it lowers blood pressure, even by a little, the evidence is fairly weak.

Some small studies have found that a few cps a day can shave some points off blood pressure levels, but others have found that it provides no help at all and may even be counter-productive. 

Still, the news is not all bad for tea drinkers.

In a recent randomised study financed in part by the United States Department of Agriculture, scientists at Tufts University recruited 65 men and women with modestly high blood pressure who were not taking medication.

Some were randomly assigned to drink a cup of hibiscus tea three times a day, while others received a tea-flavoured placebo.

After six weeks, the hibiscus tea group saw a respectable drop in systolic pressure - the top number in blood pressure readings - compared to the placebo group, suggesting that the tea made an impact.

However, experts said that more study is needed.

The bottom line: Green tea does not seem to have much effect on blood pressure while hibiscus tea may have the potential of lowering blood pressure. 

- The New York Times 

That Cuppa’s Good For You

Coffee has had its good press and its bad. So has tea, though to a lesser degree.

Should you drink it? How much is too much? Does it do you any good other than give you a perk in the morning and a boost as you work? Is it good for your health?

The news keeps changing, but java fans and teal tipplers will be glad to hear this: A new study has shown that consuming coffee and tea - even decaffeinated versions - could help lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

The study, which appears in the Archives Of Internal Medicine, is a meta-analysis of 457,922 people in 18 studies published between 1966 and last year that looked at the link between drinking coffee and diabetes risk.

After analysis, the study authors concluded that every extra cup of coffee consumed in one day was correlated with a 7 per cent decrease in the risk of diabetes.

Those who drank three to four cups of coffee or tea a day were associated with a 25 per cent reduced diabetes risk compared to those who drank none to two cups day.

Researchers also saw positive results with decaffeinated coffee and tea. People who drank more than three to four cups of the decaf beverage a day had about a one-third lower risk than those who did not drink any.

Meanwhile, those who drank more than three to four cups of tea a day had about a one-fifth lower diabetes risk than non-drinkers.

As the decreased risk was also seen among those who did not consume caffeine, researchers concluded that caffeine could not be the only key ingredient.

Attention shifted to other chemicals found in the beverages. These included magnesium (shown in studies to reduce diabetes risk), lignans (plant-derived chemical compounds that have antioxidant properties) and chlorogenic acids ( plant-derived antioxidants that slow down glucose release after eating).

Researchers speculated that identifying the components of coffee and tea active in reducing Type 2 diabetes risk could pave the way for new therapies to thereat the disease.

- The New York Times 

Green Tea Keeps People Happy

Drink green tea if you want to fight the blues, a study form Japan suggests. This could work prticularly well with the elderly.

A research team led by Dr Kaijun Niu at Tohoku University Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering in Sendai found that people who drank four or more cups of green tea daily were 44 per cent less likely to have symptoms of depression. The study subjects were men and women aged 70 and older.

Several studies have linked green tea consumption to reduced levels of psychological distress. This led Dr Niu and his colleagues to look at associations between drinking green tea and symptoms of depression in 1,508 relatively healthy elderly individuals.

Overall, 488 participants said they drank four or more cups of green tea a day, 284 said they downed tow to three cups daily and the remaining 286 reported having one or fewer cups daily.

According to the researchers, the apparent protective effect of greater green tea consumption on symptoms of depression did not fade after they factored in social and economic status, gender, diet, history of medical problems, use of antidepressant medications, smoking and physical activity.

In contrast, there was no association between consumption of black or Oolog tea, or coffee, and lower symptoms of repression.

A green tea component, the amino acid theanine, which is thought to have a tranquilising effect on the brain, may explain the “potentially beneficial effect” shown in the current study, Dr Niu noted in an e-mail message to Reuters Health.

However, further studies are necessary to confirm whether greater green tea intake actually has antidepressant effects.

- Reuters 

Tea

The next time you sip a cup of tea, think of its health benefits. For example, its antioxidant properties are purported to reduce the risk and progression of cancer, boost the immune system and increase metabolism.

There is definitely scientific evidence showing benefits of tea. There is countless research on EGCG, the antioxidant touted for its anti-cancer effect. - Holistic Nutritionist Yondi Lee, defending the scientific basis of tea and its health benefits 

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Tea contains naturally occurring compounds called catechins that are believed to have antioxidants that neutralise free radicals in the body. Some scientists believe these can slow down the ageing process.

              There are several ways to categorise tea but according to tea specialists at Tea Chapter, Singapore’s largest teahouse, most tea houses grade them into six categories – green, white, yellow, oolong, red and black.

Green Tea

One of the purest grades of tea because it does not go through the process of fermentation. It is very high in antioxidants that boost the immune system, improve metabolism and may help to reduce the risk of lung, colon and skin cancer.

              A joint United States-China study on the health effects of green tea done in China published in the International Journal of Cancer, 2001, found that people who drank one to three cups of green tea daily had a 30 per cent lower rate of stomach cancer, whilst those who drank more than three cups had a 61 per cent lower rate of the disease.

              Drinking green tea can also help prevent arthritis. According to the Journal of Chinese Medicine, researchers at the University of Sheffield in Britain found that naturally occurring compounds in green tea can help prevent osteoarthritis, a type of arthritis caused by the break down of cartilage. It blocks the enzyme that destroys the cartilage.

              In addition, green tea is said to help regulate blood sugar levels and prevents cavities and gingivitis (inflammation of the gums).

White Tea

The least fermented grade of tea which is why it is very high in antioxidants.

              It is said to have 10 times the antioxidant power of vitamin E and contain high concentrations of polyphenols and catechins.

              This helps fight the ravages of ageing caused by free radicals in the body, reduces the risk of lung, colon and skin cancer, and strengthens the immune system.

              The Journal of Chinese Medicine also said that research carried out at the Linus Pauling Institute in Oregon in the United States showed that white tea is able to prevent mutations of DNA two to five times more efficiently than green or black tea, thus giving it greater potential in preventing cancer.

Yellow Tea

Similar to green tea but it is left to ferment till it is yellowish colour.

              Little research has been done on the health benefits of yellow tea, but according to Tea Chapter’s tea trainers (specialists who conduct courses on tea appreciation), it helps reduce heat in the body, which is why it is recommended as a summer tea. It is also said to contain bacteria-killing fluoride, which prevents tooth decay.

              Websites on the health benefits of tea like the Yellow Tea Guide also claim that the antioxidants in yellow tea prevent and ease cardiovascular diseases, promote longevity and improve mental agility.

Oolong Tea

Renowned as the ‘diet tea’, oolong is semi-fermented and famous for its weight loss properties.

              Health reports by Chinese pharmacologists said that polyphenols in tea activate the enzyme that is responsible for dissolving fats in the body, which results in weight loss.

              Tea Chapter’s tea trainers also said that the tea lowers the intake of fat from high-cholesterol meals and increases metabolism rates, while the tannic acid in oolong helps to lower cholesterol levels.

Red and Black Tea

These two types of tea are fully fermented tea leaves which contributes to their darker shade and stronger flavour.

              According to the Journal of Chinese Medicine, a study of 3,430 adults in Saudi Abraida published in 2002 found that those who drank more than six cups of black tea (also known as pu er Tea) a day had a more than 50 per cent lower risk of coronary heart disease compared to those who do not drink tea, even after considering other factors such as smoking, diet and obesity.

              Red and black tea are also said to lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease and strokes, which is why tea specialists recommend them to people above the age of 40.

              “However, too much will lead to stomach aches,” said Mr Kelvin Wo, spokesman for Tea Chapter.

Floral and Fruit Tea

They are considered modern fusions of Chinese tea and are not part of the six main grades of Chinese tea. These are a combination of tea and dried flowers or preserved fruits.

              Floral tea is said to be good for eyes and skin and helps you feel relaxed.

              “Chrysanthemum tea clears your mind and gives better eyesight,” said Mr Chin Chew Seng, a traditional Chinese medicine Physician.

              Fruit tea, rich in vitamin C, is good for digestion and the complexion, sharpens eyesight and clears the taste buds, said Mr. Wo.

- Wong Mei Ling 

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Reading the leaves

Green Tea

Claims: Helps regulate blood sugar levels and prevents cavities and gingivitis.

White Tea

Claims Helps fight the ravages of ageing, reduces the risk of lung, colon and skin cancer and strengthens the immune system.

Yellow Tea

Claims: Helps reduce heat in the body and is said to contain fluoride which prevents tooth decay.

Oolong Tea

Claims: The polyphenols in the tea activate the enzyme responsible for dissolving fats in the body while the tannic acid helps to lower cholesterol levels.

Black Tea

Claims: According to a study, those who drink more than six cups a day lower the risk of coronary heart disease by more than 50 per cent

Red Tea

Claims: Both red and black tea are said to lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease and strokes.

Floral Tea

Claims: Good for the eyes and skin and helps in relaxing the body.

Fruit Tea

Claims: Rich in vitamin C it is good for digestion and the complexion, sharpens eyesight and clears the taste buds.

Drinking Tea

The video is a bit long but a good lesson on Life