There is always something new to learn about tea, just like there are always new online casino games on Red Casino. Despite being an enthusiastic tea drinker for years or even decades, you will be surprised by how little you know about this classic beverage.
Tea is one of the oldest drinks and the next most popular after water. Millions of people drink tea every day and would not imagine going a day without the beverage. There are many varieties of tea consumed in different ways.
Despite the long history and popularity, there are many things even tea lovers don’t know about it. There is a lot to learn, and as a tea lover, here are things you should know about the beverage.
Teas Have Different Unique Characteristics
You have probably heard of green tea, white tea, black tea, oolong tea, and many other tea types. Teas are not all the same. There is a wide range of tea varietals growing in different geographical locations. While most of them come from the Camellia sinensis plant and are caffeinated, others fall in a different category, like red tea.
There are also herbal teas infused with flowers, fruits, or dry herbs.
The different tea varieties boast unique characteristics attributed to exposure to various weather patterns, soil composition, and even human selection. Due to the water supply and mineral composition, teas growing in different geographical locations will ultimately have different characteristics.
Adding Milk to Tea Weighs Down the Health Benefits
If you want to enjoy the health benefits of tea, particularly its antioxidant properties, take it without milk.
The addition of milk to your tea does reduce the antioxidant capabilities of black tea. The proteins in milk bind the polyphenols in the tea, reducing their antioxidant potential. Note that the impact may vary depending on the quantity and type of milk you use.
To get the maximum health benefits from your cup of tea, leave out the milk.
Tea Can Lower Cholesterol Levels
High cholesterol levels result from poor lifestyle choices like poor diet, smoking, lack of exercise, and a sedentary lifestyle. Conditions like obesity and diabetes also increase the risk of increased cholesterol levels.
The list of health issues caused by high cholesterol levels is endless, including cardiovascular complications.
Tea is among the effective interventions that can help you reduce harmful cholesterol levels. Different tea types such as green tea, black tea, and oolong tea have been found to help lower cholesterol. Green tea, for instance, is packed with antioxidants and brings health benefits to your body that reduce cholesterol.
Green tea and black tea are also known for improving gut health and weight loss, which helps prevent conditions such as diabetes which increase the risk factor of developing bad cholesterol.
You Can Reduce the Bitterness of Tea by Cold Brewing
If you want to avoid sugar and get your tea to taste less bitter, cold brewing is the perfect trick.
Bitterness is usually caused by over-steeping. Cold brewing allows you to make your tea slower, reducing the probability of developing a bitter flavor. This is a handy recipe, especially if you take herbal teas and oolongs.
How does it work? Brewing with cold water allows you to extract balanced flavors. The process extracts less caffeine and catechins, resulting in sweet tea with less bitterness.
On top of reducing bitterness, less caffeine in your beverage means a lower chance of experiencing stomach upsets.
Cold brewing is a convenient and effortless way to make your tea. All you have to do is pour cold water into a jug or pitcher containing tea leaves or bags and keep it in the refrigerator and allow it to brew slowly over time. The result will be smooth, clean, and natural-tasting tea.
You can brew the tea for about 6 hours to be ready to serve. The good thing with cold brewing is it is almost impossible to over steep, so keeping the tea longer in your refrigerator won’t hurt.
Tea Can Affect the Vitamin and Mineral Absorption
Unfortunately, tea can inhibit the absorption of minerals and vitamins in your body. Tannins found in tea usually bind minerals like zinc and iron, inhibiting effective absorption into the body.
Tea drinkers have to keep this in mind and plan their meals and tea-drinking schedules to benefit from both. It is recommended that you leave at least a 30-minutes gap between the time you eat and take tea to allow your body to benefit from the antioxidants found in tea and the vitamins and minerals supplied by your food.
Avoid taking your tea during mealtime. For pregnant persons and those with anemia, the gap should be more extensive, at least an hour apart.
Take Away
Tea is one of the oldest and the most popular beverages. While it has so many drinkers, most of them are unaware of the health benefits they can get from taking tea and how best to consume it.
Remember, teas are different; do more research to identify a tea type that will suit you best. There are various ways to take tea, and the methods also come with their benefits. Purpose to learn more about tea, you will be surprised by how much you didn’t know about the great beverage.
