A Cup of Tea Can Save the World

Anyone who knows me knows that tea is the best remedy for everything!  Heartbreak, illness, grumpiness, detox, fatigue, lost socks ... have a cup of tea and everything looks brighter, clearer and not half as bad as it did before you put the kettle on.  Look at how many cultures are based around tea?  China, Japan, India, Ireland, England, Peru, the Middle East and of course, my kitchen.  There just isn't enough cabinet space for tea and the accoutrements of tea.  You can even take lessons in Tea Ceremony right here in Boston.  That's right - tea even has its own ceremony. Upton Tea company has been on my speed dial for many years.  I buy so many different blends from them, so many different stories, different tea fields around the world, it’s mind-boggling.  

Do you notice how much better you feel after drinking tea? Even knowing there is a cup of tea just waiting for you on the table has soothed countless souls for thousands of years.  But there is much more to tea than just the calming hand on your shoulder.  Did you know that a good Indian Darjeeling inhibits H. Pylori bacteria (just don't add milk)?  Chinese Oolong leaves are semi-fermented and then bruised to hasten oxidation, then dried.  This can actually lower your risk of hypertension by 46% and that's even without the commiserating conversation that usually accompanies tea.  Black tea is tannic which actually provide theaflavins that protect the brain from disease.  I find nothing more reassuring than the idea that Earl Grey can help prevent Alzheimer's Disease.  In South America, Yerba Mate from holly leaves even destroyed colon cancer cells in studies.

So not only do you feel better drinking tea, you actually FEEL better!  I was reading a book on the history of the Safavids and no negotiation could be done unless tea was served.  How civilized!  So see, tea really can save the world.