The Benefits of Drinking Tea

There are many health benefits to drinking tea. Tea contains a number of antioxidants substances called polyphenols, (flavonoids) which assist in preventing all kinds of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Drinking tea has also been proven to reduce stress, lower the risk of stroke and LDL Cholesterol levels, increase HDL levels, strengthen the immune system, promote digestion, inhibit growth of bacteria in the mouth and reduce blood pressure.

A bit of history on tea, the tea plant itself comes from Southeast Asia. It is recorded that brewed tea has been consumed in China since possibly the 28th and the 10th century BC. first brought to Europe by the Dutch in the early 17th century AD. After the introduction of tea in Europe in 1657, England became the only European country to prefer tea to coffee.

Tea was introduced in North America by the early settlers but was highly taxed by the British, eventually resulting in the famous Boston Tea Party of 1773. Tea is consumed by almost half of the world's population. The main producers of tea are China, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Japan.

There are many types of teas that come from the same plant including Black, Green, Pouchong, and Oolong tea. However, tea manufacturers have discovered that certain varieties, locations, and seasons tend to produce Camellia Sinesis (tea plants), which produce higher qualities of certain types of tea.

Not only is tea good for you, it tastes great too! I drink iced tea every day and absolutely love tropical flavored iced tea. My favorites include, mango, passion fruit and green tea. To add more tropic flavor to your tea, cut up some orange slices and add them to your tea. If you like tropical flavors, try Celestial Seasonings Tropical Fruit Cool Brew Iced Herbal Tea. This cool brew tea is great because you don't have to boil water first, just add water, ice, relax and enjoy!