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Tea Tips
Tea for Good Health
Recent studies suggest that tea has a host of beneficial effects on your health. Tea's health-boosting properties may be a result of flavanoids -- antioxidants that occur naturally in tea. - According to an analysis of 13 published studies, just 3 cups of tea per day may reduce your risk of heart attack.
- People with coronary artery disease who drank 4 cups of black or green tea per day showed improved blood vessel function, lower cholesterol, and a 10% increase in caloric burning.
- The powerful antioxidants in tea have been shown to prevent some cancers from forming and to inhibit the growth of some existing tumors. Green tea shows special promise against many different types of cancer.
- Tea may also enhance the immune system by having a positive effect on "B" cells, "T" cells, and "killer" cells.
- Tea fights cavities and plaque by inhibiting the growth of bacteria in the mouth. An excellent source of fluoride, it also makes a great mouth rinse.
Why Loose Tea is Best
Teas are graded by leaf size. The flavor that we savor comes mainly from the essential oils in the tea -- oils that can evaporate when the leaves are broken up. Although you can find some whole-leaf bagged teas, most tea bags are filled with fannings, the smallest pieces of broken leaves. Fannings make for a bland, uninspiring cup of tea.
The way you brew tea also affects its taste. Tea leaves need their space! When they're cramped up in a bag, they don't have room to expand, unfurl, and release all their flavor.
So whole, loose leaf tea is your best bet for a delicious, fragrant drink.
What's Orange Pekoe, Anyway?
Have you ever wondered why Orange Pekoe doesn't taste orange? Orange Pekoe actually refers to a grade (leaf size) of tea, not a particular flavor or kind. It's a good grade but not the best. The best tea, of course, is whole leaf.
Decaffeinate Your Tea at Home
It's easy to decaffeinate your tea yourself with one extra step in brewing. Just steep the tea for 30 seconds, discard the water, and re-steep for 3-5 minutes. This simple process eliminates 99% of the tannins containing the caffeine.
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