10 things you probably didn't know about tea...

March 24, 2020

Are you a tea lover? Here are 10 super interesting things you probably didn’t know about tea…

1- All tea is produced from the same plant – Camellia sinensis. The differences in chemical composition, colour, taste, and smell are caused by variations in the processing methods (Eg. oxydation levels).

2- Researchers have found that drinking tea lowers the levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

3- About a quarter of the world’s tea is produced in India. More than half of that is grown in the North-Eastern Indian state of Assam.

4- It is not yet scientifically proven that chamomile helps you to sleep. Note: chamomile tea is not a “real” tea, it’s a herbal infusion made from dried chamomile flowers.

5- Bubble tea or boba, which are very popular tea-based drinks in Asia, contain more sugar than some known sodas.

6- A type of chemical found in green tea (called EGCG, a polyphenol) was shown to prevent Zika virus infection in cells cultured in the laboratory. But we still don’t know whether this could also work in humans (a lot more research is needed).

7- The oldest tea house in the world (called Tsuen Tea) was founded in Kyoto, Japan, in 1160!

8- An average cup of black tea has less caffeine than coffee, BUT… just slightly less than an espresso or a latte with a single shot.

9- Despite its popularity, there is no scientific evidence that kombucha (fermented tea) is as beneficial as it is marketed to be. Sorry.

10- A few studies found that regularly drinking really hot tea (or any other hot drink) is correlated with oesophageal cancer, but it’s not understood why and much more research is needed before there’s any reason to worry about it.

So go ahead and keep enjoying your tea, just avoid drinking it boiling hot!

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