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  • New research in 1999 measured the biologic activity of green, black and decaff tea and found that the potency of antioxident compunds is comparable in all three types. A British study showed that antioxidants in 2 cups of tea are equal to 7 glasses of orange juice or 20 glasses of apple juice.
  • A 1998 study of more than 1200 Canadian men showed that the risk of prostate cancer was reduced by 30% in those who had consumed 2 or more cups of tea per day.
  • According to the US Food and Drug Administration, the caffeine content of an average cup of tea (6 oz. - 170 ml) is: Green tea - 25.5 mg, black tea - 34.0 mg. Compare this to coffee at 85-99 mg or cola at 70-90 mg per equal serving.
  • Tea is an all natural beverage containing no additives, aftificial flavors or colors, and taken without milk or sugar, is calorie-free.
  • All tea comes from the top leaves of the evergreen plant Camellia Sinensis. For top quality tea only the top two leaves and the new bud are hand picked. It takes about 2800 leaves to make one pound of tea.
  • The Portuguese wife of Charles II, Catherine of Braganza, arrived in England with a chest of tea and teapots as her dowry. In those days beer was customarily consumed at breakfast but her influence made tea the acceptable beverage.
  • The history of teapots began in China around the 1500's. Teapots were first imported into Europe by the Dutch in 1610. literature suggests that one should have a teapot for each type of tea... black tea, flavored tea, green tea... and of course, teapots to suit your every mood.
  • Until the 1860's, the main crop produced on the island of Ceylon was coffee. In 1869 a coffee rust killed virtually all the coffee bushes and planters were forced to consider another crop - tea.
  • An experienced tea taster can tell you all there is to know about tea - including the height at which it was grown, the time of day it was plucked and the weather on that day!
  • Health experts report that black tea has the ability to help digestion, fight bacteria in the digestive system, reduce tooth decay, lower cholesterol and generally promote health and long life. Who could ask for more?
  • 100 years ago, the majority of the tea consumed in the USA was green tea. The advent of the tea bag transformed America into a black tea culture, but green tea is now roaring back into vogue.
  • Long ago in China, tea was an ingredient in immortality potions. Today, Chinese researchers have noted that fruit flies fed 1% Jasmine tea in their water lived twice as long as fruit flies that did not have tea in their water.
  • An estate tea is a single varietal, not unlike a single malt scotch. However, unlike any other beverage, to get premuim estate teas you have to know when to buy them. 'Knowing when' means following weather patterns, staying in touch with the estate managers, tasting of daily production samples, and when the 'right' moment is there - buy the tea! The right moment often only happens once per year.
  • It's the Irish who consume the most tea on a per capita basis - not the British!
  • The word tea comes from the Chinese Amoy dialect name of te (pronounced tay). The ancient Dutch traders used this word (spelled 'thee') since most of the tea they bought came from the port of amoy. In Mandarin and Cantonese tea is also known as cha.


"Nine Tea Facts" as published in the University of California Wellness Letter, Volume 16, Issue 6, March 2000.

  • According to a test conducted at a lab for Consumer Reports, the teas with the most antioxidant power are brewed from loose leaves or tea bags. Next come instant teas, and then bottled. Bottled teas are usually highly diluted.
  • Steeping tea for three to five minutes releases the highest level of antioxidants.
  • It's fine to use milk in tea. You may have heard that milk "blinds" some of the beneficial polyphenols in tea, but this has not proven to be the case.
  • Tea is good for your teeth. Black tea contains enough fluoride to help prevent tooth decay, and green tea contains twice as much.
  • Apart from fluoride, tea contains only a little potassium, traces of other minerals, and a little folic acid. Unless you add sugar or honey, tea has just two calories per cup.
  • Teas contain caffeine, about 40 milligrams per cup on average, which is less than half the amount in a cup of brewed coffee. Caffeine content varies, depending on how much tea you use and how long you steep it.
  • It's unknown whether decaffeinated teas have the same polyphenols and thus the same potential health benefits as regular teas. (The caffeine is a natural component of the leaf.) Hardly any research has been done with decaf tea.
  • Herbal teas do not have the benefits of regular tea.
  • Though tea is now turning up in bath gels and other beauty products, it's doubtful that applying tea to the skin does any good.