Health Benefits of Tea and Healthy Tea Recipes

How Healthy is Tea?

Tea tends to be a favorite regardless of the weather or the season. Tea, whether hot or iced, is one of the healthiest things that we can drink to stay well. Tea is a naturally low-calorie beverage and has immense effects on the body.

According to the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a 7-year study of 100,000 Chinese citizens showed that those who drank tea regularly were less likely to have cardiovascular problems and die of heart-related issues like a stroke. The authors of the study suggest that a 50-year-old person who drinks tea is more likely to stave off heart problems for a year and a half compared to a non-tea drinker.

Another study in 2016 produced similar findings. This study showed a 20% reduction of heart attack and a 35% reduced risk of stroke among people who drank 1 to 3 cups of green tea per day.

What are the Health Benefits of Green and Black Tea 

Both green and black teas come from the same plant, the Cameilla Sinensis. Cameilla Sinensis is a single plant that produces black tea, green tea, oolong tea, and white tea. This evergreen plant grows best in hot and humid areas that get plentiful rainfall in well-draining soil. Most tea grown for commercial use is grown on estates or smallholdings, where it needs 3 to 5 years to reach maturity before it can be plucked.  Once it has reached maturity, tea farmers will pick the tea leaves every week to two weeks. After the leaves have been hand-plucked, the leaves are weighed and are processed on the estate, or sent to another estate for processing.

The main substances in tea are polyphenols, in particular catechins and epicatechins. Lab and animal studies say these molecules have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which promote heart health and metabolism. Studies of large groups by Harvard over time found that tea drinkers are at lower risk for diabetes and possibly cardiovascular disease.

Is Green Tea Good for the The Skin?

A 2003 study, led by the researchers at the Department of Dermatology, the University of Alabama at Birmingham suggests that green tea might be used as a pharmacological agent for the prevention of disorders of the skin caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiations.

The polyphenols found in green tea are known to be anti-androgenic. This means that green tea helps regulates the amount of oil and sebum produced on the skin. Drinking green regularly could not only help keep your heart healthy but also keep your skin looking fabulous.  

What are the Benefits of Herbal Tea?

Herbal tea is also called a tisane. Unlike green and black teas, it is not produced from the native Chinese evergreen. Instead, tisanes are crafted from a blend of plant types or from multiple parts of the same plant. Tisanes, are popular alternatives to coffee and regular tea because they are often non-caffeinated. Like coffee, herbal teas can range in their flavor profile, from light and bitter flavors to intricate and earthy. Fruit tisanes are frequently made with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and apples. Flower tisanes are less common, except for popular chamomile herbal tea, and usually impart a light, delicate flavor.

Different Herbal Teas offer Benefits.

Ginger tea can help prevent nausea and vomiting by helping settle your stomach. Ginger tea also contains anti-inflammatory properties that make a good remedy for muscle and joint-related problems.

Peppermint tea relaxes your digestive system and may ease stomach pain as well. Peppermint tea is great if you are looking to reduce nausea and vomiting. A review of nine studies in 926 people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) treated with peppermint oil for at least two weeks concluded that peppermint provided significantly better relief.

Chamomile tea, on the other hand, helps reduce menstrual cramps in women and aids in reducing muscle inflammation in all people. It can also aid with diabetes as it helps lower blood sugar.

Healthy Tea Recipe for Skin Beauty

Peppermint Body Scrub Recipe

1. Brew a cup of Weaver’s Tea 100% Peppermint Herbal.
2. Remove the tea after steeping and set the leaves aside to dry.
3. Enjoy your tea!
4. After the leaves have dried, rub on damp skin in small circular patterns for about 30 seconds and completely wash off.
5. Moisturize as normal.

Healthy Mint Tea Lemonade Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup of hot water

1 cup sugar (optional)

3 Peppermint tea bags

1 cup fresh lemon juice

2 cups of cold, filtered water

1. Add the three peppermint bags into a cup of hot water (add sugar if desired) to make a peppermint tea concentrate. Allow the bags to steep in hot water for about 10 minutes.
2. Remove the tea bags from the concentrate.
3. Combine the concentrate with the fresh lemon juice and the filtered water in a pitcher and put it in the refrigerator.
4. Serve over ice with fresh mint as a garnish!

Healthy Earl Grey Coconut Protein Balls Recipe

Recipe provided by Rosanna Caira Rabbit Hole Foods

https://www.rabbitholefoods.com/

Ingredients

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 cups unsweetened dried coconut flakes

1 Tablespoon hulled hemp seeds

1/2 cup raw cashew pieces

1 Tablespoon coconut sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Weaver’s Earl Grey tea leaves pulverized in a clean coffee grinder

Juice of one lemon

Zest of half lemon

Pinch of sea salt

1. Add first three ingredients to a food processor. Blend until you have reached a creamy buttery consistency. About 10 minutes, stopping every two minutes to scrape the sides down.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend units fully incorporated. About 30 seconds. You will still see some small cashew bits.
3. Transfer mixture to a bowl and place into the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from the fridge and roll into 1.5 inch balls. Store in the refrigerator, let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes prior to serving.

Keeps refrigerated for 3-5 days. Keeps frozen in a freezable container for 3 months. These are really, really good.

Healthy Green Tea Basil Aioli Recipe

Recipe by Katie Webster

Ingredients

10 large fresh basil leaves

4 cloves garlic, peeled (or to taste)

4 egg yolks

4 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon matcha green tea powder

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1. Puree basil, garlic, yolks, lemon juice, matcha and Dijon in a food processor or blender.
2. Gradually drizzle in ½ cup olive oil while the motor is running until the mixture is thick, smooth and the oil is completely integrated. Season with salt and pepper and other herbs if desired.

Use this delicious spread on burgers and sandwiches, or try using it as a dip for French fries and other potato items! 

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