tea facts and information

Tea was first introduced to Britain in the 17th century, when a merchant by the name of Thomas Garraway in London advertised tea for sale by auction. Because of the high cost of tea, it was only drunk by the rich until the early 18th century when taxes were reduced and it quickly became Britain's most popular national drink.

An estimated total of 165,000,000 cups of tea are consumed every day in the UK alone, that equates to 3 cups of tea per adult - 60 Billion cups of tea per year!

A person living in the UK will consume no less than 80,000 cups of tea during their lifespan.

Tea does contribute slightly to our intakes of some minerals, and it certainly will help to replace some lost fluids whilst dehydrated, but the health interest in tea at the moment surrounds its proposed role in lowering coronary heart disease risk.

Tea contains a group of antioxidant substances called flavonoids. These flavonoids have been shown to be able to slow down or inhibit the chemical reactions that are thought to take place during the development of coronary heart disease. So sup up! But remember that fresh water is still the best way of rehydrating our bodies, so for every cuppa you have, try and drink a glass of water too.

There has also been a lot of interest recently in the health advantages of green tea, with many claims that it can reduce blood cholesterol levels. However, scientific studies investigating the effect of green tea on blood cholesterol levels are divided. Some studies have found no effect at all. Other studies have found low cholesterol levels in people who consume large quantities of green tea. However it cannot be ruled out that the actual reason for the lower cholesterol levels is simply that people who drink green tea tend to have healthier diet generally. There is certainly no definitive evidence that green tea reduces cholesterol levels.

4 cups of tea daily can provide you with approximately: 17% of the recommended intake for calcium, 5% for zinc, 22% for Vitamin B2, 5% for folic acid, and Vitamins B1 and B6.

Tea is also a good source of manganese, which is essential for general physical development, and potassium which helps to maintain your body's fluid balance.

Read more about the different varieties of tea here. We will be posting more interesting facts about tea and caffeine in the very near future, please contact us with any further questions!