A lot of people seem surprised when I tell them I'm into tea. "I like tea sometimes," they'll usually reply, "I just prefer coffee." That's common in the United States, where the high caffeine and cultural access of coffee make it an appealing option. But did you know that tea is more popular than coffee globally? Did you know that tea can boost your immune system, fight off inflammation, and ward off cancers and heart disease¹? Did you know tea can pack even more caffeine per leaf than coffee²? Did you know tea can be flavorful, with a rich aroma and textured deep fruit notes³? Read on to learn more about why you should try tea as your daily driver.
Everyone already knows tea is healthy, but just how healthy is it? Well, tea generally is high in catechins and tannins, which help reinforce healthy teeth. Tea also contains high antioxidant properties, which can help fight off various cancers. Herbal teas containing chamomile may help reduce stress, aid in sleep, and reduce muscle pains. Rooibos and other elements of a tisane can help with blood pressure and circulation. Green tea contains flavonoids which improve heart health, and lower blood pressure, triglycerides and total cholesterol. Green tea is also anti-inflammatory, which helps skin health. Certain strains of green tea contain l-theanine, an amino acid that reduces anxiety and increases alertness and attention. Black teas also contain anti-inflammatory elements, and oolong teas can sometimes contain l-theanine.¹
Tea is also flavorful. The issue with the tea you are used to having is it contains dust. No really, tea particles are so finely subdivided in tea bags they are close to dust. This helps extract some of the color more easily, but can impact the teas ability to flavor your water or even release certain compounds. The tea bag also restricts the movement of the leaf, and its ability to expand and flavor your water. As a result, the first time you have loose leaf tea brewed in a pot, it'll taste completely different to anything you've had before. Small, family owned loose leaf producers can focus on bringing out the nuanced flavors from their terroir. Full leaf loose leaves allow the compounds of the tea, as well as the flavors, to pour out and into your brew. It also allows the leaves to be stored in a more consistent manner, providing a consistently great taste.⁴
Finally, tea doesn't have to be expensive. A 100 gram bag of tea will give you 40 or more cups of delicious tea. You can brew a pot of tea from just 5 grams or so of loose leaves, and make second and third steeps of delicious tea. Compare that to a cup of coffee or a soda from a local shop, and you'd be hard pressed to get two cups for the price of one premium bag of tea from Teavern. So what are you waiting for? Pick one up today.
¹ https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2019/december/health-benefits-of-tea
² https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-in-tea-vs-coffee#caffeine-content
³ https://teavern.com/collections/all
⁴ https://www.quora.com/Does-tea-taste-different-if-it-is-loose-tea-leaves-or-in-a-tea-bag