When brainstorming over a cup of tea as to what I could write for this week’s article I ran into what many know as “writer’s block.” Coincidentally, my editor sent me a text and suggested I write about one of my great loves, tea. Immediately, as I poured myself another cup of delicious mint tea with cocoa, I knew it was a great idea. Besides what one might do to succeed in this final month of the spring semester–study, exercise, and eat right– drinking right should very well be on the top of the list of things to do to keep your brain and body refreshed and energized. Now we aren’t talking about the ever important drink of water, or the occasional glass of red wine, we’re jumping right into the topic of tea. Drinking tea on a regular basis is really one of the most important things you can do to help you focus and do your best for this final month of the spring semester. Sure we need water to survive, and sure, doctors say that one glass of wine a day can, “reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and slow the progression of neurological degenerative disorders,” (Today.msnbc.msn.com) but a cup of tea every night can really do wonders. Let’s start at the very beginning. It’s a very good place to start.
Like many of the wonderful things we Her Campus™ readers are able to enjoy such as yoga, sushi, and liquor; tea has its origins in the Eastern part of the world. It may seem crazy, but although tea was being enjoyed in the East for more than 4500 years, we here in the West have only had the opportunity to breathe in its intoxicating aroma and ingest its soothing taste for a mere 400 years. (wtea.com) The story of the origin of tea is not known for certain. Some say that the Buddha (who is intensely interesting to read about) discovered it, “when he was fatigued from days of meditation. He chewed on a tea leaf and felt refreshed” (Laulainen, 2009). There is yet another Chinese legend that says tea was discovered when the Chinese emperor, Shan Nong, who liked his drinking water boiled, had a few leaves accidentally fall into his pot of boiling water and when he drank it noticed the refreshing taste and energizing feeling (wtea.com). According to wtea.com, originally, “tea was primarily used as a [medical] remedy.” We’ll get into this more shortly, but first how did it even come so far as to be able to touch our lips here in West Michigan?
Tea showed up in Europe only after the Qin Dynasty, also referred to as Imperial China (221-206 BC). Imperial China (as I learned in my fall 2010 Global and International Studies class) was when China closed itself off from the world. During this time they had many great advances in the arts and science. When the Han Dynasty emerged in 202 BC (library.thinkquest.org), China finally opened up their trading connections with the rest of the world. Even after tea began being traded it didn’t make its way to America until the 1600’s when the United States of America was first being settled. (Though the Native Americans lived in North America before the European settlers, so it was already technically “settled”, but that’s a whole other topic for discussion). Tea was a highly traded commodity and when Britain placed a tax on the tea of the American colonies, protests including The Boston Tea Party marked the beginning of the American War of Independence. Tea has come a long ways and plays a part in the history of so many cultures around the world, as well it should. It is a very beneficial beverage.
Black, green, white, and oolong teas are the most well known (white and oolong are my personal favorite, and green tea ice cream? Absolutely to die for). There are also yellow and herbal teas. Though the green and white tealeaves are steamed quickly, and the black and oolong are dried and fermented, according to eatdrinkbetter.com, “regardless of the processing method, brewed tea not only tastes good, but can have many health benefits as well.” Tea has been recognized for its medicinal benefits for 5000 years, not only for its treatment of colds, infectious diseases, and its aid to the digestive and nervous system, but after more scientific research, regular tea consumption correlates with lower chances of suffering from a wide variety of diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease (wtea.com).
Tea contains antioxidants that help the cells in the body recover and it contains fluoride, which everyone knows, helps to strengthen bones and teeth and fight cavities. Overall tea is amazing. It helps protect your body; keep you hydrated, aids your immune defenses, and it lowers your blood pressure, which in-turn lowers your stress hormone levels. All of these are good for you because they all add up to you being healthy and at the top of your game. For being such a simple natural pleasure it sure packs a healthy punch. Drinking tea can relax you and keep you healthy, which are necessities if you want to do well not just in this final semester of the year, but in whatever comes after it. To sum up my point, tea is a must because it’s great for your mind body and soul, which is good for your studies and thus good for your future.
Sources
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21478144/ns/today-today_health/
http://listverse.com/2007/09/22/top-10-inventions-of-the-middle-ages/
http://www.wtea.com/about-tea_history.aspx
Laulainen, S (Writer). (2009). The History of Tea [Web]. Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raptRo19ibE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_China
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0122767/