Enthusiasts know: tea is an art, but not only! With more than 500 active ingredients, tea is especially a drink that is good for your health and form. For beginners, here's some advice by Lydia Gautier, sommelière, tea and Dr. Chevallier, nutritionist.
Tea, good for vitality
Moisturizing properties: it may seem obvious but tea, like water, is a drink totally free of calories and has a high moisturizing power. Good hydration is crucial to the body and brain to function at full capacity. The results are visible: a healthy skin and a healthy body.
Energizing virtues: as caffeine, theine in tea is a very powerful stimulant that gives you full of energy. Unlike caffeine, which is an exciting one that need not be abuse, tea is much healthier and also promotes the absorption of vitamin c.
An intense pleasure: the tea promotes the production of serotonin, the pleasure hormone dopamine, a substance energizing.
Tea, good for health
A possible anti-cancer action: according to some research, it seems that tea polyphenols protect against cancer. In addition, regular consumption of tea would allow the body to strengthen your immune system. This hypothesis was tested by laboratory tests, research continues.
Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant: because it contains flavonoids, tea is an antioxidant, hypoallergenic and help breathing. Tea, with its anti-inflammatory properties, is good for the lungs and helps prevent colds.
Good for the heart: it seems that tea has the virtue of preventing cardiovascular diseases. Drink three cups of tea per day would decrease of 11% off heart problems.
Tea, good for serenity
Relax tea contain theanine, which reduces stress, provided drinking at least three cups a day.
A Sip of heat: it is all too obvious, but a cup of tea warms the body and spirit. To sip your tea, make yourself comfortable and enjoy the moment: drinking a cup of tea is a way to pamper yourself, especially in winter.
Thirst Quencher: instead of rush on lemonade (that is rich in sugars), when it's hot get a tea. In the desert, to quench your thirst for centuries the tuareg drink tea: drinking something hot, in fact, sweat and perspiration helps the body to regulate its internal temperature.
Choose and consume the tea
Green or black? Once collected, the tea leaves are subjected to a more or less important number of treatments, which are the different varieties of tea. Green tea is not fermented, whereas black tea is subjected to a long fermentation. Green tea leaves are richer in antioxidants.
In bulk or in bags? It does not matter, what matters is the quality! Some brands of fine tea in tea bags bring exactly the same that put leaves in jars of loose tea. In General, the price is no guarantee of quality: avoid brands of discount!
Organic or not? Organic! The tea leaves are treated with pesticides. But beware: the fact that it is organic does not guarantee the quality, nor the tea flavor.
Long or short infusion? The longer the infusion, the more you take advantage of the antioxidant qualities of tea, mind if the infusion is stimulant qualities are prevailing. To take full advantage of all the virtues of tea, the infusion should last at least 8 minutes: If the infusion lasts less than 5 minutes you'll benefit from only 25% of its properties.
Tap or bottled water? Water makes up 98% of the Cup, then it is better to ask the question! Actually no matter the source of water, the important thing is that it has no flavor. You don't have to boil the water, but only make it tingle.