Table of Contents
Tea is Big… thanks Gawker
Tea is Big, says Gawker, in an article filled with profound and truly insightful statements such as “People like tea for some reason.”
Before dropping that pearl of wisdom, the author Hamilton first implies that tea is the drink of hipsters and posers. He then quotes an actual journalist, then closes with the line “Tea is composed of atoms— just like you and me.” Right. Sounds as if Mr. Nolan has been smoking tea instead of drinking it.
Had the author actually taken more than five minutes to write his article, he might have actually learned something about tea.
Tea.. a fad lasting centuries
Tea is not a fad. Human beings have been drinking tea for upwards of three thousand years, starting in China in the tenth century BC. (For comparison, coffee is first recorded in about the 1400s).
If we are trending towards drinking more of it in North America, it is probably more due to the fact that we are catching up with the rest of the world and losing our coffee addiction. After water, tea is the second most consumed beverage on the planet.
From China to England, and Bhutan to Egypt, tea spans the globe, and there are as many ways of drinking it as there are drinkers.
Tea also has far more variety, compared to something like coffee. Think of it like cats and dogs.
- With cats and coffee, there’s some variety, but the general form is still the same.
- With dogs and tea, there are a heck of a lot more shapes and sizes.
Compare a Chihuahua and a Great Dane – there’s even more difference between a Pu-Erh tea and a Lipton’s original. A tabby and a calico, not so much.
Benefits of tea
Consider too the amazing health benefits for tea drinkers. Depending on the kind of tea you like, a nice cuppa can provide:
- Antioxidants for the prevention of cancer and improver cardiovascular health
- Less anxiety and stress
- A safe, mild stimulant
- Reduced stroke risk
- Reduced blood pressure
- Lower cholesterol
Conclusion… thanks Gawker
Not only that but there’s no real drawback, says American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Katherine Tallmadge. “There doesn’t seem to be a downside to tea,” she says. “I think it’s a great alternative to coffee drinking. First, tea has less caffeine. It’s pretty well established that the compounds in tea – their flavonoids – are good for the heart and may reduce cancer.”
Tea is not a trend or a hip new drink of the in-crowd. The difference is that fads go away. Tea will not. It’s a global, thousand-year drink that will be a part of our homes forever.