Hassle

Drinking tea can be such a hassle, what with the brewing and steeping, and in summer, it can make you sweat – nothing like the instant gratification of coffee or cola. So why do we drink tea? Data shows that China is the birthplace and top producer of tea leaves, with production nearing half of the world's total. However, our per capita tea consumption lags far behind our production. So what are the benefits of drinking tea? Firstly, tea has antioxidant effects. Tea polyphenols are one of the components in tea that have significant antioxidant properties, accounting for about 18-36% of the dry tea content. Experiments show that two cups of tea (300 ml) have an antioxidant capacity equivalent to 1.5 bottles of red wine, 12 bottles of white wine, 12 glasses of beer, four apples, five onions, and seven glasses of orange juice. Secondly, tea has anti-cancer properties. Researchers at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that various types of tea block the synthesis of cancer cells by an average of 65%, with black tea blocking 43% and green tea blocking 82%. Most green teas block over 85% of cancer cell synthesis, indicating that all types…