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Article Title:
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What Is Black Tea?
Article Description:
====================
In recent years, new emphasis has been placed on the therapeutic
benefits of drinking tea. Of course, there are many different
varieties of tea that a consumer can choose from. As a result,
unless you’ve really studied the issue, you may not know one
kind of tea from another.
Additional Article Information:
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804 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line
Distribution Date and Time: 2007-05-07 11:00:00
Written By: Marcus Stout
Copyright: 2007
Contact Email: mailto:Marcus.Stout@GoldenMoonTea.com
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What Is Black Tea?
Copyright (c) 2007 Marcus Stout
Golden Moon Tea
http://www.GoldenMoonTea.com
In recent years, new emphasis has been placed on the therapeutic
benefits of drinking tea. Of course, there are many different
varieties of tea that a consumer can choose from. As a result,
unless you’ve really studied the issue, you may not know one
kind of tea from another.
If you’re in the dark about black tea, you’re certainly not
alone. A number of people are unfamiliar with this unique,
soothing beverage. However, once you learn about black tea, you
may be tempted to trade in your daily cup of java for a mug of
tea. Let’s take a closer look at what makes black tea so
special.
A Geography Lesson
To truly understand the black tea phenomenon, you must first know
a little geography. Black tea flourishes at high altitudes, such
as those found in the Himalayan Blue Mountains. Assam, which
boasts more than 800 estates specifically geared toward the
cultivation of tea, constitutes one of the world’s largest tea
producers. This black tea can be mixed with African teas or
Ceylon teas in order to produce English or Irish tea. This
blending often occurs in European cities such as Hamburg or
Amsterdam. However, unblended teas are also quite popular-such
teas are known by the term “single estate teas.”
The tea leaves are sorted, then go through natural fermentation.
Through this oxidation process, the tea leaves change from green
to black. The next step of the process involves the packaging of
the tea, which is then given a brand name. In recent years, black
tea has become the world’s most popular beverage, whether served
hot or cold.
The Phenomenal Effects of Black Tea
One of the key reasons for the phenomenal popularity of black tea
is its soothing nature. Anecdotally, tea drinkers have been
saying for years that black tea can help calm unsteady nerves-but
now there’s scientific research to prove the point.
Scientists at the University College London, in a study published
in the journal Psychopharmacology, discovered that black tea can
reduce the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in the
bloodstream. The study showed that black tea-drinkers were able
to cut their stress levels faster than individuals who consumed a
tea substitute.
The study examined 75 young men were divided into two groups and
monitored for a period of six weeks. One group drank a
caffeinated tea mixture that was fruit-flavored and made up of
the components found in black tea. The second group received a
placebo that contained caffeine and that tasted like tea, but
that did not actually contain tea.
In addition, the two groups were subjected to stressful
situations-the possibility of joblessness, an accusation of
shoplifting, or a nursing home incident. Group members then had
to prepare an oral response and state their case before a camera.
As they were subjected to the stressful incident, researchers
measured their cortisol, blood pressure, and blood platelet
levels.
The scientists found that these situations resulted in
significant increases in blood pressure and heart rates for both
groups. Nevertheless, nearly an hour after the situation had died
down, the tea-drinkers experienced a nearly 50 percent drop in
their cortisol levels. The group that had taken placebos saw only
a 27 percent decrease in their cortisol count. The tea drinkers
also reported being more relaxed than the non-tea drinkers did.
As researcher Andrew Steptoe told the news media, “Drinking tea
has traditionally been associated with stress relief, and many
people believe that drinking tea helps them relax after facing
the stresses of everyday life… Although it does not appear to
reduce the actual levels of stress we experience, tea does seem
to have a greater effect in bringing stress hormone levels back
to normal.”
Steptoe added, “This has important health implications because
slow recovery following acute stress has been associated with a
greater risk of chronic illnesses such as coronary heart
disease.”
Meanwhile, according to a USDA study, consumption of black tea
can lower bad cholesterol levels and can cut the incidence of
heart disease for individuals who are at risk. In addition, a
number of studies have indicated that consistent consumption of
black tea can protect the body against numerous human cancers.
Some Final Thoughts
It would be wrong to call black tea a miracle cure. Drinking the
beverage does not guarantee that an individual will be protected
for life against serious illness. However, there is a vast amount
of research to suggest that black tea has numerous therapeutic
benefits for those who consume it regularly. Making black tea a
habit can provide a protective effect against heart disease,
cancer, and stress-related illness.
As a result, you might consider giving black tea a try. There
seem to be no significant negative side-effects associated with
drinking it, and there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that it
can be a healthy alternative to other beverages.
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Marcus Stout is President of the Golden Moon
Tea Company. For more information about tea,
(http://www.goldenmoontea.com/greentea)
green tea (http://www.goldenmoontea.com/blacktea)
and black tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com
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