Any Tea drinkers here?

BodyByButter

I am a mod on Steepster and have about 200 different loose leaf teas in my house. I drink tea because I like it, not because of any real or perceived health benefits. I do think those of you who drink a lot of Teavana are missing out, since there are so many better and more affordable options out there.

CooCooPuff

BodyByButter wrote: »

I do think those of you who drink a lot of Teavana are missing out, since there are so many better and more affordable options out there.

Can you give any recommendations? I'm fairly new to loose leaf teas and the flack Teavana gets does make me want to try other brands.

BodyByButter

spacequiztime wrote: »

BodyByButter wrote: »

I do think those of you who drink a lot of Teavana are missing out, since there are so many better and more affordable options out there.

Can you give any recommendations? I'm fairly new to loose leaf teas and the flack Teavana gets does make me want to try other brands.

I don't drink much rooibos, although I do have some Lemon Chiffon and Lime Chiffon from Della Terra on hand. Oh! If you haven't tried green rooibos and want to, the Golden Honey Dew from Lupicia is great. I would be happy to mail samples of all three to you to try.

MoiAussi93

I like tea and drink it frequently. I believe there probably are health benefits (definitely green tea and black as well...maybe others) if you drink enough of it on a regular basis...spend some time researching this for yourself and make your own informed decision....but that's not why I drink it. I just think it tastes good and it has no calories!

I also use my French press to make it...it is easy and effective. You're fine using that. If you're trying to give up soda and other sweet drinks, you should give hibiscus tea a try. It is naturally sweet tasting...and is herbal so no caffeine. You can have it straight, or there are some really nice spicy blends that add in things like cinnamon, etc.

I like green tea as well...totally different taste. But plain green tea is a little boring to me. I prefer jasmine green tea...love the aroma. They just add jasmine flowers to the tea. If you're in the mood for something very different in a black tea, give lapsang souchong a try...it is a smoked tea. You will probably either love it or hate it. I love it.

Honestly, just experiment. Most tea shops will let you buy small quantities so you can make a few batches to see if you like it.

MoiAussi93

astridtheviking wrote: »

Antioxidants aren’t proven to really do anything, either - again, you have to sift past the hype and look at the science. Here’s a Harvard investigation of antioxidants that concludes that “the studies so far are inconclusive, but generally don’t provide strong evidence that antioxidant supplements have a substantial impact on disease"

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/antioxidants/#the bottom line on antioxidants

Yeah, tea is full of antioxidants. But that doesn’t mean antioxidants really do anything. In fact, one study referenced in this article showed that antioxidants increased the risk for cancer!

Actually, you misunderstood what your article actually said. Your article is talking solely about taking antioxidant SUPPLEMENTS...either taking a vitamin pill or adding it to processed foods... NOT getting antioxidants naturally in food and drink. The same article you referenced above also says this:

"Antioxidants came to public attention in the 1990s, when scientists began to understand that free radical damage was involved in the early stages of artery-clogging atherosclerosis and may contribute to cancer, vision loss, and a host of other chronic conditions. Some studies showed that people with low intakes of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables were at greater risk for developing these chronic conditions than were people who ate plenty of these fruits and vegetables."

And this: "While it’s true that the package of antioxidants, minerals, fiber, and other substances found naturally in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains helps prevent a variety of chronic diseases, it is unlikely that high doses of antioxidants can accomplish the same feat."

And this: "At the same time, abundant evidence suggests that eating whole fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—all rich in networks of antioxidants and their helper molecules—provides protection against many of these scourges of aging."

I have read a lot about whether supplements in general are effective. There is debate about how well supplements are actually absorbed by the body. Also, antioxidants do not act in isolation...reread that line about "helper molecules". In some cases, other things in the food work in combination with the antioxidant to have the beneficial effect. That's why in general it is much more effective to eat a diet that provides lots of vitamins, minerals, etc. than it is to eat junk food and take a vitamin.

Tea has a lot of antioxidants...therefore it seems that it is a good addition to a healthy diet. Is it a magic cure all? ...no, of course not. But good for you and generally supportive of health...yes.

cleback

@MoiAuss excellent post.

I drink tea because I hate the taste of plain water and I don't want to extra calories of other hot drinks (namely, hot chocolate). Teavana teas, I noticed, have added sugar in them... I don't like my tea sweetened and I think it's kind of underhanded for them to do that and not advertise it as such.