EE2- Tea Drinker's Manifesto

A Tea Drinker’s Manifesto

Tea drinking has always been part of my daily routine because it is a beverage whose taste and calming effects I enjoy. Instead of coffee in the morning, tea is my go to drink because it get me up in the morning and make me feel prepared for what I have to do throughout the day. The reason for this is because, “Tea is a pleasant, popular, socially accepted, economical, and safe drink that is enjoyed every day by hundreds of millions of people across all continents (Trevisanato and Kim, 1).” For the last ten or so years that I have been drinking tea, the routing of drinking has not changed, but the reasons for which I have been drinking it have. It has only been in recent years that I have heard about he health benefits of tea drinking as well as its stress relief effects. My relationship with tea is one of respect an admiration because it has been a food/drink that has been prevalent through out most of my life. Part of the reason I have continued to drink tea is because it has always been something I have drank during times of illness and stress. My value for taste, relief, and health are all satisfied by one drink, and it is for this reason that I cherish it so much.

            Since I could remember, my mother has always been brewing me tea, especially during periods of sickness. From the chills of a scorching fever to the smallest of stomachaches, tea has provided a warm comfort and ease that few foods rarely provide. In particular, nothing is more soothing than drinking some freshly brewed green tea and honey while having a soar throat. The sweet scent of honey as well as the aromatic flavor of the tea travel up the nose and provide almost a euphoric sensation, for which it’s only natural to close one’s eyes and smile. It is the teas warmth and specific taste that make any ache or sourness melt away. As the warmth of the tea settles in the stomach, it generates pulses of warmth that travel throughout the body. It is for this reason that tea not only provides me with a comforting sensation, but also with feeling of betterment. Thus, from a young age, my mother instilled in me the idea of tea being beneficial for one’s health.

            One of the great things about tea specifically is the world’s second most consumed beverage in the world, just after water. The reason for this is because, “It is easily ingested, palatable, inexpensive, widely available, and tasty (Trevisanato and Kim, 8).” But beyond that, studies have also shown that tea provides numerous health benefits. For instance, in Trevisanato and Kim’s research, they concluded that:

The beneficial effects of tea on human health can be grouped into major and minor. In the subsequent sections, the major effects, namely those affecting cardiovascular disease and cancer, are extensively discussed. The minor effects, namely those affecting dental cavities, kidney stones, diarrhea, and immune function, are briefly discussed. (Trevisanato and Kim, 2)

These findings are also supported by other research saying that,  “Tea also provides a dietary source of biologically active compounds that help prevent a wide variety of diseases (Khan and Mukhtar, 10).” Personally, I thought that drinking tea provided small health benefits such as immediate comfort to small things such as stomachaches or headaches, but learning about such an extensive set of health benefits provided by tea really made me appreciate that fact that it has been something I have been drinking for a long time.

            To add to the extensive list f health benefits of tea, it has also been shown that tea can help inhibit neurodegeneration (Wang et al., 1302). Not only does tee provide health benefits in regards to something as big as cancer, but also for me the fact that it provides health benefits with regards to heart disease is very important. The reason that is such an important point for me is because heart disease is very prevalent through out both sides of my family. A link has been made between tea and cardiovascular health, which states, “ In a case-control study, the relation between tea and coffee consumption and myocardial infarction was studied. There was 44% reduction in cardiovascular risk in the individuals drinking more than a cup of tea per day (Khan and Mukhtar, 10).” By just having one cup of tea a day, a person can then reduce the risk of heart disease by almost half. That is an amazing statistic because in our country obesity and cardiovascular problems are very high. Being able to do anything to reduce those risks are important because it allows us to live a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle.

            As the years have gone by, my daily drinking of tea has not changed, but instead the reasons for which I drink tea have. The reason for this is because I have not gotten as sick as I used to. Now, as I have aged and become more mature, the accumulation and presence of stress has come to have a bigger influence in my life. As a child there weren’t many things that I had to worry about because my parents would be the one in charge of handling almost every aspect of my life. However, now that I am on my own, independence has caused me to come face to face with stress from time to time. As a result, tea drinking has become a way for me to relax. “We find a freshly brewed cup to be a great way to deal with a stressful day or the perfect compliment to a moment of rest when we arrive home in the evening (Patel, 1).” During time when I think the world is out to get me, nothing sooths the mind and the nerves more than a hot cup of green tea.

            Tea drinking is a very peaceful activity for me because it allows me to sit down and enjoy the present. It allows me to calm my mind and truly immerse myself in my actions relating to my drinking. But tea drinking does not have to be done alone, for “tea drinking is a pleasurable experience that is enjoyed either alone or shared at social gatherings (Trevisanato and Kim, 1).” The enjoyment of tea is not only confined to the experience of one person, for it can also be experience by other. Being able to relax and enjoy tea with my friends is also another way that I am able to ease my stress, for I am able to spend more time with those I care about.

            The psychology of drinking tea by oneself or in a social atmosphere also plays an important part in stress relief. It was noted that, “In their study, Williams et al (2008) found that those who held a warm cup of tea perceived those around them more positively, that is, as possessing a warmer personality, being more generous and caring (Cross and Michaels, 2).” This is a similar feeling that I get when drinking tea with others. The warmth of the tea in my hand and in my stomach sends waves of warmth throughout my body, which relaxes me. From this relaxation, I feel calmer around others and feel that I am enjoying an intimate moment with them. The bulk of the psychological aspects of drinking tea are summarized in a study saying:

In summary, the present study shows that during periods of stress tea’s reputation for inducing calm extends beyond the effects of its physical properties on our bodies and brains. The symbolic dimensions of tea (the values and meanings of making and consuming it) simultaneously perform a complex sociopsychological function. This function can be experienced both privately (as subjective moment of relaxation, reflection, closure etc) and/or socially (as an act of empathy, bonding or solidarity). (Cross and Michaels, 4)

So not only does tea have physical benefits, but psychological ones as well. These psychological effects can be felt whether one is alone or in a social setting, which goes to show just how versatile and useful tea drinking can be.

            My choice for drinking tea has had a long-standing tradition, which originated from its use as a medicinal beverage. From my own experiences of drinking tea I was able to see just how effective it was. To some extent, I usually drank tea because I thought of it as a placebo. I had always heard many people talk about the health benefits of tea, but I never really looked into the specifics of their claims. Now that I have looked into the research of tea with regards to both the physical and psychological effects of tea drinking, I must say that my relationship with tea has become a lot stronger.

            For me, tea has always been part of my life and that is the main reason that I value it. To hear about all of the benefits of tea drinking only make me appreciate it even more. I am a person that values health very dearly because it is something that I am always mindful when dealing with food because I want to be able to life my life to the fullest, and I believe that being healthy is at the core of living life. The fact that tea is able to benefit both my mind and my body makes me feel good about my food choices. Now that I have learned so much about tea, I feel that a Chinese proverb regarding tea, illustrates my current mentality, and that is it’s, “Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one (Sinija and Mishra, 233).”

Works Cited

Cross, Malcolm, and Rita Michaels. "The Social Psychological Effects of Tea Consumption on Stress." (2009): 1-6.

Khan, Naghma, and Hasan Mukhtar. "Tea Polyphenols for Health Promotion." Life Sciences 81.7 (2007): 519-33.

Patel, Mayoor. "Enjoying a Cup of Hot Green Tea." FoodEditorials Beverages Guide, n.d.

Sinija, V. R., and H. N. Mishra. "Green Tea: Health Benefits." Journal of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine 17.4 (2008): 232-42.

Trevisanato, Siro, and Young-In Kim. "Tea and Health." Nutrition Reviews 58.1 (2000): 1-10.

Wang, Yanyan, Maoquan Li, Xueqing Xu, Min Song, Huansheng Tao, and Yun Bai. "Green Tea Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) Promotes Neural Progenitor Cell Proliferation and Sonic Hedgehog Pathway Activation during Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis." Molecular Nutrition and Food Research 56 (2012): 1292-303.