International Tea Day is
celebrated annually on 15 December.
International Tea Day
originated in places where tea is grown, in countries such as Sri Lanka, Kenya
and India, to bring awareness to the workers in the industry. The day is observed
in the world’s tea-producing countries including Vietnam, Nepal, Bangladesh,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Malawi. In 2005, a group of tea
workers in India officially established International Tea Day.
All tea comes from the same
plant, called the Camelli Sinensis.
Tea is the second-most popular beverage (after water).
New Englanders and
Southerners drink the most tea in the United States, and about 85% of it is
served on ice. Americans typically prefer black and green teas. However,
worldwide the per capita consumption of tea is highest in Great Britain and
China.
Europe was introduced to tea
in the 1600s. The first printed mention of it is in 1550 in Gian Battista
Ramusio’s document ‘Navigationi e Viaggi’ from Venice.
Both green tea and black tea
has been shown to significantly reduce blood pressure. Black tea helps to lower
LDL-cholesterol and green tea helps to lower total cholesterol. In a review of
the effects of tea on mood and cognitive function, the combination of
L-theanine and caffeine was shown to increase alertness and attention-switching
accuracy up to two hours after drinking a cup of tea. Small enhancements in the
accuracy of visual and auditory attention was also found.
So it’s time to drink a cup
of tea or two today.
MARTINA NICOLLS is an international
aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of
Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet
(2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).
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