People have been drinking tea for nearly five thousand years. A Chinese legend has it that Emperor Shen Nung was boiling water in 2,732BC when some leaves blew through the window and landed in the pot. The aromatic smell drew his attention and so he tasted the water and the rest, as they say, is history.
Since those early days, people have added to the range of teas available. They have learned that many of these infusions offer health benefits along with the warm comfort of the drink. This infographic offers a rundown on 15 of the most popular teas along with the known benefits of regularly drinking the tea.
Almost all teas contain antioxidants and studies show that teas of various types can boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, and may even help to prevent heart disease. And tea-lovers know the relaxing effect of sitting down to your favorite cuppa.
Today you can walk into your favorite teashop or supermarket and pick up the tea of your choice, but it wasn’t always that easy. The need for tea has driven historical change across the globe as countries fought for trade routes to the East. Britain, in her lust for the beverage, colonized India, Hong Kong, and Singapore and the global economy was born. Tea taxes caused the Boston Tea Party that started the American War of Independence, and the opium wars in India were driven by the desire for tea. Who would have thought that the humble tea leaf could drive the world to change?