Stress and Tea

I've started drinking more hot tea this year and noticed some unusual effects. I've felt more mentally alert accompanied by a sense of calm, well-being. This isn't something I've experienced when drinking coffee. With coffee I feel energized and mentally sharp but certainly not calm. The science behind this became clear with the surfacing of some new research.

The Mythical Origin of Tea

According to legend, tea was accidentally discovered over 5,000 years ago in China when Shen Nung ruled.

While on his way to visit a corner of his land Shen's servants began boiling water for drinking when dried leaves blew off a near by bush falling into the water. The brown liquid interested Shen. He tried some finding it refreshing, and tea was created!

Drinking tea changes how quickly we can recover from acute stress.

London researchers have an explanation for this wonderful combination of seemingly opposite effects. They've conducted scientific research on 75 tea drinking males, average age of 33.

They were split into two groups. Each gave up all other caffeinated beverages while half drank a placebo the other half drank black tea. The results were surprising.

The studies indicated each group experienced similar effects to stressful stimuli, but the men drinking the black tea showed a greater capacity to bring their acute stress levels back to normal.

This research has changed my mind when choosing which beverage to reach for to re-energize at the work place. In fact, I now bring my favorite tea to work with me each day because it's not just energy I need...it's peace of mind as well.

Find out for yourself!

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