THESIS STATEMENT

The consumption of tea can increase the lifespan and quality of people

Tea is a wonder elixir with properties that are scientifically proven to prolong people’s lifespan and promotes health. Most people spend a lot of money to achieve this ambition, when is actually very easy to obtain if we are diligent enough to make the habit of enjoying a good cup of tea every day. Tea is the common name for the evergreen shrub Camellia sinensis. The term “tea” also refers to the aromatic beverage, or liquor, made by infusing the processed fermented and unfermented top two leaves and bud of the plant in boiling water. From earliest times, tea has been celebrated for its uplifting properties.

The Chinese have used tea leaves for food and beverage purposes for more than 5,000 years. The most enduring legend origin dates back to 2737 BC, when Chinese emperor Sheng Nung, a learned scholar and herbalist, knelt by a fire, boiling water in a small cauldron. A sudden breeze blew the topmost leaves of a nearby bush into his vessel, creating a flavorful aroma that piqued the emperor is curiosity. Sheng Nung sampled the enticing brew and was immediately delighted, proclaiming his new discovery delicious to the taste and invigorating to the body. Until the late 6^th century the refreshing properties of tea remained one of China’s most preciously guarded secrets. Later around AD 1600 via a newly established sea routes to China a Portuguese merchant imported tea to Europe and during the late 17^th century tea drinking became fashionable in Europe and continued gaining popularity throughout the West until this day.

 For the tea to be able to reach the market first it must cultivated taking into consideration the climate, altitude soil and time of harvesting since all of these factors influence directly in tea quality. Many of the best teas (but not all) come from elevations from over 4,000 feet. Fluctuating weather and cooler climates at high elevations put stress on the tea plant, leading to slower growth and a lower yield. This stress allows the plant to develop more concentrated levels of the substances that produce great aroma and flavor. Once the leaves are plucked, dried and processed, mechanically sorted sift, separated and classified the tea by leaf size is then to be packed and exported to the various locations around the world that makes this wonder accessible to everyone; which is pretty much saying that health is accessible too.

The tea possesses some of the most amazing components in existence which has been proven to produce unbelievable benefits to health; and the good part is that it comes in a variety of flavors. Some of the components known are the molecules of antioxidants, flavonoids and chlorophyll. These components that distinct each specific teas (black, green, and herbal infusion teas) are the basis of tea’s pigmentation, health and flavor. Tea could be drink literally by anyone, thanks to the wide variety of flavors that can be appreciated. This appreciation of tea comes through tastings and tastings can be done anytime and anywhere. When tasting, slurp the tea to make sure the full flavor spread across your tongue. The world of tea offers literally thousands of unique flavors. Teas can be floral, malty, buttery, silky, creamy jammy and/ or fruity. Some flavors are rather straightforward, while others are complex and will evolve once the tea is on your tongue. Since tea varies so much, I’m going to describe briefly the most merchandised and common teas in the market:

·         Green tea – Pure green tea has a fresh, lively taste that is often described as vegetative. It is generally less brisk than black tea and is normally slightly sweet. Although both green and black teas derived from the same plant, green’s special flavor characteristic can be attributed to the lack of fermentation (oxidation) during its processing.

·         Black tea – Is the fully dried, fermented leaf of the plant camellia sinensis. It represents the world’s most consumed tea type outside of the Asia Pacific markets. Black teas have a red amber color when brewed , and possess flavors that range from full, rich, robust, malty to light and delicate with subtle floral nuances.

·         Herbal teas – Though often referred to as “herbal teas” these blends contain none of the leaf Camellia sinensis and are, therefore, not true teas at all. Their botanical ingredients, however, are marvelous and varied, including flowers, roots, peels, seeds, barks, berries and spices.

These well-known teas pique into a new world of flavors that can satisfy anyone, because of its huge diversity of flavors in existence. Thanks to the knowledge of tea's flavors and benefits to health, tea has traveled a long way from its birthplace China. Tea has infiltrated almost every continent and the knowledge of its benefits has moved from generation to generation practically forcing its way to new eras and new markets. Now almost 50% of the population drinks tea because:

•          Its accessible
•          It taste good
•          Has a lot of benefits to the human body

And speaking of benefits to the human body, let's see more closely into tea's components. We already discussed that tea contains anti-oxidants which are molecules that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules. This prevention of oxidation is really important since it literally makes human cells live longer and give a better performance. In other words it prolongs our life span, besides tea also possesses powerful anti-oxidant called flavonoids which cleanse the blood and the body’s internal organs such as: stomach, pancreas, liver, kidneys and it helps reduce the risk of heart disease. It has been scientifically proven by the Institute for Cancer Prevention in Valhalla, New York that tea drinkers that consumed at least three cups of tea a day can reduce the risk of cancer and Alzheimer. Tea also helps soothe stress and keep us relaxed. The University College of London found that people who drank black tea were able to de-stress faster than those who drank a fake tea substitute. Tea drinkers had lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.

Douglas Adams in his book Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, page 87 said:

“A cup of tea would restore my normality."

He wasn’t only referring to his particular pleasure of drinking tea, but the feeling that he could experience after drinking it; the feeling of being recovered as if it were almost magical.