When a discussion turns to things that are quintessentially ‘British’, there are a few topics that show up by default – cricket, tea-drinking and the weather! So, why is tea so popular with us Brits? The answer is the amazing health and wellness benefits. Plus, with the vast amount of new herbal tea ranges available, we’re tapping into a wealth of potential new health benefits as well. From the benefits of drinking Hibiscus tea, to drinking your Christmas tree – the many pine needle tea benefits! We cover them all in this in-depth article.
What Kind Of Tea-Drinker Are You?
According to the Modern Tea Trends 2019 study, 50% of tea brands identified the 24–35 year old group as their biggest growing demographic. Perhaps because of this, the view of tea has changed. It’s no longer a milky, warm beverage that sits on a table while people discuss problems. Though it is still the go-to makeshift remedy for everything from a bad day at work to a broken leg.
These days tea has a plethora of health benefits, it’s far more than murky brown leaf-water. It’s bright and colourful, offering fantastic taste explosions. Unsurprisingly then, tea is no longer for the retired, it’s for everyone of all ages!
It’s thought there are 2 main groups of tea-drinkers. Ready for a quick quiz to find out which type you are?
Is it more important to you for your tea to be comforting or healthy?
A. Comforting. If a good strong brew can’t fix it, it’s probably not worth fixing.
B. Healthy. A good tea should give me energy, pep, and cleanse my inner being.
Your perfect cup of tea would be…
A. Creamy or milky. Best described as a ‘hug in a mug’.
B. Colourful. Whether it’s red, blue, green, or purple, it needs to be bright and beautiful.
Sensory-wise, you expect your tea experience to be…
A. Sweet, or sweet-ish. If you wanted to assault your tongue with bitter tones, you’d have ordered a coffee…
B. Sensual, or aromatic. The experience of my tea is not just in taste but in smell. It should pamper my nose as much as my tongue.
The Results…
If you answered mainly a… you’re a Traditionalist. You care about your tea being a healing drink, but not necessarily in the sense of it carrying antioxidants or being hydrating. It’s just about comfort for you, a means to relax and calm down with a soothing cup of milky tea.
If you answered mainly b… you’re a Modernist. Times are changing, and so is your go-to tea. Your tea isn’t always designed to make you fall into a milk-and-sugar-wrapped blanket of cosy warmth. Sure, camomile tea will relax you when you need it, but you have tea for every occasion. For energy, for a cold, for digestion, for preserving health, for anxiety, you name it, you’ve got a type of tea to wind around all the senses and sort it right out.
Herbal Tea Is Evolving
Tea has certainly become much more of an experience than just a go-to beverage. This ties in with the rise of herbal teas over standard black leaf tea — herbal teas come in so many varieties, from all over the world, and often have intricate ceremonies or stories attached to them.
These aspects are as much of the ‘sensual’ experience as the tea itself. Cafés and tea rooms have been using this to their benefit too, offering tea experiences for their customers, such as offering food created to complement the flavour of different herbal teas, or brewing the leaves in a beautiful antique silver teapot in order to achieve a higher brewing temperature than a normal teapot, and making use of silver’s neutrality, protecting the pure taste of the tea. The whole experience is catered for the customer’s enjoyment.
Tea is incredibly flexible, as it can be enjoyed at home with full control over your personal taste, or out enjoying an aforementioned experience and story.
Here are some of the health benefits of tea varieties…
Hibiscus Tea
The hibiscus flower is typically found in tropical climates such as – Africa, Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. However, it’s thought hibiscus tea actually originated in Africa. The hibiscus flower produces tea that is bright red in colour and is packed with fruity flavours. It’s also caffeine-free and low in calories.
Hibiscus is known for having a sweet, yet somewhat tart taste, similar to that of cranberries. Hibiscus is very popular across the world and is often used as a medicinal tea due to it’s many healing properties. You can drink it hot or cold, making it a very versatile beverage.
Barley Tea
Barley tea is a popular brew over in Korea, China, and Japan, and it is also tied to many claims of health benefits. Served hot or cold depending on the season, this go-to Korean drink is made from whole grain roasted barley and has a mild nutty taste. Like hibiscus tea, it is caffeine-free.
There are also a lot of health claims tied to barley tea, but only few have been proven by scientific study. These range from claims to help with cold symptoms, aiding a sore stomach, clearing complexion, and even weight loss. But, if nothing else, it’s a great caffeine-free alternative to coffee and traditional tea!
Pine Needle Tea
Probably one of the lesser known teas. Pine needle tea has a plethora of benefits for both the mind and the body. Pine needle tea is packed full of vitamin C, and actually has over 5 times the amount found in citrus fruits. The high levels of vitamin C make it a great immune booster, especially when added to lemon and honey, and even a bit of ginger.
Pine needle tea can also be used for coughs, to help relieve chest congestion, and sore sore throats. It’s said to bring you mental clarity – great if you struggle to focus, or have long meetings for work.
Lemon & Honey Tea
Similar to the pine needle tea benefits, this tea is a beloved remedy for cold and flu sufferers, offering a boost of vitamin C. Lemon and honey tea is also uniquely soothing. This golden-coloured tea has the main claim to fame for fighting cold symptoms, but it’s also been said to help with everything from weight loss to acne.
With a vitamin C boost from the lemon, and the cough-supressing nature of the honey, this is a drink that does have some scientific backing in terms of helping with a cough and general sniffles. But sadly the claims of clearing acne and weight loss are as yet unconfirmed by scientific study. Still, it is definitely one to reach for next time cold season comes around.
Green Tea
It would probably make for a shorter list to say what health benefit green tea hasn’t been attributed to. You’d be forgiven for thinking green tea was brewed from the Fountain of Youth, for all the attention it has gained in the wellness industry. But are any of the stories true?
The answer is yes. Green tea is packed with antioxidants and catechins, the latter of which could slow down bacterial growth. The green brew has also been claimed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and boost metabolic rate.
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
Here’s one for Instagram. This blue brew changes colour depending on the pH level of ingredients added to it — for example, a little lemon will turn it purple! Butterfly pea flower tea sounds fancy, looks fancy, but does it bring anything fancy to the table of health benefits?
The sapphire-hued drink has been used for centuries in Asia, but it’s only started fluttering into the western world of tea in recent years. The tea, like green tea, carries a lot of antioxidants, and has been tied to claims of protecting the skin. There are studies that support butterfly pea flower tea’s ability to help reduce internal inflammation.
Blackcurrant Tea
No, this doesn’t mean making Ribena with hot water, though that is a tasty drink in its own right. Herbal blackcurrant tea doesn’t always brew with a purple hue, strictly speaking. But the purple berries that make this tea bring some great potential benefits to your tea cup, such as a high vitamin C level, antibacterial properties, and reducing inflammation.
Purple Tea
This violet-shaded drink has a very humble name in ‘purple tea’. But its alternative name, ‘ox-blood’, sounds much more ferocious. It is claimed that purple tea could compete with green tea for the crown of most purported health benefits, such as claims to help protect against cardiovascular diseases and there are even stories of it improving vision.
You may have noticed that many herbal teas come with a whole host of claims to help health-wise. But if nothing else, tea does count towards your daily water needs, with the dehydrating claims of tea having been debunked. So, top up that tea cup — it’s trendy and healthy!
What do you think are the main health and wellness benefits of tea? Would you drink pine needle tea to get the benefits?
Thanks for sharing this. I love a good cuppa, so will go and check them out.
It’s really tasty! I was surprised at how much sweeter it was than i was expecting.
Thanks The for sharing, the butterfly pea flower tea sounds interesting. I’m going to give it a try.
Yes that’s what i thought! Never tried it. True Brit and always stick to the originals.