Camellia Sinensis: The Tea Plant
Today we will tell you about a drink that you are sure everyone knows. The scientific name of the plant from which it is derived is Camellia sinensis , but it is commonly known as the tea plant. Tea is prepared with the leaves of this plant, which have medicinal properties known since ancient times (in fact the tea plant was used in ancient China for medicinal purposes). This plant also has beautiful flowers.
In the West, tea was introduced by the Dutch who were returning to Europe from their travels in Asia; however, it was the English who made him famous (in England one of the most repeated phrases is “Would you like a cup of tea?”, which in Italian corresponds to “Vorresti a cup of tea?”).
It is said that there is no disease that plants cannot cure. Humans have been using plants and herbs as a medicinal remedy for centuries (in Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek cultures, etc.) both in Europe and in Asia, even if the use of tea has Asian origins.
Benefits of the tea plant
Tea has multiple benefits when drunk on a regular basis. First, tea contains caffeine, and although this can be a problem for some people (in fact it is not recommended for very young children or those with hypertension), it can help keep us awake and active, as well as improve mental agility and concentration; therefore it is the ideal drink during the period of exams or in very stressful working days.
Tea contains less caffeine than coffee, so it’s an ideal alternative. Tea not only helps the mind, but the whole organism in general. Antioxidants help stimulate circulation and let’s not forget the content of vitamins, including vitamin C.
It is also useful for fighting tooth decay, as it also contains fluorides that strengthen the enamel. This is not always a benefit because the excess fluorides are toxic (do not be alarmed, the amount that would have to be taken for this to happen is huge and would undoubtedly create problems sooner, not so much for the fluorides, but for the amount of liquid taken).
It is recommended to drink tea between meals because it hinders the absorption of iron.
How should it be drunk?
The ideal is to drink tea every day because it is really worth it. There are many recipes in books or on the internet to prepare different versions and it is generally very simple. The result is a very good and healthy drink, prepared with minimal effort. Do not worry if you drink it cold, its properties are not affected, on the contrary, just like water, it removes thirst and has no negative effects like other drinks, for example carbonated drinks.
The latter, in fact, contain a lot of sugar, about 10 tablespoons. The body must somehow dispose of this amount of sugar, so the liver responds to the increase in insulin by producing fat. However, besides sugar, there are worse ingredients, such as compound E388, which is nothing but phosphoric acid.
For this reason and for many others, we advise you to try tea as a healthy alternative, for sure you will like it.
