Take tea and see

People who say they don't like tea are not really my cup of...well, you know...

Water is the #1 beverage worldwide, but I hate to tell you residents of Coffeeville, tea is second. Nearly two thirds of people around the world sip tea. 

I have three or four cups of tea daily in my Yeti mug, and lots of iced tea for dinner and after. Because of this, my health is something that people sometimes form a small mob to marvel at.

Here's why: Research is showing us that tea can protect your blood vessels, lower inflammation, aid relaxation and potentially boost your gut microbiome. There's a magazine called Life Sciences (been meaning to subscribe) in which scientists say tea is “Nature’s gift for promoting human health.”

Of course, we all know this is because tea contains many antioxidants, polyphenols and other beneficial plant compounds, according to Jenifer Bowman, a cardiac dietitian at UCHealth in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Of course, not everyone knows this, but no matter what kind of tea is in your mug - green, black, white and oolong - they all come from the same plant: Camellia Sinensis. 

It's been far too oolong since I've seen old Camellia.

And I want you to know that it's a consistent scientific finding that tea drinkers tend to live a little longer than those who don't drink tea.  This is because we tea drinkers do not engage in the kind of behaviors that shorten the lives of others: driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, taking risks such as doing calisthenics on the roofs of buildings, and forgetting to put money in the kitty by the coffee machine at work.

And research shows that drinking tea promotes relaxation. Scientists did a study that says tea reduces anxiety and helps your memory, but only for things that you want to remember. Forgetting a lot of things is marvelous for those who want to relax.

Now what was I saying?