Tea 201 - Lies & Misstatements About Tea

Tea

While Americans still drink more coffee than tea, the popularity of Camellia sinensis is rapidly growing. Much of this popularity is due to the supposed "magic" properties of tea. I say supposed because there are many myths surrounding tea.

This article will hopefully dispel some of those rumors. As much as I love tea, I know it is simply a plant with many healthy properties—but its amazing effects are still quite limited.

There are a few good articles out there that provide the hard truth about tea, but there are some main points that need to be addressed:

Common Myths About Tea

• Myth: Tea comes in many varieties.
  Truth: False. Tea comes from one plant and one plant only: Camellia sinensis.
• Myth: Herbal Tea is tea.
  Truth: False. Unless there is Camellia sinensis in the tea, it is not technically tea.
• Myth: Tea helps in fighting cancer.
  Truth: Some studies show it has helped tremendously for rats. In humans? There isn’t enough research to prove it one way or another.
• Myth: Black tea has more caffeine than green tea.
  Truth: False. They both have similar caffeine levels—the only difference is how they are processed.
• Myth: Tea will make you skinny.
  Truth: Sorry, but false. Some scientists believe that the caffeine in tea can slightly boost metabolism. However, the effect is so minimal that a single Oreo cookie cancels it out.

Loose Leaf vs. Tea Bags

There are also misconceptions when it comes to loose leaf vs. tea bags:

• Myth: Loose leaf tea is expensive.
  Truth: While loose leaf tea is often of higher quality, the cost per cup is usually around $0.10—it only seems expensive due to the upfront purchase.
• Myth: Loose leaf tea requires a lot of equipment.
  Truth: False. You only need a teapot or cup with an infuser. No fancy tools required! If you're looking for a budget-friendly option, check this out:
  Adagio PersonaliTEA Teapot

With just a basic teapot and infuser, loose leaf tea is just as convenient as tea bags!

There are many more misconceptions out there, so perhaps this will be a topic for another post. In the meantime, I challenge you to go forth and educate others about tea! ☕