Tea bags: health benefits and harms

Humanity is progressing, and today tea can be drunk almost everywhere. There is no point in arguing about the convenience of tea bags: you can take a bag with you, it is quickly brewed. But is each manufacturer conscientious about his product, and what is the danger of poor-quality tea? This article will examine detailed information about the benefits and harms of tea bags.

The history of the appearance of tea bags

The fact that China is the birthplace of tea is known to many, but humanity owes the appearance of a packaged drink to another country.

In the twentieth century, Thomas Sallivan began to actively trade tea. To popularize his product, he needed to send small portions of different varieties for tasting to tasters. In that distant 1904, all tea producers transported their products in massive cans. But it was not always expedient and profitable.

Then it occurred to Thomas Sullivan to wrap a pinch of tea in a piece of silk fabric and send it for a tasting in this form. As you can conclude, the tea bag was created by accident and initially had a slightly different purpose.

The Germans began to brew tea bags during the First World War. The German tea company borrowed the idea of ​​Thomas Sullivan and, replacing silk with gauze, began to deliver tea bags in front. The drink gained popularity among soldiers and was called the "tea bomb."

What bags are made of

Silk was replaced with gauze, but this option was also quite disadvantageous. By the thirties of the 20th century, the first factories began to emerge engaged in the production of tea bags. In order to increase profits, they needed to find a new replacement for the material from which the bags were made.

Then the American Fay Osborne decided to try to make a paper version of the bag. Paper for packaging cigars was taken as an experimental sample. Subsequently, manufacturing technology changed slightly, and paper bags began to compete with gauze. Due to the cheapness, soon all the factories came to use paper bags. The German company was the first to patent them, so Germany can be safely called the birthplace of this packaged drink.

Composition and calorie content

Packaged tea is a finely ground leaf tea. Conscientious manufacturers do not add anything except ground leaves to the sachets. The exception is flavorings prescribed by prescription and indicated on the package.

Calorie content of the main varieties of tea:

• Herbal Tea - 1
• Green Tea - 1
• Oolong tea - 140.9
• Red tea - 151.8
• Linden tea - 0
• Ginger Tea - 10.8

The average values ​​are given without additives in the form of sugar, honey, jam, etc.

What is useful tea bags

The modern market offers a huge variety of flavors of this packaged drink: from the most neutral to pronounced aromas and shades. But, in addition to pleasant taste, tea in bags has useful properties and is able to have a positive effect on the body.

There is still debate over which is more beneficial: whole leaf or ground bagged tea.One thing is for sure: if you buy quality tea from a bona fide manufacturer, the buyer can notice improvements after several weeks of regular intake of this drink. This paragraph will examine the benefits of tea bags for different groups of people.

For women

The body of the fairer sex is often very sensitive to what gets into it. Tea in this case has an advantage over unpackaged tea: a strict dosage of the product will not allow excess caffeine to enter the woman's body. One serving, as a rule, is designed for 200 ml of water: this is not enough to harm, but enough to cheer up.

Green tea bags are known for their diuretic properties. Therefore, women who want to lose a couple of extra pounds, you can resort to his help. Also, the presence of a sachet prevents the risk of leaf pieces falling into the gastrointestinal tract, which helps to protect the woman’s body from excessive load.

For men

The beneficial properties of tea bags for men are amazing: it strengthens the blood vessels, promotes digestion, cleanses the body of toxins and contains antioxidants. As for purely male health, then packaged green tea is a great helper. Its moderate use will help normalize the functioning of the prostate, clean the urethra.

Green tea contains a large amount of zinc, which is the main building material for male hormones. Representatives of the stronger sex who suffer from tachycardia, kidney pathologies or suffer from increased acidity of the stomach, it is better to refuse green tea bags.

During pregnancy

Women who have a baby need to completely rethink their diet and the drinks they consume. This also applies to tea. If you limit the use of this drink to two cups per day, brew it weakly and purchase tea from bona fide manufacturers, then you can not remove it from the diet.

Tea will help strengthen immunity, the prevention of colds. He will also carefully cleanse the future mother's body from harmful toxins and help her maintain good health and good mood. Black tea relieves fatigue, but pregnant women should prefer green varieties. In them, the caffeine content is the same, but the harmful effect on the fetus comes to naught due to slow digestibility.

When breastfeeding

Most women after childbirth have long been forced to control their diet. After all, everything that they eat will affect their baby, who drinks breast milk. Women who are faced with the problem of insufficient lactation are recommended to drink tea with milk. A hot drink stimulates milk production.

As for the choice between black and green tea, when breastfeeding it is better to make a choice in favor of the latter. The caffeine in it is absorbed more slowly, and the baby will not be as restless as after black tea. It is important to remember that all babies are individual, and in case of colic after a hot drink with milk, such a drink should be excluded from the diet of the mother.

For children

Some experts question the benefits of tea for the child's body, but most still focus on its benefits. Moderate consumption of warm tea will help strengthen the children's body. Babies with increased appetite should also be given tea. It breaks down fats and helps get rid of hunger, and not “kill” it.

If you give your child a drink of tea with milk, then his bones and teeth will be strengthened. Also, this drink improves bowel function and normalizes the production of gastric juice.Children with tooth sensitivity are recommended to rinse their mouth with green tea. It strengthens tooth enamel and fights hypersensitivity to cold or hot.

When losing weight

The benefits of losing weight tea are known to almost every woman. Indeed, to lose excess weight it is extremely important to maintain water balance. If you choose between black and green tea, then the latter should be preferred. Its regular use in the process of following a diet will help increase the amount of lost pounds.

Green tea has diuretic properties. In addition, it reduces appetite. Drinking a cup of tea between meals, you can eat a smaller portion than usual. You can not replace all the liquid with tea, let alone drink only it. Everything is good in moderation - and green tea in bags when losing weight is proof of this.

The benefits of chamomile tea bags

One of the most popular herbs with medicinal properties is chamomile. Thanks to its ability to rid and prevent diseases, people have long been using it in dry form, in the form of infusion or additives. Tea with chamomile has gained great popularity among people, and with the advent of its packaged version it was only more convenient to drink it.

The first supporters of this healing drink are people who are prone to suffer from seasonal diseases. Diseases such as SARS or the common cold often appear in spring or autumn when the weather is very deceiving. Regular consumption of chamomile tea will help the body not only fight the disease, but also prevent its occurrence in the future.

Well, for those who are already sick, chamomile tea bags can help relieve symptoms. This drink has antipyretic properties, therefore, replacing the tablets with chamomile tea, a person will reduce the burden on the liver, which already suffers from drugs. You can also gargle with tea with chamomile - it will reduce pain and contribute to the removal of sputum.

In addition, chamomile tea helps to cope with depression, treats flatulence, intestinal pain, gastritis, ulcers, and normalizes stool. A nice bonus will be the normalization of appetite and improvement of the digestive tract.

Is green tea bag useful

The benefits of green tea bags for weight loss have already been said. But this is not all that the ancient drink is capable of. In addition to the diuretic properties, green tea bag has a number of other useful qualities that are useful not only to those who want to lose a few extra pounds.

Scientists have long dealt with the effect of green tea on the body of cancer patients. Recently it was concluded that this drink not only prevents the appearance of cancer, but also reduces the activity of existing tumors.

Also, green tea will appeal to people with dry skin, prone to rapid aging. This drink helps fight age-related changes. All thanks to the rich content of antioxidants that block the negative effects of molecules at the cellular level.

Other beneficial properties of green tea bags:

1. Cleansing the body, getting rid of harmful toxins.
2. Normalization of digestion, speeding up metabolism.
3. Lowering cholesterol, which is the prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular system.
4. The fight against diseases of the teeth and oral cavity.

We must not forget that everything is good in moderation. Tea will be able to show its beneficial properties only under the condition of its moderate use and in the absence of individual contraindications.

Application in cosmetology

In addition to the beneficial properties exerted on the internal state of a person, tea bags have found application in cosmetology.

Honey face mask

Every girl wants to have a beautiful, smooth, healthy and supple skin.But not everyone wants to experience cosmetics on their faces. After all, there is a risk to buy products that are not suitable for the skin of a particular person. In this case, the ideal option is to make the mask yourself.

To do this, you need:

1. Pour 5-7 g of green tea into a container.
2. Pour it with hot water (not boiling.)
3. Let it brew for 12 minutes.
4. When the tea leaves are steamed, drain the liquid.
5. In the remaining thick, add 20 g of honey.

The honey mask is ready. Now it needs to be applied for 20 minutes on moist skin, and then thoroughly rinsed. You can use it no more than twice a week.

Eye compress

The skin around the eyes is the most tender area on the face. It requires special care, and a compress will help to ensure it.

Cooking method:

1. Heat 100 ml of water almost to a boil (temperature of 70–80 degrees is necessary).
2. Place green tea (0.5 tbsp) in a container and pour this water. Leave on for 35 minutes.
3. During this time, the liquid should cool to room temperature.

The compress is ready. It is necessary to moisten the cotton pads in this liquid and keep it on eyes for 10-15 minutes.

Relaxing bath

A bath with green tea will help to restore body and tone. It is necessary to soak in 1 liter of hot water 12 tbsp. green tea. For small baths, the proportions can be divided in half (500 ml of water and 6 tablespoons of tea). After the mixture is infused, it must be filtered and poured into a bath of water. At the same time, a relaxing and soothing treatment will be a great end to a difficult day.

Harm and contraindications

Tea is not a panacea. In addition to the positive effect, it can also have a negative effect on the body. A person does not always know in advance about contraindications, individual intolerance or dishonesty of the manufacturer.

Chamomile tea is considered one of the most powerful diuretics. If you overdo it with its use, you can bring the situation to dehydration. In addition, an excessive amount of tea with chamomile will lead to a breakdown, dizziness. It may manifest an allergy, so for the first time this drink is recommended to try not strong and in small quantities.

Even the highest quality black tea remains a source of large amounts of caffeine. Yes, it is good for the body, but in small quantities. There will be nothing from one mug, but if a person drinks several cups at a time, then he becomes irritable and nervous. Girls carrying a child often have to give up this drink if they take medications, because black tea greatly reduces their effectiveness and the degree of impact on the body.

Green tea is the safest, but even it can have a negative effect. By nature, its taste is quite delicate and neutral. To enhance the taste, manufacturers do not neglect the excessive amount of flavorings. It was also found that it is in green tea bags that often contain a large number of harmful fluoride compounds.

You should also not exclude the fact that many manufacturers dishonestly fill bags. Most of the products on the market today contain dust, bark, spoiled loose tea.

How to choose and store tea bags

It is best to buy bagged tea in special stores, because there they monitor the quality of products, unlike supermarkets. The packaging must be tight, not damaged. There should be no dust at its bottom.

1. When storing tea, you should rely on several factors:
2. Air humidity. To prevent tea from deteriorating, the humidity in the room should be moderate.
3. Shine. It is best to store tea bags in a dark room where there is no direct sunlight.
4. Smells. If you store tea next to strong-smelling foods (such as fish), it can absorb an unpleasant odor into yourself.
5. Temperature. It should be moderately low. This will help slow down the development of microorganisms.

Observing the basic rules for choosing and storing tea bags, you can easily provide yourself with a quality and tasty drink at any convenient time.

How to make tea bags

Bagged tea has gained such great popularity precisely because of its ease of use. Brew it much easier and faster than crumbly. However, here there are some nuances.

It is better to use ceramic dishes - it allows you to preserve the aroma of the drink. After boiling water, you need to wait a couple of minutes for it to cool. Cool boiling water kills all the beneficial properties. After the bag has given enough color and flavor, it needs to be pulled out. Tea is ready to drink.

How to drink tea bags

Such a seemingly simple procedure as drinking tea has its own rules and nuances.

How much can I drink per day

Tea, like any other drink, can have both negative and positive effects on the body. It has almost no calories, so the figure is not at risk. However, experts still propose to limit themselves to four cups of this drink per day (no more than 1 liter).

Can I drink expired

The use of expired tea is strictly prohibited by experts. Like any other product, tea bags at the expiration date lose both useful properties and pleasant taste.

What is the best tea bag

In today's market, a huge number of tea bags are competing. But which of them are popular due to the quality of products, and which ones just know how to advertise themselves? An expert study was conducted, the results of which revealed several of the best packaged teas.

1. The first place was shared by Ahmad and Sir Thomas Lipton.
2. Second place went to Greenfild and Tess.
3. The third place with a small margin is Lipton.
4. In fourth and fifth places are Standard Ceylon London Tea Club and Princess Noori, respectively.

Products of the same price category competed. The strength of the tea leaves, aroma and taste were evaluated.

Interesting facts about tea

1. People know that the birthplace of tea is China, but who first thought of brewing it? It is still not known exactly, but an ancient legend says that Emperor Shen Nong accidentally dropped a leaf of a nearby shrub into a boiling cauldron. The broth began to acquire color and it turned out that it tastes great. After that, Shen Nong ordered the cultivation of tea on purpose.
2. Some scholars are still looking for evidence that the homeland of tea is not China, but the East.
3. Today, there are more than one and a half thousand varieties.
4. Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world. The first place is occupied by water.
5. The Chinese call black tea red. This happened because in China they repelled from the color of the finished drink, which has a reddish-brown tint. In Europe, the name was given to dry granules having a black or dark brown color.
6. Tea is the unspoken symbol of Great Britain. It began at the beginning of the 18th century, when the British learned to dilute gin with tea. Today, the British drink about 165 million cups of tea daily.
7. A cool infusion of tea leaves applied to the skin repels insects.
8. Tea is recognized as a national drink in Iran and Afghanistan.
9. More than three million tons of tea is produced in the world annually.
10. Despite the huge variety of varieties, all of them are conditionally divided into 6 main (black, green, white, red, post-fermented and yellow).
11. The most expensive tea is sold in Hong Kong.
12. From one kilogram of raw materials, you can brew more than two hundred cups.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that tea has not been in vain for so long as a favorite drink of many people. Due to their taste diversity, everyone can find something for themselves.A tea bag allows you to enjoy your favorite drink almost everywhere and always.

Photo of tea bags