“There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea” – Bernard-Paul Heroux, Ba

1. “There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea” – Bernard-Paul Heroux, Basque Philosopher

2. A Brief History of Tea 5000 Years in 5 Minutes

3. A long time ago in a land far, far away… China, 2737 B.C. • Tea recorded as having medicinal value in a Chinese medical book. In traditional Chinese medicine, tea was used to treat digestive and nervous disorders as well as to treat rheumatisms. Tea leaves were either chewed or brewed, often with ginger, onion or orange. China, 300-600 A.D. • Tea slowly transitions from a medicinal drink to a staple of daily life. Poet Lu T’ung, disciple of Chinese “patron saint” of tea, Lu Yu of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.), wrote “I am in no way interested in immortality, but only in the taste of tea.”

4. From India to Arabia(and Japan too.) India, 500 A.D. • “Eyelid” shaped tea leaves are chewed to improve alertness. A legend tells that the Indian monk Daruma, who founded the Japanese school of Buddhism, tore out his own eyelids in order to punish himself for falling asleep during a session of meditation. From the spot on the ground where his dismembered eyelids fell sprouted a tea tree. • Japan • The first tea seeds were brought to Japan by the returning Buddhist priest Yeisei, who had seen the value of tea in China in enhancing religious mediation. As a result, he is known as the "Father of Tea" in Japan. Because of this early association, tea in Japan has always been associated with Zen Buddhism. • Arabia and Europe, 500-1000 A.D. • Cultivation methods improve and tea spreads through the Arab lands into eastern Europe.

5. Europe, and then the World… • Portuguese sailors discover tea during expeditions to China starting in 1517. • Italian governmental official, Gaimbattista Ramusio, in his book Voyages and Travels (1559) writes about the reputed medicinal value of tea based on a report from a Persian merchant, Hajji Mahommed. This is the first mention of tea in European literature. • Dutch East India Company begins the first mass importation of tea from China, followed by the British East India Company, which soon becomes China’s biggest customer. • By the end of the 1700’s tea becomes an international favorite, drunk all throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Russia, and the Americas.

6. Tea Economics Tea economics in the late 1700’s to mid-1800 • As international demand for tea increased, supply became more limited. The major European powers of the day began to seek alternatives to help lower tea prices and recoup losses, an impetus for the cultivation of tea in India, as well as the heavy taxes levied on the colonies (think Boston Tea Party) and the beginning of Opium Wars in China. Tea has engrained itself into cultures worldwide. From Buddhists mediating in Japan, to workers in the fields of Darjeeling, to the Queen’s afternoon tea and crumpets; even with the prevalence of other caffeine suppliers like coffee or sodas, tea still is the world’s drink.

7. Lu Tong (A.D. 618-907) The first cup caresses my dry lips and throat,The second shatters the walls of my lonely sadness,The third searches the dry rivulets of my soul to find the stories of five thousand scrolls.With the fourth the pain of past injustice vanishes through my pores.The fifth purifies my flesh and bone.With the sixth I am in touch with the immortals.The seventh gives such pleasure I can hardly bear.The fresh wind blows through my wingsAs I make my way to Penglai.

10. Camellia Sinesis • Called Thea Sinensis by Swedish botanist Linnaeus. • In 1959 it was properly classified as Camellia Sinensis. • Classified as Camellia due to the tree size and leaf shape.

11. Location • The tea plant originally comes from China, Tibet and northern India. • The King Tree which is the largest known is located in the Yunnan Province

12. Genus Camellia • The species CamelliaAssam is also frequently used for tea and is often preferred for black teas. • SinesisCamellia is preferred for green and oolong teas.

13. Processing

14. Processing • Withering • Process of letting leaves lose moisture content after plucking. • Often the first step in the processing of tea.

15. Processing • Rolling • ruptures cell walls allowing the polyphenols to become oxidized. • Fermenting • The process of the polyphenols becoming oxidized.

16. Processing • Firing • Halts the fermentation process and begins desiccation. • Drying • Reduces moisture content to make the final product more stable.

17. Processing • The various types of tea are made by different combinations of these processes. And also by the order in which they are done.

18. The Future of Tea: Ongoing Research 1) Heart disease 2) Cancer 3) Women’s health 4) Weight loss 5) Drawbacks to tea

19. Heart Disease • Epidemiological studies show tea to be preventative against ischemic (coronary) heart disease • In cases where heart disease lead to a heart attack, the consumption of tea was associated with lower mortality rates

20. Mode of action • Although tea contains powerful antioxidants, studies have failed to show that they substantially inhibit the oxidation of lipoproteins (LDL) in the body. A new study reports that tea helps prevent heart disease largely by reversing endothelial vasomotor dysfunction.

21. Hope for Cancer Cure • Studies have linked tea drinking and a lower incidence of colon, skin, intestine, pancreatic, and lung cancers. The mode of action is though to be due to the polyphenolics found in tea that inhibit precancerous growths. • Tea has also been shown to increase the number of white blood cells in patients undergoing other cancer treatments such as radiation therapy.

22. Women’s health Uses according to traditional and colloquial treatments; research starting to substantiate claims • Fertility • Sore nipples due to breast feeding • Bone density • Premenstrual symptom exaggeration

23. Tea for Curves: The Slimming Promise • Besides green tea, Pu-erh tea, from the Yunnan Province have made a reputation for itself in China and abroad as a slimming tea (“weight-loss-tea” in Poland). • Aside from the effects of caffeine, the high phenolic concentration in tea, specifically the catechins are though to stimulate thermogenisis (heat production) as well as fat oxidation.

24. The DARKER Side of Tea • Effects on Iron Absorption • The phenolics in tea has been shown to inhibit the absorption of dietary iron, by chelating (binding) the prooxidant metal. Other studies suggest that the addition of lemon juice to a cup of tea increases the amount of iron the body is able to absorb. • Drug reactions: • Tea contains over 400 chemical compounds known to cause adverse reactions when certain medications are taken with tea.