Black Tea

[dantem]

I'm still buying loose organic green tea and it seems fine to me so far. I use to make it very very bitter by infusing for 10 minutes with a dish to cover the cup and keep the steam from going out, then when it's a bit warmer I put a spoon of Vit C. and mix - it's like having lemon tea here :)

I've never tried organic black tea though. The one I've got usually is in bags, brands such as twinings or local bio teas and equo-solidal-something, and both gives me bad shots in the head. One full cup a day is enough to leave me sleepless at night, and oddly enough, so sleepy in the afternoon ..so I quit it.

No more than two cups of green tea per day either.

 

[3DStudent]

Anyone ever think of making stevia tea? I hear the plant is really easy to grow. It would be naturally sweet I would think.

 

[Gimpy]

I've finally quit drinking coffee, and I have to say that right now, I hate it.

Hubby tells me it will get better, that its only been a week caffeine free...and I do love the different herbal and medicinal teas I have. I think it comes down to realizing just how much coffee was masking adrenal fatigue that's bothered me so much. (Plus I'm just tired of being tired.)


I researched several coffee substitutes, and all of them had a barley, rye or other grain base that isn't gluten free. One brand, Dandy Blend, claims its gluten free, but it still uses barley and rye in the process. (Its the only one that was actually tested by an independent lab as GF) I was going to try it anyway, but its not available locally anymore so I gave it up. Another substitute is roasted dandelion root tea. This is supposed to be good for the liver in moderation, and I'm going to try it next. I did find some chicory, and its carb content is 3 grams a cup, which would be ok if you don't drink it a lot. I have a small supply of it for those mornings I'm tempted to drink coffee again.

I've tried organic Mate, and it goes through me like a freight train, so no Mate for me. Right now I do have a cup of decaf coffee in the evenings after dinner, and that's nice. In the morning I have whichever herbal blend sounds good, whether its black tea or ginger, as long as its hot. ;)

One caution: Teechino uses tree nuts, so if you have an allergy to tree nuts, don't try that one.

 

[weasel3d]

Has anyone here done any research on coca tea? When I was in Peru, we drank it everywhere, especially up in the mountains, where they prescribe it for overcoming altitude sickness. They even served it in 5 star hotels. No, it's not like cocaine, as many people assume. It doesn't wire you out, but rather it lifts your spirit, is the best way I can describe it and seems to relieve stress. It's got the most wonderful taste (a little like mother's milk--well---it's certainly very satisfying).

 

[EGVG]

Just a clarification that tea (black or green) doesn't naturally contain fluoride but gets it from the soil and water. So maybe it would be safer if it was grown on the soil that doesn't have fluoride?

_http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Fluoride+Content+in+Tea

Camellia sinensis, the tea plant, produces what can be called "true teas" such as green, black, and oolong (Parkinson). Accumulation of Fluoride in the tea plant comes from its natural ability to absorb Fluoride from surrounding soil. It is estimated that up to 98% of the Fluoride content in the tea plant is deposited in its leaves, particularly the old ones, following the release of Fluoride from [aluminum] Fluoride complexes initially formed at the roots (Lu, et al., 2004). Fluoride has been suggested as an efficient, cost-effective indicator of maturity as well as a negative indicator of quality. Reason for the latter is due to the increase of Fluoride content paralleling a decline in beneficial polyphenols as the tea plant ages (Lu, et al., 2004). The most notable catechin polyphenol found in Camellia sinensis is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a strong [anti-oxidant] that reduces LDL and acts as an anti-Cancer agent (Parkinson).

Added: There is also this:

Due to modern day environmental pollution fluoride and aluminum have also been found to occur in tea, with certain types of brick tea made from old leaves and stems having the highest levels. This occurs due to the tea plant's high sensitivity to and absorption of environmental pollutants.

So the solution appears to be, to either find a place where one can buy tea grown on soil without pollutants or soil fertilizes, or to plant a tea tree. :) Then one can enjoy all tea's benefits without the added poison.

Here is also a study that made a comparison of the fluoride content of four tea brands (Lipton, Ceylon, Golestan and Mozafar). They concluded that there was a significant difference between the fluoride concentration of these four tea brands, and Lipton appeared to have the highest floride concentration.

If so, maybe it would be safer to go with smaller companies and brands than big corporations as Lipton that probably pollute the soil like hell. It also explains why in the past tea was so well known and used for its health benefits. Then they still had clean soil.

Thanks for that clarification and explanation Keit :)

 

[Rabelais]

I have a question about the fluoride found in tea. Is it the same chemical composition as the fluoride put into drinking supplies, which is a by-product of industrial processes? Does anyone know? Is naturally occurring fluoride as damaging as the synthetic?

The body requires trace amounts of natural fluoride. Naturally occurring elemental fluoride is not at all like the toxic sodium fluoride, fluorosilicic acid, or sodium fluorosilicate used to dose our water and make us stupid. But it is still toxic in excess. Given that we are inundated with fluoride compounds, even in our atmosphere, its probably best to reduce all exposure as much as possible.

Tea grown in China and other "emerging economies", which have heavy industrial pollution, probably has the type of fluoride that we really want to avoid, but sources like high altitude mountain spring water, which is mature water according to Schauberger, likely is the basic element that we need in the minuscule trace amounts found at those sources.

This site has some caveats for even naturally occurring fluoride:
_http://www.efii.org/naturally-occurring-fluoride.html

 

[alphonse]

Worth noting (if not pointed out before) - Tea bags, may contain higher traces of Chlorine than fresh leaves, due to the treatment of the paper the bags are made from
So presumably fresh leaves are alway best.

al

 

[Laura]

I've finally quit drinking coffee, and I have to say that right now, I hate it.

Join the club. Of all the things I've had to give up, I miss coffee the most. But I sure do NOT miss how bad it made me feel. And it was only after giving it up completely for awhile that I was able to really notice how much at fault it was for a lot of really awful symptoms.

About once a month we go to a bulk food store for supplies. They have free gourmet coffee that is ground and made cup by cup... terrific espresso. Well, I get one, take a sip and roll it around in my mouth while inhaling the aroma. Then I spit it out and throw it away. It seems to make it better that I can taste it and smell it and I don't think that too much of it absorbs in the minute or two I have it in my mouth. But of course, I didn't start doing this until I had been coffee free for over five years. I don't think I would have had the will power to spit it out before that!

Hubby tells me it will get better, that its only been a week caffeine free...and I do love the different herbal and medicinal teas I have. I think it comes down to realizing just how much coffee was masking adrenal fatigue that's bothered me so much. (Plus I'm just tired of being tired.)

One thing I DO enjoy is mint tea with a little xylitol on ice. (Or hot.) We have a soda infuser thing and sometimes I make it bubbly as a treat.

I researched several coffee substitutes, and all of them had a barley, rye or other grain base that isn't gluten free. One brand, Dandy Blend, claims its gluten free, but it still uses barley and rye in the process. (Its the only one that was actually tested by an independent lab as GF) I was going to try it anyway, but its not available locally anymore so I gave it up. Another substitute is roasted dandelion root tea. This is supposed to be good for the liver in moderation, and I'm going to try it next. I did find some chicory, and its carb content is 3 grams a cup, which would be ok if you don't drink it a lot. I have a small supply of it for those mornings I'm tempted to drink coffee again.

Chicory isn't bad, but I just gave up trying to have coffee substitutes because they all just made me miss coffee even more. So, black tea is the thing for me at present.

I've tried organic Mate, and it goes through me like a freight train, so no Mate for me. Right now I do have a cup of decaf coffee in the evenings after dinner, and that's nice. In the morning I have whichever herbal blend sounds good, whether its black tea or ginger, as long as its hot. ;)

Decaf coffee is actually more evil than coffee in my experience. It did as many bad things - and worse - to me than regular coffee!

 

[Aiming]

Decaf coffee is actually more evil than coffee in my experience. It did as many bad things - and worse - to me than regular coffee!

I don't have experience with decaf coffee, but read a few years ago about the harmful effects of it.

Here are a few articles I just found, fwiw:

Decaffeinated coffee may cause heart problems, warns US study
_http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/nov/17/research.health

Decaffeinated coffee may contain more caffeine than you think
_http://www.everydayhealth.com/blog/zimney-health-and-medical-news-you-can-use/decaffeinated-coffee-contains-caffeine/

What’s the bottom line? For most people, the amount of caffeine in decaf coffee will not be a problem, assuming they don’t drink more than a few cups a day or aren’t particularly sensitive or on an extremely restricted diet. But for some people even one cup may be too much.

Caffeine and decaf
_http://www.supplecity.com/articles/caffeine.htm

Many health-conscious people insist on "decaf." But knowledgeable gardeners will tell you not to pour decaffeinated coffee or tea onto your plants and not to use decaffeinated grounds or tea bags. Why? Because the decaffeination process uses formaldehyde, and there's a residual in the resulting beverage. Thus, you can generally refer to "decaffeinated" beverages as "formaldehyde-enriched."

Formaldehyde is not a health food. It's a poison. It kills plants, and it does a great deal of damage inside the human body. So, you don't want to be drinking it. Period.

 

[mcb]

Many health-conscious people insist on "decaf." But knowledgeable gardeners will tell you not to pour decaffeinated coffee or tea onto your plants and not to use decaffeinated grounds or tea bags. Why? Because the decaffeination process uses formaldehyde, and there's a residual in the resulting beverage. Thus, you can generally refer to "decaffeinated" beverages as "formaldehyde-enriched."

Formaldehyde is not a health food. It's a poison. It kills plants, and it does a great deal of damage inside the human body. So, you don't want to be drinking it. Period.

I found the same "information" on GLP word for word, in a Google search. It depends on the process. If you buy organic decaf coffee made with the Swiss Water Process, there should not be any formaldehyde in it. It's not cheap. The organic, fair trade coffee I have bought in the last year or so, decaf/SWP or otherwise, has been running $12 or more a pound.

I have had an occasional cup of decaf recently (when Bella wasn't blocking the way to the coffee maker) and while it lacks the "coffee experience" -- caffeine -- it does taste good with coconut milk. I would not think that a true coffee addict would care much for it, though. It probably does contain some residual caffeine, but not enough for me to feel any effect.

 

[alphonse]

Hi Enaid

Many years ago i worked for a large agricultural company and coffee production was a subsiduary - I was aware of 4 or 5 main methods of decaffination but I didn't know Formaldhyde is used.

As I remember, the 2 commercial methods are 1) the Swiss Water process - essentialy soaking and high presssure "boiling" the green beens using co2 and water
and 2) a treatment proces of Methylene Chloride and a second soaking in huge vats containing Ethyl acetae compound with a final high pressure washing of the beans.

I still work in agriculture and I know that Formaldehyde is very dangerous and toxic - Any traces of a Minimum Residue level (MRL) in a final product would put it outside of EE guide lines an unfit for sale ( I don't know about UDSA but could not imagine they would allow it) I would be very keen to follow up on any info you have, or the source you quoted from it from if you have a moment to point me in the the right direction

When I gave up caffeine I tried decafs - but it was just black liquid for me, tasteless, weak and gave me acidity.

I have been caffeine free for about 3 years 11 months 21 days. (10th September 2007) .......and still miss and crave it.

Just thinking about it, means that I am now, going to have to leave my desk, find an empty room, and attempt to climb the wall!

Light black tea from the leaves for me these days

al

 

[alphonse]

Intersting side note -

Our Grape teccy here, used to work in coffee too. She just told me that particle matter is produced in the Roasting process of all green coffee beans and that aldehydes are produced - as Formaldehyde as a gasseous particle matter in the roasting process of all coffee - could be the source ?

Al

 

[go2]

The tea plantations usually pick three times a year. The first pick or flush is likely to have a lower fluoride concentration, as the leaves are younger and more delicate. However, the first flush is a premium grade and commands a premium price. The latter picks are bigger, more mature leaves which have been absorbing nutrients, including fluoride, for a longer period. These grades are usually sold by the bundle to big companies like Lipton etc. for blends and bagging. The bagged tea is usually a commercial grade with higher fluoride concentrations.

I still have a coffee once in a while, but it is always clear I pay the price from tension and inflammation. It does have a powerful addictive quality which tea doesn't have for me. Someday, I will have my last cup of coffee, when I need to develop a little more Will. I understand Laura's romance with coffee. The taste and aroma have associations deep in my memory. We drank it by the gallon around the kitchen table at the farm in my childhood, before helping dad with the chores. It gives me a sense of psychological warmth and continuity; which are illusory, but none the less, I must not forget that I am still human and a work in progress. :)

 

[Aiming]

Hi Enaid

Many years ago i worked for a large agricultural company and coffee production was a subsiduary - I was aware of 4 or 5 main methods of decaffination but I didn't know Formaldhyde is used.

As I remember, the 2 commercial methods are 1) the Swiss Water process - essentialy soaking and high presssure "boiling" the green beens using co2 and water
and 2) a treatment proces of Methylene Chloride and a second soaking in huge vats containing Ethyl acetae compound with a final high pressure washing of the beans.

Interesting, thanks for sharing.

I still work in agriculture and I know that Formaldehyde is very dangerous and toxic - Any traces of a Minimum Residue level (MRL) in a final product would put it outside of EE guide lines an unfit for sale ( I don't know about UDSA but could not imagine they would allow it) I would be very keen to follow up on any info you have, or the source you quoted from it from if you have a moment to point me in the the right direction

I have referenced the sources in my above post. All I did was a quick search on the i-net, on 'black tea' and 'harmful' and 'formaldehyde', so i cannot point you anywhere currently, sorry. Also consider Megan's post above - it seems it depends on the process and that formaldehyde isn't always used.. I guess we'll have to keep digging to find out.

When I gave up caffeine I tried decafs - but it was just black liquid for me, tasteless, weak and gave me acidity.

I have been caffeine free for about 3 years 11 months 21 days. (10th September 2007) .......and still miss and crave it.

Considering that you know the exact amount of even the days without caffeine, it sure must have been hard to give it up. ;)

For me, giving up coffee wasn't hard at all. I did love my cups of coffee every day, but when I cut them out I immediately felt better and when, after some time, I tried coffee again I felt repulsed by it.

However, after I've heard Laura say that black tea seems to have anti-inflammatory properties, I started drinking black tea and must say I thoroughly enjoy it. Then again I see how I tend to drink a lot of it and it seems that it's to do with the caffeine content. Also, I'm really thankful for this thread, as I hadn't yet heard that black tea contains fluoride. Seems that eventually I'll have to cut out black tea, too. :( Or resort to buying only organic and first flush picks. Thanks for the info, go2.

 

[Mark]

I gave up coffee a long time ago. It smells great, tastes great, but it was too acidic for me back then. So I switched the black tea and mate - mostly mate, which I really like. Or sometimes I mix them together.

For those who can eat coconut oil, it's interesting to put some in tea after it's fully brewed. It floats to the top of course and it adds a twist to tea when it gets a little boring.