Black Tea May Lower Blood Sugar

Darjeeling Black Tea

According to a study conducted in Tianjin University, China, a polysaccharide compound found in black tea works similar to Precose and Glyset, both of which are Type 2 Diabetes drugs.

According to the study conducted by Dr. Haixia Chen and his colleagues, the compound in question is specific to black tea and is not found in less-processed oolong and green teas. Black tea had been used in the past in China and Japan to lower blood sugar.

Chen and colleagues have shown that the polysaccharide compound in question inhibits an enzyme called alpha-glucosidase, which turns starch into glucose. That inhibition effect helps lower blood sugar level.

"Many efforts have been made to search for effective glucose inhibitors from natural materials," Dr. Chen says in a press release. "There is a potential for exploitation of black tea polysaccharide in managing diabetes.”

However the experiment was conducted with high concentrations of polysaccharides extracted from black tea. Therefore it is not clear at this writing if brewed black tea would have the same inhibitory effect. CAUTION: Large quantities of black tea is known to lead to respiratory and nervous problems and is not recommended.

The finding was published in the Journal of Food Science.

IQ Innovations 51552 Fine T 4-Cup Gourmet Tea Machine

One of the most sophisticated and programmable electric tea makers available today. Makes 4 cups of perfect tea.

Not-hot-enough water is one of the complaints directed at some other tea makers. You won’t have that problem with this unit since, through its seven built-in settings, this 1200-watt tea maker heats up your water from 160 to 205 degrees F. For white and green teas you can try a lower temperature and select 205 degrees for black teas.

The 24-hour programmable clock allows you to program this high-end tea maker so that you can wake up to a warm fragrant pot of hot tea every morning.

Besides its eye-catching design, the back-lit LCD Digital Program Control Panel is a distinctive feature of this tea maker. You can search for the correct program (that is, the water temperature and brewing time combination) for different tea types by pressing on the up and down menu buttons and viewing the menu options. To select a setting, press the Check Mark button.

Follow these easy steps to brew a pot of great tea with IQ Innovations 51552 Fine T 4-Cup Gourmet Tea Machine:

1. Pour appropriate amount of water into the top chamber. The outside water indicator clearly shows the water level in the chamber, eliminating all guess work. The minimum and maximum marks inside the water chamber eliminates the possibility of not having enough water or adding too much water.
2. Add loose-leaf or bagged tea into the infusion basket and close by swinging the basket back in on its hinge.
3. Select from the 7 different available settings for the correct water temperature and brewing time.
4. Freshly brewed tea will drain to the carafe at the bottom. Serve and enjoy!
5. The hot plate keeps your carafe warm for 30 minutes and then shuts itself off automatically to prevent any fire hazard.

Measures approximately 8-3/5 by 8 by 15-8/9 inches.

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Adagio Teas triniTea Electric 32-Ounce Tea Maker

This double-chamber unit is one of the best tea makers out there in the market.

Its logical construction consists of three chambers placed right on top of one another.

The top chamber is for water. From there, the heated water drops down to the steeping chamber in the middle. This is where you place your tea. Instead of just passing through with the force of gravity, the tea is steeped for a configurable period varying between 2 to 7 minutes. And once the steeping is completed, the brewed tea drips to the glass carafe at the bottom. It just makes sense and yields rich perfectly-brewed tea every time.

We also like the fact that this unit comes with a temperature dial for black and green tea. That's a well thought out feature since black tea usually requires a higher temperature than the green tea.

Follow these easy steps to brew a pot of great tea with Adagio Teas triniTea Electric 32-Ounce Tea Maker:

1. Pour 32 oz. or 4 cups of water into the heating chamber on top.
2. Place your loose-leaf or bagged tea in the infusion basket.
3. Place your glass carafe at the bottom, with the lid on.
4. Turn the strength dial to the appropriate setting.
5. Set the brewing timer to an appropriate value between 2 to 7 minutes.
6. Switch the unit on and soon you'll have a pot of great tasting tea, brewed at the correct temperature.

The auto-warm feature will keep your tea ready for drink for hours at home and in the office.
Measures 13 by 7-4/5 by 15-1/2 inches.

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Sunbeam HTM3 Hot Tea Maker

Here are the things we like about this unit:

• It has a 28 oz. glass pot which is preferable to plastic ones and will last longer if handled properly.
• Its removable tea basket can accommodate both loose tea and tea bags.
• The strength control dial in the front of the unit helps you determine the strength of your tea: mild, medium, or strong.
• After brewing, this unit will keep your tea warm until you shut it off manually.

CONSUMER TIP: This unit does not shut itself off automatically.

Follow these easy steps to brew a pot of great tea with Sunbeam HTM3 Hot Tea Maker:

1. Fill the water reservoir with clean water.
2. Place your bagged or loose-leaf tea into the steeping basket and close the lid.
3. Select tea strength (mild, medium, or strong tea) by turning the strength control dial on top to the appropriate position.
4. Switch on the unit by pressing the manual on/off switch in the front.
5. Within 5 minutes you'll have pot of great tasting hot tea.

Measures 8-3/4 by 9 by 10-1/2 inches.

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Zarafina Tea Maker Suite

We love Zarafina electric tea maker "suite" because it's a complete brewing system and comes with a serving tray, a ceramic tea pot and two 8 oz. cups. Thus the "suite" designation.

Zarafina has several different settings to brew exactly the kind of tea you like.

First, you can select what kind of tea you want to brew by pushing the slides on the side of the machine to the setting you like: Black, Oolong, Green, White, and Herbal.

Once you decide that, you can select whether you’re going to use Bags or Loose tea.

Then comes the strength selection: Strong, Medium, or Mild.

The 16 oz. water tank on top has grading marked for 1 cup or 2 cups of tea which eliminates the guess work.

The infusion basket is built into the water tank and that's where the tea leaves or bags go.

Follow these easy steps to make tea with Zarafina Tea Maker Suite:

1. Place the amount of tea (bag or loose) you like into the infusion basket. Close the basket lid.
2. Fill the tank up with the amount of water you like.
3. Make your selections for tea kind, bag/loose, and tea strength.
4. Switch on the unit and Zarafina takes care of the rest.

It's a simple yet sophisticated way to brew two cups of tea allowing you to make different kinds of tea and the proper temperature, thanks to the multiple settings it provides.

Measures 19-3/7 by 12-3/4 by 25 inches.

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What are the side effects of herbal teas?

Some herbal teas have strong and even toxic side effects that you should be aware of.

If you are under medication for any reason, see your doctor first before drinking any herbal or regular teas. If, for example, you are taking a blood thinner like warfarin (Coumadin) don’t drink any green tea blend.

Comfrey plant

Comfrey Tea -- For one thing, some people confuse comfrey leaves with those of Foxglove, which is a highly poisonous plant. So get yourself a good plant guide and learn to differentiate these two plants before you do anything else. Comfrey has strong pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and has been used externally to fix broken bones since the Ancient Greeks. Yet it can also cause permanent liver damage and even cancer if used internally. So it’s better not to drink any comfrey brews at all.

Lobelia plant

Lobelia Tea -- This is another herbal tea you should stay away from since lobelia contains “lobelia,” a yellowish alkaloid that might have a toxic effect similar to nicotine. Although used by Native Americans to cure respiratory problems, the plant also have strong emetic qualities and that’s why it’s also known as “pukeweed,” “gagroot,” and “vomitwort.”

Green Tea -- Although it’s rare, some people experience difficulty of breathing, constriction of their throat muscles, swelling of tongue and lips, and other similar allergic reactions. If you experience any such effects please immediately see your doctor. Heavy use of green tea is also said to be a contributing factor of esophageal cancer. Green tea (as well as many other tea varieties) can also cause heartburn, sleeplessness, irregular heartbeats, headache, etc. if consumed in great quantities in a single day. If you do not feel comfortable, cut down on your tea consumption and see a doctor.

Chamomile plant

Chamomile Tea -- Chamomile has a sedative effect and thus can help if you’re trying to fall asleep in bed.

But if you are driving a vehicle, operating a machine, or doing anything that requires your full attention, then it’s better not to consume chamomile tea at all.

See: What Should You Know About Herbal Teas?

Glossary of Tea Terms

An Indian worker gathering tea in Assam

Here are some of the most often used tea terms. Knowing what's what can help when you’re shopping for loose tea, a tea maker or other accessories.

Assam – A region in Northeast India and the full-bodied robust tea cultivated there.

Bancha – A low quality Japanese tea made from the lower and larger leaves of the tea plant. Most Bancha tea is consumed domestically and not exported. See Sencha.

Chai – An Indian style of tea brewing in which black tea is mixed with spices and heated milk.

Darjeeling – A variety of very high quality tea grown in the Himalayan regions of India. For some aficionados "tea" means "Darjeeling."

Fermentation – The process through which the freshly cultivated green tea leaves are rolled (broken) and exposed to the oxygen in the air. Oxidation exposes the enzymes within the tea leaves and allows the fermenting of the special taste and aroma that makes tea so appealing. The more the tea leaves are fermented (oxidized) the darker their color turns. That's why black tea is 100% fermentized tea. Oolong and green teas have less fermentation. White tea is not rolled at all; it's fired right away. Also see Oxidation.

Kettle – a container used only for boiling water. The word "kettle" is derived from the Latin catillus, meaning “a deep dish or pan for cooking,” You never boil loose tea leaves or bagged tea in a kettle. Kettles are usually made up of metal or flame-resistant glass since they are specifically designed to sit on open flame. However, there are electric kettles as well. See Infuser.

Infuser – a container for holding the tea leaves. It is where you steep tea leaves with hot water. An infuser, which sometimes look like a strainer but sometimes it also looks like a small tea pot, has no contact with open flames or stove top. Water which is boiled separately in a kettle (see Kettle) is poured over the tea leaves placed in an infuser. Sometimes infusers look like small tea pots and they are placed directly on top of the open-top of the kettle (that is, a tea kettle with no lid). That way the infuser is warmed by the steam rising from the water boiling in the kettle.

Pekoe – Describes a tea production method in which the largest leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant are used to produce whole leaf teas. Pekoe teas commonly-available general-use products.

Oxidation – See Fermentation.

Rolling – The process of breaking the tea leaves to expose their enzymes and juices to the oxygen in the air. Highest quality teas, like the rare white tea, are rolled not by machines but by hand.

Sencha – The most commonly available variety of Japanese tea making about 75% of Japan's total production. See Bancha.

Tea Ball – A tea ball is a mesh sphere to hold loose tea leaves inside a pot of hot water for steeping. Tea balls usually have a hinge on one side, a chain and a hook to attach them to the edge of the pot.

Tea Cozy – A tea cozy is a protective cover that slips over a tea pot to keep it warm. Especially if you are living in a cold climate, a tea cozy is a must to enjoy a pot of warm tea over a lengthy period of time.

Tea Pot – A tea pot is very much like a kettle but it never sits on open flame to boil water. Even though some tea pots have built-in electric heaters to keep the brewed tea warm, it is never designed to boil water. Tea pot is where tea leaves (usually loose) are steeped with separately-warmed hot water. Since they are not designed for direct contact with stove top, tea pots are made from a wide variety of materials including metal, porcelain, stone, glass, and even wood. Some heavy iron-cast tea pots are used in countries like Japan to both boil water and to steep tea.

What is Genmai Cha?

Genmai Cha (or "genmaicha") is Japanese green tea mixed with roasted brown rice.

This exotic tea brand is also know as "Genmai Cha Pop" or "popcorn tea" because of the way rice kernels popped when the tea leaves were roasted for processing. The brown rice gave volume to the tea leaves and made it more affordable. That's why genmaicha is also known as "people's tea" although today it is enjoyed by all tea lovers in Japan.

When brewed, genmaicha releases a distinctive and nutty "popcorn aroma" that's much appreciated by its aficionados.

Russian Tea

A brass Russian samovar set

When Russia is mentioned, perhaps the first drink that comes to mind is Vodka. But tea is also widely consumed by the Russians to the extent that, for some people, tea is actually the true "national beverage" of this gigantic country which spreads over 11 time zones across Europe and Asia. There is hardly a Russian home or office today in which a tea samovar is not ready to serve a piping hot cup of black Russian tea to friends, family, or business associates.

Russian tea is basically black tea, both imported and home grown. However, green tea is also making inroads in the tea-fanatic Russian population.

Did you know that 82% of the 140 million Russians drink at least one cup of tea every day? That translates to a minimum of 115 million cups a day, or 42 billion cups a year!

Tea originally arrived in Russia from China. But the transportation of the exotic plant over the difficult terrain and great distances proved to be so problematic that initially it could be afforded and enjoyed only by the aristocracy. With the creation of Tea Road between Russia and China and protection provided by the Czar more Russians began the enjoy the heart-warming wonders of a cup of hot brew. At the end of the 18^th century, Russia was importing 3 million pounds of tea by camel caravans from China, enough to elevate it to the status of a "national beverage."

In the 19^th and 20^th centuries the camel caravans were replaced by trains and ships but the Russian love affair with tea continued unabated. Today tea is grown in native Russian plantations around the great summer resort of Sochi, located on the shores of the Black Sea.

What is "Organic and Fair Trade" Tea?

Organic and Fair Trade teas are grown by methods that respect and preserve the nature as well as the social communities where the cultivation takes place.
Teas that carry the "USA Organic" as well as the "Fair Trade Certified" labels are in a sense "products with conscience," i.e., they are tea varieties brought to your table by paying fair wages for the individual growers and by employing farming techniques that preserve the natural health and balance of the land.

These are the products grown without using harsh chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides. Thus sometimes they might be a little more expensive than their non-organic competitors but they are worth it.

The "fair trade" concept aims to eliminate the exploitation of tea and coffee growers in the developing countries, including women and children. Percentage of women engaged in non-agricultural fair trade production went up from 70% to 76% between 2004 and 2008.
"Fair trade" tries to increase the trade volume with the developing countries while monitoring and reforming the business practices of those companies that try to maximize profits at the expense of the local communities.

The amount of "fair trade" sales in 2007 was $2.6 billion, according to the International Fair Trade Association. In 2006, fair trade in tea has increased by 41%, according to the Fairtrade Labelling Organization.

Here are some sobering facts provided by the Fair Trade Federation:

A coffee farmer in a developing country typically receives 2 cents for each $3 (or 300 cents) cup of coffee latte, according to Transfair USA figures.
If the share of the African countries in the world exports could be increased by a mere 1%, that would add up to an extra revenue of $70 billion, which is five times what the continent receives in aid - according to Oxfam International's Make Trade Fair Report.

So how does this "Fair Trade" policy is implemented by U.S. importers exactly?

For every kilo of Fair Trade Certified tea purchased, the U.S. importer pays a Fair Trade premium to an elected association of workers and management, called a Joint Body, at each tea estate.

"The Joint Body allocates the premium to areas of greatest need, which is determined democratically and used for projects that benefit the entire community," according to TransFair USA.

"In the case of small-scale producer groups, this elected body is comprised of fellow farmers. Fair Trade premiums have financed new computer learning centers and educational endowments, and healthcare programs that include nutrition, family planning, special medical needs, clean drinking water and toilets for every household."
Tea is one of the "fastest growing Fair Trade Certified product categories, with Fair Trade Certified tea imports increasing an unprecedented 187% in 2005." 70 tea growing estates and producer groups in 11 countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America are now "Fair Trade" certified and the number is growing every year.

The "fair trade" concept recognizes the fact that we are riding all together in this earth-ship and what hurts some of us in the short run will hurt us all in the long run in terms of a degrading environment on the one hand, and social unrest and poverty leading to global instability and strife on the other.

That's why I also support tea products that are both organically grown and cultivated according to fair trade practices.

How to make your own bath tea bags

There are some excellent ready-to-use bath tea bags offered by special vendors. But did you know that you can make your own bath bags as well? It's fun and something you can share to educate your children as well.
Follow these simple steps to make your own bath tea bags:

1. Take a cotton, muslin or cheesecloth bag as big as your hand (measuring 4 or 5 inches on each side). It could be square or rectangular in shape. It does not matter. If it's sturdy enough, you can use this bag as a washcloth as well.
   

2. Fill the bag with a mixture of the following: green tea, lavender, rosemary, goldenseal, marigold (calendula), chamomile, dried rose petals, juniper leaves, jasmine flowers, dried milk (for a milk bath), rock salt, red clover, quick-cooking oats, orange or lemon peel, citrus rind, honey powder. As long as you’re not allergic to it, you can try any other herbs or dried flowers you like. 

3. Sew or use a rubber band or pull in the drawstrings of the bag (if any) to close the mouth of the bag tight.

4. Float or dangle your bag into the water from the faucet and enjoy! Another way to release the full fragrance of the bag is to hold it under the hot running water when you’re filling up your tub.
   

Some people run the oatmeal through the food processor before adding it to the bag in order to get a creamy texture and easier infusion into the bath water.

You can also try the same ingredients by stuffing them into a large tea ball and then dangling the ball into the bath water.


Try and experiment with different ingredients to come up with your own unique blends. Turn your bath time an exciting and pleasant occasion to relax with the soothing aromas and ingredients of green tea and herbs.

What is a Bath Tea Bag?

A Bath Tea Bag is a large size (about 4" by 4", or as big as your hand) aromatic herbal tea bag designed to be added to your bath water. The herbal aromas released by a bath tea bag can turn your bath experience into a relaxing soothing affair.

Herbs like lavender, comfrey, rosemary, goldenseal, marigold, chamomile and tea tree oil are used to help you get rid of the tensions of the day while soaking in a warm tub of water.

When you use a bath bag instead of directly adding the herbs into the bath water you'll have no mess to clean up afterwards. When you're done with your bath, all you need to do is to throw away the bag and you’re left with clean bath tub with no debris in it.

We recommend you try the Food Bath Tea varieties as well to soften any calluses and rejuvenate your tired feet.

Also see: How to make your own bath tea bags

What is Irish Breakfast tea?

Irish Breakfast tea is a strong blend of black tea, mainly made up of Assam (India) variety. The tea grown in Assam is so special that it is considered a sub-specie of the tea plant and has its own name: Camellia sinensis assamica.

It's a strong robust dark-red or dark-brown tea that has a smooth malty taste and tastes great either straight or with milk and sugar. You can use lemon with this blend as well.

Make sure the Irish Breakfast is not overbrewed since it can turn bitter, unlike the green tea.

CONSUMER TIP: When in Ireland please do not order any "Irish Breakfast tea" since Irish, one of the most enthusiastic tea-drinking nations in the world, refer to this blend simply as the "tea."

Suggestion: Organic Irish Breakfast Loose Leaf Tea

Also see: English Breakfast Tea

What is English Breakfast tea?

English Breakfast tea is a blend that is very popular in England. It's a strong and robust blend of black tea with rich red color and it accommodates milk, cream and sugar very well. It can also be served with lemon and used for iced tea.

The most common ingredients of the blend are black tea varieties like Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Assam, Ceylon and African (Kenyan). Keemun tea is also used for the higher-grade gourmet blends.

Make sure the British Breakfast is not overbrewed since it can turn bitter, unlike the green tea.

Suggestions: Ashby's Breakfast Blend, and Organic English Breakfast Loose Leaf Tea

Also see: Irish Breakfast tea

TEA PHOTO: "Tea Plantation Worker in Tanzania" by Martin Benjamin

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