Tea Facts and Quotations

• Queen Victoria introduced the English to the Russian custom of adding lemon to their tea after visiting one of her daughters in Russia. Before that, the English took only milk with their tea.
• Well, we can't please everyone . . . Mark Twain said, "Tea is an affront to luncheon and an insult to dinner."
• Ecstasy is a glass full of tea and a piece of sugar in the mouth." - Alexander Pushkin.
• In tea lingo, "biscuity" refers to the pleasant aroma in the leaf or liquor of a good quality Assam tea.

Tea and Health News
Tea and Alzheimer's Disease: Last time, I mentioned a study that found green tea may help in the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. Another study gives more insight - bear with me for some explanation. The primary target of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease is the inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, and drugs currently in development act to prevent a condition called beta-amyloidosis. Beta-amyloid is the protein which forms thick deposits, or plaques, in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease and is created by an enzyme called beta-secretase. In this study, green and black tea inhibited acetylcholinesterase, and green tea also inhibited beta-secretase by 38%. The authors conclude, "These novel findings suggest that tea infusions contain biologically active principles, perhaps acting synergistically, that may be used to retard the progression of the disease . . ." Phytother Res, August 1, 2004; 18(8): 624-7.

Tea and Health News provided by: TheTeaTable.com

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