Is your favourite drink tea? Do you love cricket? Do you often find yourself apologising to those who barge into you? Well, here is a snappy test to see how English you are!
In a recent survey it was discovered that only 40 per cent of English people were able to identify that St George's Day takes place on April 23, compared with 70 per cent who could give July 4 as the American national holiday! Indeed at OISE Oxford we forgot to post this on St George's day (yesterday!)
For centuries, tea has played a pivotal part in British culture. We are the largest consumers of tea in the world. We love it. Sip here, sip there, sip everywhere. But why do we love it so much? We ask four experienced OISE Oxford tea drinkers what the fuss is all about?
So Will, why do you love it so much?
"Personally, I never have a cup of tea by myself. It's not just about the cup, it's about the company. Drinking tea is a fantastic communal activity from which a great little chinwag can be created."
And Sam, what is it about tea that floats your boat?
"Tea, sweet-lovely-kind-tea, I love a cup of tea! I love tea at any point of the day, anywhere! I love a cup of tea first thing in the morning with my muesli, I love a cup of tea with cake, I love a cup of tea on a long train journey. I love tea. I love the way it is so comforting and so perfectly joyful."
Jo, I know you're a massive tea drinker. Why do you like it so much?
"There is nothing like a cup of tea to get me up in the morning and to keep me going at regular intervals throughout the day. It’s irreplaceable – a coffee or a glass of water just doesn't have the same effect! I particularly enjoy it accompanied by a slice of cake or a biscuit (or two)."
Last, but certainly not least, Stephen Smith, what are your views on the subject?
"The cup that cheers but not inebriates!" Ok, thanks Stephen!
On average in the UK, we drink three mugs a day of this glorious drink. As with everything we consume there are various reports highlighting the good and the bad. For tea we have the following:
The Bad:
- A case reported recently in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) of a 47 year old woman who developed brittle bones and lost all of her teeth after drinking too much tea. (Defo bad. However other studies show that you generally you need to drink a gallon a day for three decades to develop a reduction in bone quality. Far too much tea for a day!)
- Research from the University of Glasgow found that men who drank more than seven or more cups of tea a day had a 50% higher risk of prostate cancer. (However, the Glasgow study wasn't designed to show that drinking tea actually caused prostate cancer. All it showed was an association).
- Further bad, in 2009 a paper in the British Medical Journal showed that drinking very hot tea (70C or more) increased the likelihood of oesophageal cancer. (The National Cancer Institute in the US concludes that the evidence "isn't good enough to say tea either harms or helps our health'. However it might be best to wait for your tea to cool down for a few minutes).
The Good:
- Black tea may have healthy properties from its plant chemicals called polyphenols, which are antioxidants. If you are keen on antioxidants go for Green tea as it contains more polyphenols.
- A review of the evidence by the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found the research showed more than three cups of black tea a day reduced heart disease. It found no evidence of harm "in amounts typically consumed".
So, have a cuppa, but just try and avoid drinking more than a gallon a day. Should be fairly manageable...
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/apr/01/is-drinking-tea-bad-for-you
