Wanna Brew?

[Alison]

Dualism means a system where there are two elements, which are considered to be radically different, so body/soul, good/evil, that kind of thing, usually these are fairly major simplifications where it isn't an either or situation really (in my opinion). Obviously Coffee/Tea isn't on the same scale as those, but I tend to regard either or questions as somewhat on that line of thinking, particularly when my favoured response is not one of the two options given! Really I'm just being slightly mischievous.

[Zainub]

I'm not a hot beverage person really. I much rather prefer cool juices, that's what I drink most (brilliant brightly coloured and freshly extracted juices, without all the preservatives and all), and the best thing to drink is water, I love water There's nothing better then water. Icy cool water. Ah, I’ll just have some now.

People in the sub-continent drink truck loads of tea. It's just ridiculous the amount of tea everyone drinks, even in my own family, I've tried explaining the hazards, but they simply wouldn't understand. I my self drink less then one cup of tea a day normally, with sugar and with milk, I can't stand the black stuff, I don't understand how on earth people can get that down their throats.

I have about three fourths of a cup in the morning with breakfast, along with a one slice of toast, that helps, to get all the laziness away, and then two sips from the tea I make at 5 o clock for the rest of the family, and a few sips for another tea session after dinner - just to check if I haven't added sugar twice, or have forgotten adding it altogether.

During exam time or at other times when I have a tight schedule and lots of things to do in not a lot of time (or every time when I'm exhausted) (read: now-a-days) that tends to rise to about 2 cups a day (which is really bad, I shouldn't be drinking that much, but it's not like it's I'm doing it on purpose, this will stop, and I'll probably stop drinking tea altogether when I'm older. It's not good for your skin too much tea drinking says my stylist (these people are a rip off, don't ever, ever go to one of them).

But I like coffee. It's more smoothie kind off. But it's really not that common for people to drink coffee in my part of the world, you'd be mad to drink it on a regular basis in this heat. I prefer coffee during the winters, they give you a warm fizzy feeling and I just love cappuccinos, they are the best things ever, especially for when you're watching test matches from a different time zone like when you're all set to watch Boxing Day test at 4 am in the morning and its freezing cold.

Or at least you like to tell your self that, and pretend that it’s that way. And you make your self some nice cappuccino in drink it in that cool mug that reads “to the best friend in the entire world”, and bring along a bag of Oreas from the pantry, and make your self comfortable in front of the telly screen, and start to bless the people at ESPN. That's when my cappuccino tastes best: with oreas and test cricket, in chilly winter mornings, in the middle of the night. Unbeatable …God, I’m getting all nostalgic now…I must drink another glass of water.

[Lemming]

Originally Posted by Zainub Razvi

...I've tried explaining the hazards [of drinking tea]...

Other that the skin thing you mentioned, what are the hazards of drinking tea? I've heard it is very good for you, alot better for you than coffee, that's for sure. Apparently, tea drinkers live longer than coffee drinkers (SOURCE: BBC Health Website). Also tea contains anti-oxydents which removes free-radicals from your body, thus meaning lesser chance of cancer (SOURCE: Back of PG Tips Packet ), so long as you don't smoke 60 a day, or sun-bathe for 12 hours every day all summer of course.

[Andy Mellon]

Dring my chemistry degree, I did some experiments on tea which proved that it has a fairly high Fluoride content. Obviously, Fluoride is useful to an extent in protection of teeth - which is why it is added to some water supplies. However, excess Fluoride consumption can lead to Fluoridosis of the bones - which would be nasty (look it up on the internet). Still, I think the risk is very low. You'd have to drink a lot of tea to see an effect.

And no, the experiment didn't put me off tea. I didn't like it to start with

[Zainub]

First of all, the biggest hazzard is that you get addicted to it. Any addiction is bad. My dad is the best example. He can't just do anything without cup of tea in the morning. This can't be good surely - what if one-day there is no tea left in the world - what do you do then, do nothing?

Plus, it has caffine. In lesser proportions that coffee but still has caffine.

Some research has shown a possibility that caffeine can interfere with fetal development, including lowering birth weight and contributing to skeletal and other abnormalities. Until they reach the age of seven or eight months, babies cannot get rid of caffeine metabolites, and traces of caffeine can appear in breast milk too. Due to these concerns, pregnant and nursing mothers should limit or avoid any beverage with caffeine, including tea.
Caffeine content is also affected by the length of the infusion in water. Black tea infused for 5 minutes yields 40-100 milligrams, whereas a 3-minute infusion produces 20-40 milligrams, or half as much. Twenty cups of green tea yield 240 milligrams, or about 12 milligrams per cup.
Because tea bags contain broken leaves of smaller size, they produce an infusion with more caffeine than loose tea does. This is also true of very fine loose tea.
More here http://www.holymtn.com/tea/caffeine.htm

I don't have a problem with people drinking tea. I drink tea my self too. But you don't have to go over board and drink 3 or 4 times a day. That's when its get bad. If you drink it in the right amounts it does have benefits. In addition to the ones you mentioned, I also know from previous knowledge that a 2nd heart attack is more common in people who drink tea then those who don't.

Self-reported tea consumption in the year before acute myocardial infarction is associated with lower mortality after infarction. More here http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/cont...201.88994.F7v1

PS: Herbel tea is suspect too. Look at this
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...v39/ai_7621765

[Lemming]

Originally Posted by Andy Mellon

...I did some experiments on tea which proved that it has a fairly high Fluoride content...

But surely isn't that because the drinking water has fluourine put into it? I thought flourine was put into the drinking water supply to improve the condition of people's teeth but not such a high level it will be risky. I believe you shouldn't swallow alot of toothpaste due to the amount of fluoride in that also.

[Lemming]

Originally Posted by Zainub Razvi

...you get addicted to it [tea]...it [tea] has caffine...a second heart attack is more common in people who drink tea then those who don't...Herbel tea is suspect too...

Your just a scaremonger Zainub! Are you on commission from Nescafe or something?

[Zainub]

God, British slang - I must get more acquainted with it. I must.

What exactly is a scaremonger? Something nice hopefully.

BTW I'm not on comission from Nescafe. Excessive drinkgae of coffee is worse then even tea.

You might think of me as more of some one from the fresh juices companies. Or mineral water for that matter.

[Lemming]

I see so you are on commission from Del Monte or Evian?

A scaremonger is someone who spreads frightening rumours!

You are a scaremonger Zainub! It's nothing good, it's nothing to be proud of!

[Zainub]

Oh lord!

But honestly I'm so not a scaremonger.

Del Monte...I'm not sure about that. Actually I've been reading this series of amazingly hillarious books by Sophie Kinsella , Shopohollic and Sister the last one is called and reading them I've turned into a bit of Harrolds admirer. I've never bean to any of these shops amazingly but the books have mentioned them so I know. Locally I don't do my groceries my self , and I know my mom doesn't have any favorites, her idea is anything that is open and is near. I think if I ever was to work for any food store I'd probably work for this huge place in Texas where my uncle lives, it has such a lovely name, Tom Thumb it was called, how thoughtful - such a huge building and they should call it Tom Thumb. Ingenious! But honestly they had all the stuff in the world there, passion fruits, mangoes, star fruits, gazillion types of cheezes, choclates...everything you can possible imagine. And the smell of freshly baked bread - got that is so inviting!

Evian I understand is mineral water company - I don't have any specific favorite there either - just like mineral water. Or when I'm indoors the water from the mini water treatment plant at my house - it works on reverse osmosis principle. And we got it installed especially on my recommendation. Now everything thinks I'm so smart