Earl Grey Tea
Table of Contents
NEWS: This superfood is now available in the SANEStore as a convenient whole-food powder so you can more easily enjoy it in smoothies and recipes.
With the exception of jasmine, the earliest and probably most celebrated flavored tea was, and still is, Earl Grey. A black tea base scented with oil of bergamot, a citrus fruit from Sicily.
Benefits of earl grey tea
Earl Grey tea has antioxidants that support heart health and prevent deadly cardiovascular diseases including heart attacks and high blood pressure.
These antioxidants function to dissolve plaque in the arteries and the heart, as well as provide antioxidant protection against oxidative stress, which causes cell damage.
The benefits of this tea extend beyond the cardiovascular system, as it also supports healthy brain functionality and liver health.
The primary antioxidant found in Earl Grey tea is known as “flavonol glycosides” or catechins. These antioxidants support heart, liver, and brain health by enhancing the function of the endothelial cells that line blood vessels.
The flavonol glycosides help to lower cholesterol levels by preventing plaque production caused by low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation within the artery walls. This lowers risk for atherosclerosis more effectively than many other natural remedies.
Flavonols are also helpful in maintaining normal body weight and blood sugar levels (especially postprandial glucose).
For those wishing to boost the antioxidants already present in their bodies, it is suggested to drink a half-cup of tea a day.
Even if taken in smaller amounts, earl grey tea may still promote general health and prevent disease. It can also be beneficial for regulating digestion.
Earl Grey tea has many uses beyond its antioxidant properties. This black tea goes well with milk and sugar, so it can be enjoyed as an afternoon or after-dinner treat with biscuits or cake.
It also makes for a fragrant summer beverage, when served cold over ice.
If made at home, one could add lemon slices to provide additional nutritional value with vitamin C and flavonoids (which are similar to catechins).
Why Try Earl Grey Tea?
- Reducing the risk of heart disease.
- Preventing tooth decay and cavities
- Lowering blood pressure.
- Exfoliating the scalp to help it shed dead cells faster .
- Improving skin quality
- Containing theaflavins & thearubigins flavonoids which improve insulin sensitivity to protect against diabetes
References
1.Richardson, Ben (6 April 2006). “Bergamot growers get whiff of success”. BBC News.
2. “Foods of England”. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
3. Kramer, Ione. All the Tea in China. China Books, 1990. ISBN 0-8351-2194-1. Pages 180-181.
4. Houston, Muiris (30 September 2002). “Have your cuppa, but go easy on the Earl Grey”. The Irish Times. “…Bergamot contains the psoralen derivatives bergapten and bergamottin. The adverse effects of bergamot oil in this patient are explained by the action of bergapten as a potassium channel blocker within muscle cells. By interrupting the normal flow of potassium, the cells become hyperexcitable, leading to the visible movements and cramps within the muscles. By drinking four litres a day of Earl Grey (equivalent to at least 16 cups of tea), the Austrian man was simply overdosing on essence of bergamot.”
5. “Citrus bergamia Risso & Poit.”. Germplasm Resources Information Network.
6. “RFLP Analysis of the Origin of Citrus Bergamia, Citrus Jambhiri, and Citrus Limonia”. International Society for Horticultural Science. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
7. Pettigrew, Jane (2004). The Tea Companion: A Connoisseur’s Guide (Connoisseur’s Guides). Philadelphia, Pa: Running Press Book Publishers. ISBN 0-7624-2150-9.
8. “Earl Grey”. Twiningsusashop.com. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
9. Fenix, Micky (24 July 2008). “More Than Just A Pot Of Tea”. Philippine Daily Inquirer. “Stephen Twining traced back his family’s business to the 1700s, when coffee houses as meeting places were the vogue. How ironic that it was in the company’s coffee house where tea was introduced. Earl Grey tea makes Stephen Twining wish he could move back time because the company did not lay claim to the formula, or the name, when they had produced the blend for the British Prime Minister who was known as the second Earl Grey.”
10. Pagano, Margareta (3 July 1985). “The secret of Earl Grey tea is changing hands at last / Sale of Jacksons of Piccadilly to Fitch Lovell food manufacturing group”. The Guardian (London). “The original secret formula for Earl Grey tea is changing hands after 155 years with its sole proprietors, the Jacksons of Piccadilly tea merchants… with the sale goes the special recipe of the Earl Grey blend which was entrusted to Robert Jackson’s partner, George Charlton, in 1830 by the second Earl Grey. To this day the formula—which mixes black China tea with other unknown teas—has remained unaltered.”
11. “Howick Hall website”. Howickhallgardens.org. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
12. Nye, Valerie; Barco, Kathy (2009). Breakfast New Mexico Style. Sunstone Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-86534-716-8. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
13. Cooper, Nathanael (18 October 2008). “Tea for 2 or 2 for tea”. Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
14. Jeffery, Katherine. “Calling all Earl Grey lovers…”. Twinings Website. Twinings. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
15. Lusher, Adam (28 August 2011). “Customers revolt as Twinings changes the flavour of its Earl Grey tea – Telegraph”. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
16. Watkins, Alan (27 August 2011). “We’re pining for our old Twinings: Furious Earl Grey drinkers dismiss new recipe as ‘an affront to tea’ | Mail Online”. The Daily Mail. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
17. “Bring back the original Twinings Earl Grey tea”. facebook. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
18. Joachim, David (2001). Brilliant Food Tips and Cooking Tricks: 5,000 Ingenious Kitchen Hints, Secrets, Shortcuts, and Solutions. Rodale. p. 502. ISBN 978-1-57954-301-3. “Earl Grey shallot sauce.”
19. Miller, Norman (11 April 2009). “Why tea is the new spice rack must-have”. The Times.
20. Boyle, Tish (2002). The good cookie: over 250 delicious recipes from simple to sublime. John Wiley and Sons. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-471-38791-6. “Chocolate dipped Earl Grey shortbread wedges.”
21. Schneider, Edward (16 January 2002). “Cooking With Tea; “As for pears, I poached them in Earl Grey, a tea with impeccable prime ministerial credentials.””. The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
22. Wareing, Marcus (7 March 2008). “Earl Grey tea cream and Eccles cakes”. BBC. Archived from the original on 2008-03-07. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
23. Girard, J.; Unkovic, J.; Delahayes, J.; Lafille, C. (1979). “Phototoxicity of Bergamot oil. Comparison between humans and guinea pigs”. Dermatologica 158 (4): 229–243. doi:10.1159/000250763. PMID 428611.
24. Kejlová, K.; Jírová, D.; Bendová, H.; Kandárová, H.; Weidenhoffer, Z.; Kolářová, H.; Liebsch, M. (2007). “Phototoxicity of bergamot oil assessed by in vitro techniques in combination with human patch tests”. Toxicology in Vitro 21 (7): 1298–1303. doi:10.1016/j.tiv.2007.05.016. PMID 17669618.
25. Bailey, D. G.; Malcolm, J.; Arnold, O.; Spence, J. D. (1998). “Grapefruit juice-drug interactions”. British journal of clinical pharmacology 46 (2): 101–110. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2125.1998.00764.x. PMC 1873672. PMID 9723817.
26. Finsterer, J. (2002). “Earl Grey tea intoxication”. The Lancet 359 (9316): 1484. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)08436-2. PMID 11988248.
