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Should you be worried about the amount of coffee or tea you drink?

Before you reach for that cup of coffee or tea, have you ever thought about whether that caffeinated beverage is <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/body-and-mind/debunks-vices-coffee-caffeine/">good or bad for you</a>? <iframe title="Vices: Is coffee good or bad for you?" src="https://omny.fm/shows/debunks/vices-is-coffee-good-or-bad-for-you/embed?style=Cover" width="100%" height="180" frameborder="0"></iframe> Most of us will drink coffee or tea each day. It helps keep us alert, especially in a world of the nine-to-five grind. Some workers rely on caffeine to get them through shift work and night shifts. Many, like me, would just collapse in a heap if it weren’t for that liquid black gold to keep us peppy in the morning. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">What is caffeine?</h2> To get a better picture of how coffee or tea affects us, let’s examine the active ingredient: <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/podcast/huh-science-explained-stirring-the-science-of-caffeine/">caffeine</a>. Caffeine is a <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/caffeine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drug</a>. It’s a white, odourless substance known to chemists as 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine and is made up of 8 carbon, 10 hydrogen, 4 nitrogen and 2 oxygen atoms. Caffeine occurs naturally in coffee beans, cocoa beans, kola nuts, and tea leaves. It is an adenosine antagonist, blocking the A1, A2A, and A2B receptors in the brain and body to promote wakefulness. Normally, adenosine (a chemical compound with a similar 3D structure to caffeine) binds to its receptors, slowing neural activity and making you sleepy. When caffeine, instead, binds to the receptors, adenosine is blocked and brain activity speeds up, making you feel more alert. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">History lesson</h2> Tea and coffee are the most common way for humans to get their caffeine fix. Drinks made using coffee beans date back more than a thousand years to the coffee forests of the horn of Africa. Legend says that, around 800 CE, an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi noticed his goats were energetic and didn’t sleep when they ate the coffee beans. Coffee then spread eastward to the Arabian Peninsula, reaching Yemen in the 15th century, and Egypt, Syria, Persia and Turkey in the 1500s. From their it made it to Europe and eventually the whole world. But caffeine is also present in other beverages like tea, cola and even some foods like chocolate. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Is it bad for you?</h2> Given how prevalent the drug is, are there negative side effects we should be worried about? For one thing, it is an addictive substance. And the more you drink, the more you need. “Our body tends to adjust to a new level of consumption,” Kitty Pham, a PhD candidate at the University of South Australia and expert in nutritional and genetic epidemiology, tells Cosmos. “Your body does develop a tolerance to the caffeine. So, you start to need to drink more and more to feel the same effect as before.” Caffeine can also act as an anxiogenic – a substance that can trigger heightened levels of anxiety. Pham notes some risks associated with too much caffeine consumption over a long period of time. “Greater than 6 cups per day, we did see an increase in dementia risk,” she notes. “There’s also some research on how it might increase your cholesterol. There’s a substance in coffee called cafestol that can regulate your blood cholesterol. If you’re drinking too much coffee, it might be increasing your cholesterol. So, there are risks, but often they are at really high consumption.” <h2 class="wp-block-heading">What’s the limit?</h2> So, how much caffeine is too much according to science? “That’s, the million-dollar question, isn’t it?” Pham laughs. “There’s a lot of varying research on it. It’s hard to tell a definite limit. But generally, most studies really agree that one to two cups of coffee, or an equivalent of 100 to 200 milligrams of caffeine is safe and okay.” The average cup of coffee has about 100 mg of caffeine. On average, instant coffee with one teaspoon of powder contains about 70 mg of caffeine, while a coffee pod has 60–90 mg. Other drinks containing might have even more caffeine, making it important to monitor your consumption more carefully. A 355 mL can of Red Bull energy drink has more than 110 mg of caffeine. Meanwhile, an average bar of dark chocolate has about 70 mg of caffeine. Many people are moving away from coffee to drinks like tea and matcha which may have <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/flavonoids-black-tea/">additional</a> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/tea-drinkers-may-well-live-longer/">health</a> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/black-tea-mortality-risk/">benefits</a>. A 100-gram cup of black tea has only about 20 mg of caffeine, while matcha can have 140–170 mg of caffeine! “Looking at the US, they usually recommend less than 400 milligrams. So overall, moderation and keeping your consumption to one to two cups – that’s what I’d recommend.” Now that I’ve written about caffeine, I think I need another cuppa. It’s only my second of the day, I swear. Image credits: Getty Images <div> <h3><a href="https://link.cosmosmagazine.com/JQ4R"><noscript data-spai="1"><img decoding="async" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-198773" src="https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spai/ret_img/cosmosmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Apple-Podcasts.svg" data-spai-egr="1" alt="Subscribe to our podcasts" width="300" height="54" title="should you be worried about the amount of coffee or tea you drink? 2"></noscript></a><a href="https://link.cosmosmagazine.com/JQ4U"><noscript data-spai="1"><img decoding="async" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-198773" src="https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spai/ret_img/cosmosmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Spotify.svg" data-spai-egr="1" alt="Subscribe to our podcasts" width="300" height="54" title="should you be worried about the amount of coffee or tea you drink? 3"></noscript></a></h3> </div>  <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/body-and-mind/coffee-tea-caffeine-debunks/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/evrim-yazgin/">Evrim Yazgin</a>.

Body

The hilarious reason Dolly Parton turned down tea with Princess Kate

It's been a remarkable year for country legend Dolly Parton, that she even received an invitation to tea with Princess Kate Middleton. Unfortunately, the icon had to decline and shared the hilarious reason why on her latest interview with BBC Radio 2. “This time, Lordy, I even got invited to have tea with Kate but I couldn’t even go," the country queen revealed about her time in London. “I thought it was very sweet and nice of her to invite me and one of these days I’m going to get to do that – that would be great," she added. When asked why she couldn't attend the prestigious afternoon tea, Parton joked: “She wasn’t going to promote my rock album so I had to say no.” On a more serious note, she said that despite her love for the people and London, she "unfortunately" doesn't have enough time to explore the city while she's there on business. The icon has been booked and busy with an upcoming rock album that is set to be released on November. Earlier this month she released Let It Be, a cover of the iconic Beatles song which she sang with two members of the band Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. She's also been very active in her charity work, particularly her Imagination Library, which she founded and is currently expanding to help more children get free books up until they turn five. Images: Getty

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Does black tea improve heart health?

Tea is full of flavonoids: a class of substances thought to have a range of health benefits. They also appear in fruits and vegetables like berries, oranges and apples – as well as red wine and dark chocolate. An international team of researchers, based in Western Australia, has found a link between flavonoids and better arterial health. The study, which looked at the diets of 881 women aged between 78 and 82, found that those who consumed a lot of flavonoids – which in this group, mainly came from black tea – were less likely to have an extensive build-up of abdominal aortic calcification (AAC). AAC is a process in the body’s biggest artery (the aorta), and it’s a predictor of a range of health conditions including heart attacks, strokes and late-life dementia. “This research is really exciting because it’s the first time we have seen in humans, that higher long-term dietary flavonoid intake appears to protect against vascular calcification,” says lead researcher Ben Parmenter, a researcher at Edith Cowan University’s Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute. “While several studies have shown a potential link in rodents, ours is the first human study, linking total dietary flavonoid consumption with a lower propensity of the abdominal aorta to calcify.” The researchers examined data from the Perth Longitudinal Study of Ageing Women, a long-term study done on older, white Western Australian women to investigate bone health and calcium intake. “Recruitment for this study took place in 1998—back when I was in primary school!” says Parmenter. “It was at this time that the medical examinations and participant questionnaires were collected.” The researchers compared the diets each woman reported to their AAC. Black tea was the biggest source of flavonoids in the study, accounting for 76% of total flavonoid intake. Those who drank between two and six cups daily had a 16-42% lower chance of having extensive AAC. “Out of the women who don’t drink black tea, higher total non-tea flavonoid intake also appears to protect against extensive calcification of the arteries,” says Parmenter. Participants who had higher flavonoid intake in total had a 36-39% lower chance of extensive AAC. But some specific flavonoid sources – red wine, fruit juice and chocolate – weren’t associated with better AAC. Parmenter says that, since this study was done on a fairly select demographic, it’s hard to tell if the results would be similar younger people, males, or other ethnicities. “Although we hypothesis that the benefits are likely to extend to these demographics – ultimately, further research is needed to investigate this.” Next, the researchers are interested in looking at the relationship between flavonoids and stroke. “We previously released findings showing that higher habitual dietary flavonoid consumption associates with lower long-term risk of stroke, but we have now gone further, to investigate specific mechanisms,” says Parmenter. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/flavonoids-black-tea/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Ellen Phiddian. Image: Shutterstock

Body

Are herbal teas good for you?

If you’re a regular sipper of something herbal, chances are good that you’ve chosen your blend based on the way it tastes and the apparent health benefits of the blend in question. You might brew up a chamomile of an evening or put on a pot of peppermint when your tummy feels upset. But do these teas actually do what they say on the label? The short answer is yes! Herbal teas are a fantastic way to enjoy the medicinal properties of herbs in a safe and easily accessed way. If you’re keen to expand your “herbal tea wardrobe” try picking up a packet of one of the following next time you’re out shopping. 1. Green tea One of the herbal staples, green tea is often touted as a ‘super food’ (or drink) due to its high level of antioxidants. Recent research has also found that it contains high levels of L-thenanine, an amino acid that helps calm and soothe your system. If you’re not a fan of the taste of traditional blends, try Japanese green tea, which tends to be milder on the palette. 2. Chamomile tea Regularly drunk as a night time tea, chamomile flowers have a calming effect on the nervous system as well as on your digestive system, making them a great choice for when your tummy is unsettled or if you suffer from conditions like IBS. 3. Peppermint tea One of the most popular and easy to find teas, peppermint is widely regarded as a great digestive soother. These potent plants also have energy boosting properties and can help you remain alert. 4. Ginger tea Whether you use teabags or freshly grated root ginger, a ginger infusion is fantastic for increasing circulation and easing inflammation. This makes it especially good for the cooler months or for those who suffer joint problems. Image: Getty

Body

Mortali-tea! Black tea drinking linked to lower risk of dying

The health benefits of green tea are well-established, but black tea might be a good idea too, according to a new analysis. The study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, draws on data from nearly half a million people to find a link between black tea drinking and lower mortality risk. The researchers, who are based at the US National Institute of Health, examined data from the long-term UK Biobank study, which tracked a cohort of 502,488 UK residents aged between 40 and 69. Between 2006 and 2010, participants in this study regularly logged a range of lifestyle, and health-related information via touchscreens at assessment centres. This information included tea drinking, by number of cups per day. Among the 498,043 participants who logged tea-drinking information, 85% reported regularly drinking tea. Nearly a fifth of participants (19%) reported drinking more than six cups of tea per day. A separate survey of a smaller cohort of participants suggested that 89% of the tea drinkers drank black tea, while 7% drank green tea. According to the UN, the UK consumes around 100,000 tonnes of tea each year – or about 1.5 kilograms per person. The American researchers combined the tea-drinking information in the UK with mortality data. Once they’d adjusted for age and demographics, they found that participants who drank at least two cups of tea per day had a 9-13% lower risk of dying. Drinking 2-3 cups per day was associated with the lowest mortality risk, but even drinking 10 or more cups was linked to a lower mortality risk than drinking no tea at all. In their paper, the researchers say that their findings reflect similar studies based in China and Japan, where green tea is much more common than black. “Fewer studies have assessed tea intake and mortality in populations where black tea is predominantly consumed, such as in the United States and Europe, and results have varied across studies,” write the researchers. They point out, however, that they didn’t track some “potentially important aspects” like tea strength or cup size, making it harder to draw precise conclusions. While the study is observational and thus can’t establish a cause, the researchers point out that the polyphenols and flavonoids in black tea have been linked to a variety of health benefits in small randomized-control trials – including lower cholesterol, and a lower risk of carcinogenesis and type 2 diabetes. “These findings provide reassurance to tea drinkers and suggest that black tea can be part of a healthy diet,” write the researchers. This article originally appeared in <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/black-tea-mortality-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Ellen Phiddian. Image: Shutterstock

Body

Homemade snack eaten by the Queen every day for over nine decades

A former royal chef has revealed that Queen Elizabeth II has been eating one particular snack ever since she was first served it as a child in the royal nursery. Darren McGrady worked for the royal family for almost two decades according to The Sun, and has since revealed some of the Queen’s favourite dishes and frequent requests, including one known as Jam Pennies. McGrady described Jam Pennies as a simple sandwich of “bread and jam with a little butter - usually strawberry jam”, and said the Queen has been eating them every day for 91 years. “We’d make the jam at Balmoral Castle with the gorgeous Scottish strawberries from the gardens,” he said. Meanwhile, another former royal chef has said the Queen is partial to a tuna and mayonnaise sandwich, a popular combination among Brits, but with her own twist. Owen Hodgson told the Telegraph that the monarch prefers hers well-buttered with cucumbers and pepper. Aside from sandwiches, McGrady has shared more insights into Her Majesty’s dining habits, including her insistence on having afternoon tea no matter where in the world she happens to be. The chef recalled one particular instance when he flew to Australia and settled aboard a royal yacht at 5am local time, which was five in the afternoon for the Queen - meaning his first task was to make scones. “In terms of scones - one day plain and one day with raisins folded through,” he said of the Queen’s usual afternoon tea spread. “Also, tiny pastries like raspberry tartlets and a cut cake, honey and cream sponge, fruit cake, banana bread, or her favourite chocolate biscuit cake. “It would all be washed down with a delightful steaming hot cup of Earl Grey tea.” Image: Getty Images

Food & Wine

Celebrity chef turns down tea with Queen for surprising reason

Italian chef Gino D’Acampo turned down an invitation to have tea with Queen Elizabeth II due to the presence of a particular food on the menu: cucumber sandwiches. The celebrity chef, who has hosted several UK food shows and runs multiple restaurants, was invited to Buckingham Palace prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but turned down the offer because he wasn’t “keen” on the menu of food and drinks being served. "I'm not very keen on tea or cucumber sandwiches,” he told the Daily Mail. "I was invited to the palace for tea just before Covid, but a cucumber sandwich is my worst nightmare. "I don't like tea either, so I phoned my agent and said: 'I'd love to meet her, but I don't like tea and cucumber sandwiches, and I can't do either of those things.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CebtSyul78g/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CebtSyul78g/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Gino D’Acampo (@iamginodacampo)</a> </div> </blockquote> Having to wear a tie and dressing fancily was another deterrent for D’Acampo, who claimed the last time he wore one was at his wedding, when he married his teenage sweetheart, Jessica Stellina Morrison, in 2002. "I'm also going to have to wear a tie, and the last time I did that was when I got married. I can't do that. But if I can have a plate of pasta and a cup of coffee, I'm in," he added. Though cucumber sandwiches might be his “worst nightmare”, his eponymous restaurant in Newcastle recently featured an Italian twist on the classic sandwich, replacing cucumbers with truffle cream cheese. Image: @iamginodacampo (Instagram)

Food & Wine

See inside the new experience exclusively for women

Step into a lavish world of hobnobbing, wine and lavish food with your very own butler at the latest, most exclusive event from Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). The <a href="https://mona.net.au/stuff-to-do/experiences/ladies-lounge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">High Tea for Two</a>, held in the museum’s opulent Ladies Lounge, was created by artist and curator Kirsha Kaechele and is an experience only available for women. Kaechele was inspired by the ladies-only parties thrown by her great-grandmother “Tootsie”, a scandalous socialite, which involved a fleet of dancing butlers, 400-year-old wines, and occasional visits from Spanish painter Pablo Picasso. With a dress code of green, gold, black and white finery, you can expect to be greeted by your butler with elbow-length velvet gloves and extravagant jewellery for you to wear, followed by a 12-course high tea in the chandelier-lit lounge where works from Picasso are among those donning the walls. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/mona-tea1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> The High Tea for Two is inspired by the women-only parties held by its creator’s great-grandmother. Images: MONA Though the lounge is open to any women visiting the museum, high tea sessions are restricted to just two ladies, your butler Hepburn, his sidekick “Robinson”, and a blindfolded saxophonist - making you part of the artwork that others can observe. The two-hour experience runs twice daily (11am and 2.30pm) on Saturdays and Sundays, with the total $500 package including nibbles, matched drinks, butler service and museum entry. To book your experience, head <a href="https://culturalattractionsofaustralia.com/experiences/high-tea-for-two/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Image: MONA

Domestic Travel

Tea drinkers may well live longer

<div class="copy"> Tea is good for you, according to new research from – perhaps not surprisingly – China. Habitual consumption – defined as at least three times a week – is associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease and all-cause death, according to Xinyan Wang from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. In other words, it contributes both to longer life expectancy and more healthy years of life. The favourable health effects appear to be particularly robust for green tea and for those with a long-term love of it. In their study, Wang and colleagues followed 100,902 participants in the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27682885">China-PAR</a> Project who had no history of heart attack, stroke or cancer for a median of 7.3 years. All were classified into one of two groups – habitual and never / non-habitual. Regular drinkers were found to have a 20% lower risk of incident heart disease and stroke, a 22% lower risk of fatal heart disease and stroke, and a 15% decreased risk of all-cause death. The analyses estimated, for example, that 50-year-old habitual tea drinkers would develop coronary heart disease and stroke 1.41 years later and live 1.26 years longer than those who never or seldom drank tea. The potential influence of changes in tea drinking behaviour were analysed in a subset of 14,081 participants with assessments at two time points. Habitual drinkers who maintained their habit had a 39% lower risk of incident heart disease and stroke, 56% lower risk of fatal heart disease and stroke, and 29% decreased risk of all-cause death compared to consistent never or non-habitual tea drinkers. “Mechanism studies have suggested that the main bioactive compounds in tea, namely polyphenols, are not stored in the body long-term,” says Dongfeng Gu, senior author of a <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2047487319894685">paper</a> in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. “Thus, frequent tea intake over an extended period may be necessary for the cardioprotective effect.” The study found green tea to be more beneficial than black, though Gu acknowledges that may be because of the preferences of those studied. Only a few preferred black tea. Nevertheless, the researchers say their findings “hint at a differential effect between tea types” – and suggest two factors may be at play. First, green tea is a rich source of the polyphenols which protect against cardiovascular disease and its risk factors, but black tea is fully fermented and during this process polyphenols are oxidised into pigments and may lose their antioxidant effects. Second, black tea is often served with milk, which <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/28/2/219/2887513">previous research</a> has shown may counteract the favourable health effects of tea on vascular function. <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=34602&title=Tea+drinkers+may+well+live+longer" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></div> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/nutrition/tea-drinkers-may-well-live-longer/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/nick-carne">Nick Carne</a>. </div>

Food & Wine

Mind-blowing lettuce hack to help you fall asleep in seconds

If you find yourself laying in bed at night unable to sleep, then you may want to pop the kettle on. But rather than making a cuppa right before bed, try boiling lettuce in a mug, a hack people claim is putting them to sleep in seconds. While it sounds absolutely insane, there is some truth to the mind-blowing hack, according to the experts, and it's a sure way to tackle insomnia. TikTok user Shapla Hoque first made the claim in a clip she shared online, which has garnered over 4.8 million views. In the clip, Ms Hoque boiled a kettle and poured the boiling water on some washed lettuce leaves which were shoved in a mug, before removing them as she sipped on the water. Worried it would taste disgusting, she popped in a peppermint tea bag for taste, however this isn't a required step - you could try camomile instead which is known to induce sleep. At first, the nightcap makes her "a bit drowsy" and then in what seems like no time at all, she's completely knocked out in her bed. Desperate for a decent sleep, people took to the comments and revealed they would give it a go, with one admitting: “On my way to the shop to buy 30 lettuces.” While someone else said, “My mum used to do this for me, boiled water and leave it in the pan for 5 min on a minimum heat, always worked a treat and it’s all natural.” So how does it actually work? Studies from 2013 and 2017 say that lettuce, particularly romaine, contains a phytonutrient, called lactucarium, which is said to induce sleep and relieve pain. According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ladbible.com/" target="_blank">LadBible</a>, the 2017 report stated: “Lactuca sativa (lettuce), an annual herb which belongs to the Compositae family, is known for its medicinal value. Traditionally, lettuce has been suggested to have a sedative-hypnotic property.” And concluded: “The results of this study show that lettuce, especially romaine lettuce, is an interesting and cheap source of sleep-potentiating material and antioxidant polyphenols. “The seed and leaf extracts derived from romaine lettuce potentiates the pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviour in mice.”

Body

Make your own mask from a tea towel, t-shirt or vacuum bag

The worldwide coronavirus pandemic has led to a shortage of protective face masks, leading to a number of online tutorials on how to make your own using items found around the house. Homemade masks offer significantly less protection than the N95 medical masks, which are made of a thick, tightly woven material that fits over the face and can stop 95 per cent of all airborne particles. And while many health organisations have recommended to ditch the masks unless in a medical setting, there is a good reason to think DIY masks could be effective in tackling the pandemic. They’ve been used extensively in countries such as Hong Kong, Mongolia and South Korea – places that have the disease largely under control. The World Health Organisation also does not recommend that people without the illness wear the face mask, but they’re looking at reversing their decision due to evidence from Hong Kong that it may be effective in fighting the virus. Here’s how you can make your own at home using a kitchen towel What you will need: <ul> <li>Kitchen towel</li> <li>One tissue</li> <li>Masking tape</li> <li>Elastic bands</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Cut both the paper towel and tissue in half and apply masking tape on each end to make sure the mask is stiff.</li> <li>Punch holes through either end of the mask and thread the elastic bands through the holes.</li> </ol> Your mask is ready in two simple steps. How to make a face mask with a t-shirt A tutorial by YouTuber Runa Ray shows how to make a face mask with a t-shirt, no sewing required. What you will need: <ul> <li>Scissors</li> <li>Pencil</li> <li>Ruler</li> <li>Unwanted t-shirt</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Cut out a 16" by 4" rectangle from the middle of the t-shirt, then fold it in half, and measure four inches on either side.</li> <li>Mark the t-shirt with an even number of tassels on each side and use scissors to cut them.</li> <li>Turn the t-shirt inside out and separate the corner tassels, but tie the remaining ones in-between.</li> <li>With the remaining t-shirt material cut some ear straps using the hem of the shirt. </li> <li>Attach the straps to the remaining outer tassels and you have yourself a face mask, with no sewing involved, and using an old t-shirt.</li> </ol> How to make a face mask from vacuum cleaner bags What you will need: <ul> <li>Vacuum bag</li> <li>Paperclip</li> <li>Two rubber bands</li> <li>Stapler</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Cut the bag into a rectangle. Make sure to keep all the layers together.</li> <li>With the inside of the bag facing upwards fold twice along the bottom and top.</li> <li>Fold both bottom corners of the bag.</li> <li>Get a paperclip or other thin wire and straighten it out.</li> <li>Take two rubber bands and fold the far ends around them. Staple the folds to secure them.</li> <li>Push the straightened wire through the centre of the top.</li> <li>Stretch the rubber bands around your ears to hold the mask against your face. Pinch the wire to secure around your nose.</li> </ol>

Art

Why does lemon juice lighten the colour of tea?

I’ve always wondered what happens when pouring a few drops of lemon juice into a cup of tea (no milk added). Why does it lighten the tea’s colour? – Michel, Paris To answer this question, we need to think about the molecules that give a cup of tea its colour - and how lemon juice affects them. Tea is typically made from the plant Camellia sinensis. It is one of the most consumed beverages (second only to water) globally and is ranked as the <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4480e.pdf">most consumed manufactured drink</a>. The origins of its consumption were first recorded more than 5,000 years ago, so it is also one of the world’s oldest drinks. Tea has been used for a variety of health conditions in China since ancient times, and it took time (around 1,000 years) to change from being seen as a medicine to today’s “every day drink”. Some of the health benefits of tea are now receiving <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-five-reasons-to-put-the-kettle-on-and-have-a-cup-of-tea-42419">renewed attention</a>. <h2>The colour of tea</h2> Today, tea varieties are heavily dependent on the processing techniques after harvest. These include oxidation and fermentation of tea leaves, which change their colour and flavour. Use of these manufacturing techniques provides six distinctive categories of tea, based primarily on colour: green, yellow, dark, white, oolong, and black. Black tea and green tea are often (but not always) obtained from the same plant but their chemical makeup is vastly different. The leaves used for green tea production are heated either by steam, pan frying, roasting or baking immediately after harvesting. This process stops chemical reactions driven by the enzyme polyphenol oxidase that would otherwise oxidise coloured chemicals such as polyphenols (catechins). This results in tea keeping its familiar yellow-green colour. Once the leaves are “fixed” they are soft – and are then rolled and dried to become the product we see on supermarket shelves. The production of black tea depends on the enzymes being allowed to oxidise the catechins completely to form new chemicals – these are pigments (theaflavin and thearubigin) that provide the characteristic dark colour. Although thearubigins are less common in your black teabag (around 10-20% of the dry weight), they are more soluble – so when you make a brew these compounds can account for up to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780080453828001088">60% of the solids</a> suspended in the solution. In broad terms, all other colour categories of tea fit between green and black. So categorisation of teas based simply on colour mostly depends on the type and amounts of these compounds found in the brewed product. <h2>What happens when lemon juice is added?</h2> The thearubigins in brewed tea are highly coloured (red-brown) molecules that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030881460100108X">change according to the acidity of the liquid used</a>. If the water used for the tea infusion is relatively alkaline (for example, due to limescale found in “hard” water), the colour of the tea will be darker and deeper. However, once an acid such as a slice of lemon or lemon juice is added, tea changes colour because of an increase in acidity (reduction in pH) of the beverage itself. Lemon juice is quite strong as a food acid – a few drops are enough to alter the theaurbigins, resulting in a dramatic change in colour. Interestingly, theaflavins are not that affected by the change in acidity, and still retain their normal dark red colour. In a case of green tea, the addition of lemon juice will also affect the colour through a similar process. This results in a much paler beverage - beyond the level that would occur just by initial tea suspension. <h2>Does lemon juice make your tea healthier?</h2> The beneficial health effects of tea are linked to its total polyphenol content, mainly the catechins. However, one of the problems with these compounds is that they are rather unstable. When alkaline (hard) water is used, they break down relatively quickly (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814603000621">within a few minutes of brewing</a>). Even if they do remain in solution, the absorption of these compounds is low (less than 2%), and can also be inhibited by the <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/4/2/373">food consumed with your cuppa</a>. Increasing the acidity of drinks has been shown to improve the stability of catechins in beverages. This is one of the main reasons why drinks such as iced teas tend to be quite acidic. However, to make them more palatable, relatively high levels of sweeteners (mainly sugars) are also added. So, all up, although the key compounds in your cup of tea tend to degrade quickly, the addition of lemon does protect them temporarily from this breakdown. But it’s not a huge effect. Adding lemon can enhance the flavour and enjoyment of tea, and change its colour, but its best not to expect any extra boosts to your health.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91324/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Written by Nenad Naumovski, Asistant Professor in Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Canberra and Duane Mellor, Senior lecturer, Coventry University. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/ive-always-wondered-why-does-lemon-juice-lighten-the-colour-of-tea-91324" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.

Food & Wine

A real princess: Duchess Kate’s special tea party for cancer patients melts hearts everywhere

It was a scene many young children have imagined- a princess tea party with a real life princess. Duchess Catherine attended an important tea party set up for her at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital during the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Royal Tour in Pakistan. The mother of three happily obliged to wear a toy tiara when she visited 7-year-old Wafia Rehmani, while Prince William playfully sipped out of a tiny pink cup “brimming” with hot tea. The young patient, from over the border in Afghanistan, is battling a kidney tumour but hopes to be a doctor when she grows up. Wafia showed the Duke and Duchess her own toy medical kit. Princess Diana visited the same hospital over 20 years ago in 1996 and 1997. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B3tCIhCFRfS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B3tCIhCFRfS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal)</a> on Oct 16, 2019 at 8:07pm PDT </div> </blockquote> Earlier in the day, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the Badshahi Mosque inside the Walled City for an interfaith meeting to talk about promoting harmony and community. The royal couple also stopped by the National Cricket Academy in Lahore and both stepped up to the pitch. Prince William even managed to hit the ball for a six. The Duchess of Cambridge also gave her first speech of the tour at SOS Children's Village in Lahore, speaking parts of it in Urdu.

Beauty & Style

Tea drinkers at risk of ingesting billions of plastic particles

A single tea bag may leave billions of microplastic particles in your cup, a new study has found. Research published by the American Chemical Society’s journal Environmental Science & Technology discovered that one plastic tea bag released about 11.6 billion microplastic and 3.1 billion nanoplastic particles into brewing water – thousands of times higher than those previously recorded in other foods. “We were very, very surprised,” Dr Nathalie Tufenkji, a professor of chemical engineering at McGill University and co-author of the study, told <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/5948570/plastic-teabags-microplastics-in-tea/">Global News</a>. “We thought [plastic teabags] maybe release a couple of hundred [plastic] particles, maybe a few thousand. So we were really shocked when we saw they’re releasing billions of particles into a cup of tea.” The study, which analysed four different commercial teas in plastic packaging, found that the teabags shed two different types of plastic particles that are invisible to the naked eye: polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and nylon. The McGill University researchers said it is not known whether the ingestion of micro- and nanoplastics could have adverse effects on human’s health. In its first report on the health risks of plastic in tap and bottled water released last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) said microplastics “don’t appear to pose a health risk at current levels”. However, the WHO said the findings were based on “limited information” and called for more research on the matter. Researcher Laura Hernandez told <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49845940">BBC</a> shoppers should avoid plastic packaging instead of specific brands. Some tea manufacturers are moving away from paper in favour of plastic mesh to create a pyramid shape, which was claimed as helping the tea leaves infuse better. Many teabags on the market also use polypropylene as a sealant, preventing the bag from breaking in the cup. “We encourage consumers to choose loose teas that is sold without packaging or other teas that come in paper teabags,” said Hernandez. “There is really no need to package tea in plastic, which at the end of the day becomes single-use plastic, which is contributing to you not just ingesting plastic but to the environmental burden of plastic.” Last year, a study of 250 water bottles from nine different countries revealed that microplastics were found in nearly all major brands. Sherri Mason, a professor of chemistry at the State University of New York at Fredonia and the research’s leader said the study is not about “pointing fingers” at certain brands. “It’s really showing that this is everywhere, that plastic has become such a pervasive material in our society, and it’s pervading water — all of these products that we consume at a very basic level,” she told <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43388870">BBC</a>. <a href="https://wwf.panda.org/our_work/markets/?348375/Plastic-ingestion-by-humans-could-equate-to-eating-a-credit-card-a-week">A study released by the University of Newcastle</a> in June suggested that the average person consumes 5 grams of plastic every week, or about a credit card’s weight.

Food & Wine

Right Royal cuppa: The Buckingham Palace builder who gave his tea order to The Queen by mistake

A builder got more than he bargained for after putting in a request for tea. The workman was dismantling a desk at Buckingham Palace and was out of view when a “well-spoken” woman asked if he wanted some tea. According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9956917/queen-made-tea-buckingham-palace/" target="_blank">The Sun</a>, he replied: “Yeah. In a mug. Two sugars. Builders’ tea. “I don’t want any of that nonsense I had the last time I was here, all that fine china and all that saucer stuff.” The woman returned and said: “I’ve put your tea on the table here.” The builder looked up and saw the Queen leaving the room. Little did the builder know that the woman he had spoken to was the Queen. The story is told in Channel 5’s four-part series Secrets of the Royal Palaces by Kevin Andrews, the Queen Mother’s upholsterer. Former palace chef Darren McGardey has previously said that the Queen’s favourite way to have tea is Twinings Earl Grey tea with a splash of milk and no sugar. Twinings has had a long association with the monarchy, as they’ve had a royal warrant since 1837. Royal butler Grant Harrold shared more light in 2018 on the Queen’s tea habits. Apparently she favours Earl Grey and Assam. "I am sure the Queen enjoys her [tea] the traditional way, made with tea leaves in a teapot and poured into a fine bone china teacup. She will also use a strainer," he said, according to <a rel="noopener" href="https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/queen-makes-tea-for-builder/2f61660c-53b8-4f26-8b7c-ef300f33c238" target="_blank">Nine Honey</a>.

International Travel

This is what happens to your body when you drink tea every day

Time for tea If you’re sipping a cup of tea while reading this, you’re supporting just about every organ in your body. Unsweetened tea is rich in antioxidants, which prevent chronic diseases and help repair cells in the body. “Tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, which contains antioxidants known as catechins, most importantly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG),” says Anthony Kouri, MD, an orthopedic surgeon. “These eliminate free radicals in the body and reduce inflammation.” So pinkies up; it’s time to learn about the amazing benefits (and just a few risks) of drinking tea. Your risk of certain cancers goes down The antioxidants and compounds found in tea have been linked to a lower risk of certain cancers. “Beneficial effects have been found in skin, prostate, lung, and breast cancers,” says Uma Naidoo, MD, Director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and Faculty at Harvard Medical School. “Different types of tea impact different cancers.” Your skin will be healthier Drinking black tea regularly can significantly reduce your risk of skin cancer. Interestingly, how you prepare it makes a difference. “Hot black tea is helpful for squamous carcinoma of the skin,” says Dr. Naidoo. Hot tea has been found to be more beneficial than the iced alternative and brewing time matters. Your risk of diabetes decreases Drinking black tea every day can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes by helping to control your blood sugar after meals. According to a study in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, black tea can lower your blood sugar after eating foods containing sucrose. Your teeth will be stronger While sipping tea throughout the day could slightly stain your teeth, it may be worth it. According to a study in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, green tea has an antibacterial effect that could reduce cavity-forming bacteria in your mouth. Drinking green tea every day could also make cavities less severe. Your heart will thank you Tea’s anti-inflammatory properties can keep your blood vessels relaxed and clear, putting less stress on your heart. “Catechins reduce inflammation and thus inhibit plaque formation in vital arteries,” says Dr. Kouri. Dr. Naidoo recommends drinking three cups of black tea per day to achieve the heart benefits. Your risk of Alzheimer’s disease could decrease The thought of you or a loved one being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease is frightening. It’s important to know the early warning signs and do what you can to prevent it. “Green tea can help you develop resistance against stress, and potentially Alzheimer’s disease,” says Dr. Naidoo. “The polyphenols protect cells from damage.” Your sleep could improve If you spend your nights tossing and turning, try winding down with a cup of tea before bed. “East-Asian medicinal tea can improve insomnia,” says Dr. Naidoo. According to a study in Integrative Medicine Research, drinking tea can help improve sleep and quality of life in those with mild-to-moderate insomnia. Your attention span may improve The caffeine in tea can improve your attention and alertness. “Theanine is an amino acid that is virtually unique to tea (apart from the fungus Bay bolete),” explains Dr. Naidoo. “It may also improve attention by relaxing the brain, but stimulating it when it is time to focus.” If you ever find yourself having difficulty with focus or concentration, try steeping a warm cup of tea just before it’s time to work. Your metabolism speeds up Ready to speed up your metabolism while sitting at your kitchen bench? “The caffeine in tea helps to improve mental acuity as well as increase metabolism and fat burning (up to 100 calories per day),” says Dr. Kouri. Just be sure you’re not overdoing it in the caffeine department. One cup of green tea contains about 40 milligrams of caffeine, and Dr. Kouri recommends limiting your daily caffeine intake to no more than 300 to 400 milligrams. You may not absorb enough iron The catechins in tea can alter your body’s ability to absorb iron. This means that even if you eat enough high-iron foods, you won’t get the benefits and could become anaemic. “Though most healthy people will not be affected by this, those who have iron deficiency or anaemia should abstain from large amounts of green tea,” recommends Dr. Kouri. This includes children, pregnant women and anyone with a history of kidney disease. You could be at higher risk of bleeding Drinking a large amount of tea every day could put you at risk for bleeding from a minor cut or bump. “It makes you more prone to bruising, explains Michelle Lee, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon. “I require all my patients to stop drinking tea two to three weeks before surgery.” Your medication may not work While the benefits of tea seem unlimited, talk with your doctor and pharmacist before brewing a pot every day. “Catechins can interfere with some heart and blood pressure medications,” warns Dr. Kouri. “It is important to discuss this with your doctor.” How much tea should I drink? Studies vary on how many cups of tea to drink per day. You want to get the most benefits without overdoing the caffeine. “To get the maximum health benefits from green tea, it is most effective to drink three to five cups of green tea per day,” recommends Dr. Kouri. Which tea is the healthiest? When choosing a tea, make sure it is unsweetened. Even if some flavoured teas contain no calories, they could still have artificial sweeteners and preservatives. Opt for making your own tea as opposed to buying it already prepared. “The more tea leaves are processed, the less effective the catechins become, explains Dr. Kouri. “Green tea is minimally processed and has the greatest health benefits of the available teas.” Pour a cup today While you can always have too much of a good thing, tea is a healthy choice for the vast majority of healthy adults. “In general, those who drink green tea regularly are healthier than those who do not,” says Dr. Kouri. “It is very safe to drink and only has drawbacks when consumed in very large quantities.” So claim those health benefits and get steeping today. Written by Carrie Madormo. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/tips/this-is-what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-drink-tea-every-day">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN93V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

Beauty & Style

Would you drink this $900 pot of tea?

The Brits are serious about their tea, but a hotel overlooking Buckingham Palace has taken things to the next level with its new offering: a NZ$313 cup of tea. The Rubens at The Palace is now serving what is touted to be the most expensive cuppa in the United Kingdom. The rare blend, named “Ceylon Golden Tips”, comes from specialist tea merchant PMD Tea. Produced in the highlands of Sri Lanka, the tea buds are handpicked at sunrise and sundried on a velvet cloth, which is claimed to turn them from silver to gold. The tea is <a href="https://www.luxurytraveladvisor.com/hotels/london-hotel-now-serving-uk-s-most-expensive-cup-tea">described</a> as having a “smooth, light, mellow texture with hints of fruity notes”. The special tea is prepared in a special way – first, the leaves are picked with gold tweezers and weighed “with precision”. They will then be infused using still natural mineral water and poured out from a silver tea set. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz-_yL_hs2Z/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz-_yL_hs2Z/" target="_blank">The UK’s most expensive Tea. Find it @rubenshotel by Buckingham Palace. Hand picked, high grown Golden Tips, served with a White Glove service. #pmdtea #rubens #rch #tea #luxury #goldentips #ceylontea #london #service #hospitality</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/pmdtea/" target="_blank"> P.M.David Silva & Sons</a> (@pmdtea) on Jul 16, 2019 at 9:27am PDT </div> </blockquote> The tea, which is offered exclusively at the hotel’s Palace Lounge, is priced at £500 (around NZ$928) a pot, or roughly NZ$313 a cup. The hefty price tag also covers sandwiches, scones and pastries to enjoy alongside the drink. Forking out over $900 for a pot of tea may seem excessive – but according to <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/uk-most-expensive-pot-of-tea/index.html">CNN</a>, a pound of the tea was priced at the equivalent of NZ$2,200 in 1891.

International Travel

The best high teas in Asia

Classic high tea doesn’t have to be taken in an English country garden. These two teas enjoyed in Asia take the cake! I would say that I’ve had more than a 1000 afternoon teas. Call them Cream Teas, Afternoon Tea, Devonshire Tea, High Tea, Afternoonsies, or a mid-arvo cuppa and cake – I’ve had them. I think it is the most civilised and friendly ritual anyone could indulge themselves it. Now, I don’t roll out the cake stand and the best teapot on a regular basis but when I’m travelling I always plan an afternoon tea experience into the itinerary mix. My two standouts for 2018 are both set in Asia. The first was in Hanoi, Vietnam (yes, there’s so much more than pho) and the second was in Singapore (hold the chilli and pass the cakes!). Hanoi To stay in the Sofitel Legend Hanoi Metropole Hotel is to be treated like royalty and to be immersed in Hanoi’s long and complex history. The French carved out a colony in Vietnam from 1887 until its defeat in the First Indochina War in 1954 when independence was claimed for the country. After that Vietnam couldn’t catch a break and until the mid-70s war between North and South with many other nations putting their oar in raged until peace at last. The French left many beautiful buildings especially in the north – Hanoi has the lion’s share of splendid, restored colonial villas and public buildings. The Queen is the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, gleaming white, brass polished as a shining ritual and all things here, tres bon. The staff still greet each guest throughout the hotel with a warm “bonjour”. The hotel includes 364 rooms and the historic Metropole wing has 106 guestrooms and three Legendary Suites. The suites are named after famous residents and visitors to the hotel (Graham Greene, Charlie Chaplin, Somerset Maugham). Afternoon tea here is best entered into with a stout heart and a competitive spirit. Every day, between three and 5.30pm, an irresistible chocolate library opens in the Club Bar. Praline, ganache, éclairs, mille-feuille pastries, chocolate fountain, a selection of every imaginable kind of French pâtisseries and delectable chocolate in all shapes and form appears and appeals seductively to the afternoon tea fanatic.…Its reputation has spread well beyond the borders of Vietnam. Made from the finest Vietnamese grown cocoa, the Metropole Ganaches are carefully prepared to make the finest grade couverture chocolate. The chef here was dipping tiny matcha nougat squares in chocolate while we watched. There were two of us and we decided to share the love. One of us would take the High Tea and the other would take up the Chocolate Library challenge. This is a buffet extraordinaire – try one of everything – chocolate truffle, mousse and ice cream, macarons, a chocolate fountain and a hot chocolate for good measure. The High Tea comes on a layered stand – where to start? From the bottom with savoury snacks including baby quiche Lorraine’s and tiny sandwiches. Up a level and the scones call to you. Jam and cream of course and decorated fruit tarts – on top now – a display of wee cakes to slip delicately into one’s mouth. There are other wonderful restaurants here – but don’t book on the same day as you have the High Tea. From the Paris-inspired cafe La Terrasse to the popular poolside Bamboo Bar or Vietnamese restaurant Spices Garden, the multi-award French restaurant Le Beaulieu or the stylish Italian-influenced restaurant and new lounge Angelina – the hotel promises a gastronomic journey. And did I mention cakes? Singapore I once read a food travelogue that described Singapore as the ‘world’s best restaurant’. Every Asian cuisine melds with all world food here and whether you eat at markets, food courts, hole-in-the-wall treasures or five-star gourmet extravaganzas – there is not a dish that you could miss out on here. I’m a sucker for simple old-school chicken and rice and anything that is presented from Little India and have always been on the hunt for the perfect afternoon tea. On my most recent visit, I finally got to enjoy afternoon High tea at the famous Fullerton Hotel. The magnificent Fullerton Building is a grand neoclassical landmark built in 1928. Gazetted in December 2015 as a National Monument, it was once home to Singapore’s General Post Office, the Exchange Room and Exchange Reference Library, and the prestigious Singapore Club. Today, The Fullerton Hotel is a stunning 400-room heritage hotel in Singapore. Located in the Fullerton Hotel Singapore’s vast sunlit atrium lobby, The Courtyard (North and South sections) is the lively restaurant setting for all-day dining, whether for a light meal, a signature Japanese or Indian curry buffet, leisurely afternoon tea with unlimited replenishment of your tiered contents and free-flowing coffee and tea; or an elegant cocktail. We stuck with the afternoon tea and despite the generous offer to replenish…we only ordered extra scones, they were that good! Tastefully furnished with plush sofas and a friendly ambience – the tea event was being enjoyed by many other High Tea aficionados. Our tea arrived as the lovely silver art deco three-tiered stand arrived laden with all that is good under heaven. The scones are a little exclusive and like to be served away from the rest of the sweet treats – they arrive on their own plate, jam and cream to the side. Small sandwiches, finger-style were filled with egg, smoked salmon and smoked duck. Brie cheese with plum jelly on a hazelnut cracker was devoured without a second thought. Little samosas, miniature pies covered the savoury offerings and the various layers of all types of cakes and patisserie beckoned. Chocolate éclair, lemon tart and English fruit cake were savoured slowly. A special, traditional Singapore cake is the Kueh Lapis. The cake has, it is reported, to have its origins in the Nonya cuisine or the Indonesia cookbook, who knows? The delicate cake is a layered cake, sometimes called the thousand-layer cake – or ladder cake. No matter where it comes from, it was delicious, light and geometrically perfectly layered. Written by Bev Malzard. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.mydiscoveries.com.au/stories/best-hotel-high-tea-in-asia/">MyDiscoveries</a>.

Travel Tips

Can you get food poisoning from your tea towel?

Once upon a time it was the good old chopping board that was the major culprit for bacteria in the kitchen. However, a <a href="http://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/4623/presentation/15470">new study</a> has cited that the common tea towel is another breeding ground for harmful bacteria in your kitchen. Tests on 100 cloth towels were performed by researchers at the University of Mauritius and collected the data from participants over a month. The disturbing results found 49 out of the 100 samples contained bacterial growth, including E. Coli (Escherichia Coli) and MRSA (Staphylococcus Aureus). The research also found that E. Coli was more likely to generate on damp tea towels that had been left to sit, while MRSA bacteria had higher rates of detection in households with non-vegetarian eaters (meat, poultry, seafood etc). <img width="400" height="300" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7819491/2-tea-towel.jpg" alt="2 Tea Towel"/> Lead author Dr Susheela D. Biranjia-Hurdoyal, a senior lecturer in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Mauritius, said: “The data indicated that unhygienic practices while handling non-vegetarian food could be common in the kitchen.” It was also found that households comprising of large families and those of a lower socio-economic background were prone to having higher rates of bacteria on their tea towels. “Humid towels and multipurpose usage of kitchen towels should be discouraged,” Dr Biranjia-Hurdoyal added. “Bigger families with children and elderly members should be especially vigilant to hygiene in the kitchen.” Symptoms of food poisoning include severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, minor headaches and fever.

Body

Former butler reveals the one royal rule we all missed

A former royal butler has revealed a surprising rule everyone follows in the palace. In the BBC series Miss Holland, butler Grant Harrold explained the royal method that involves following four easy steps that are non-negotiable in the palace and amongst royal circles. Mr Harrold was a member of the household of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and currently lives on Highgrove Estate – so it’s safe to say he knows what he is talking about. Mr Harrold shared the royal rules enforced by the palace for drinking tea: 1. Pour the tea from the teapot 2. Add milk to the cup after the tea, never do so beforehand 3. Stir your tea back and forth, never in a circular motion. Don’t allow the spoon to touch the sides of the cup when stirring. 4. Sip delicately from the cup, don’t slurp. Drinking tea has historically been seen as a status symbol among the upper class, using it as an opportunity to showcase their best china. Meghan Markle has also adapted to the royal rules of tea etiquette, meeting the Queen for the first time at tea. Mr Harrold explained the reason why stirring tea in a circular motion is improper. He told Business Insider, “If we stir in a circular motion we can create a storm in a tea cup and see the tea coming over the sides which we should never allow. "If the spoon touches the sides it makes a clinging sound and we don't want that at the afternoon tea table." Do you drink your tea this way?

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Should you be worried about the amount of coffee or tea you drink?