Why do we talk about health?

There, I said it. Send along your hate mail and I'll begin answering when I can.

Seriously, though, I really am. It is one of the top areas of discussion as soon as people hear that I'm interested in tea. They want to lose weight, lower their blood pressure, improve their teeth...you name it. You'll notice that it really isn't a topic I've talked about much in the blog and I generally only write about it if hired to do so.

It's not that I'm disinterested in health. Far from it. I was actually a biology major in college and then earned a Masters degree in public health. It's not even that I don't believe there could be health benefits. There are lots of studies out there that suggest there could be some positive effects, but we do have to keep in mind that many of these studies utilized tea extracts and not tea in the form most of us consume it.

Again, not really my point. So what is my point? My point is that I want to drink tea because I like the taste of tea. I like its connection to centuries of history. I like to think about where it was grown and all the people it took to bring it to my door. I like tea just for what it is. I don't need to grab onto these health claims that are largely unproven and have led to ridiculousness like green tea in my shampoo and hand lotions.

Some claim that we need to promote tea's health benefits in order to get people to drink it. I don't buy it. When is the last time Starbucks had to put a sign in their window that you should drink coffee because it gives you shinier hair and stronger fingernails. (These are not real health benefits of coffee. Do not go get a cup because I said this.) People drink coffee because they like the taste and/or because the industry has done an amazing job in convincing people that coffee is the perfect way to connect with others. You meet friends over coffee. You stop and grab a cup in the morning and then talk to everyone at work about how you really "needed a cup of coffee." You linger over coffee at the end of a meal.

It's time for tea folks to stop trying to get people to drink tea to be healthier. You don't see people gathering over plates of spinach. Let's get people to drink tea because it's warming and relaxing and satisfying and tasty.

And that makes me feel better.

Taken from http://teapages.blogspot.com/