The Medicinal Value of Tea

According to legend, Tea was discovered in 2737 BC by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung, a mythical being who is considered the founding father of Chinese medicine. It is believed that Shen Nung was a great herbalist, who would go out into the mountains in search of herbs and plants to treat diseases and would test their effect upon himself and record. During one of these expeditions, a plant with enormous medicinal properties was discovered, which today we know as tea.  

The legend goes that Shen Nung discovered the plant by accident when a leaf drifted into a pot of boiling water, he drank it and found it to be revitalising and nourishing. Shen Nung would drink tea to combat the toxins of the many poisonous herbs and plants he would accidentally eat during his studies. Today the medicinal properties of tea are greatly researched and established scientifically, and fine tea is known to be a wonderful source of immunity boosting anti-oxidants.   

Since Shen Nung’s discovery, tea consumption and the cultivation of tea has spread across the world. Over the 5000 years that followed, tea has become the most important drink in the world after water. Tea started a new revolution and it expanded from early 7th Century AD onwards. Fine tea was considered the greatest gift, more valuable than gold or jewels at the time, and countless people depended on the nutrients it provided for their health. It was only from the beginning of 19th century that rising tea consumption led to the rise in production of inferior quality teas. Commoditisation of tea meant that profit became more important than quality. With the decline in quality also came a decline in the medicinal value of the tea.

The medicinal aspect of tea has been seemingly forgotten. Since the invention of the mass produced teas we know today there has been a rise in tooth and bone related illnesses. Skeletal fluorosis and osteoporosis have become all too common. From the mid-20th century, some attention was given and scientific research started on analyzing chemical components in tea. The findings showed that low quality tea was high in levels of fluoride, effectively poisoning the masses, but the tea industry did their best to cover it up. Many research labs have published studies on the effects of fluoride on our body and some governments have acted upon this, imposing maximum thresholds – but the majority remain unaware.

The Importance of Fine Tea

The tea plant, Latin name Camellia Sinensis, grows mainly in tropical and subtropical climates and is cultivated at altitude up to 2000 meters above sea levels. Climatic conditions, rainfall, humidity, geographical location and soil composition are all important factors for the cultivation of quality tea. Therefore, though tea is grown in many parts of the world there are very few tea growing regions that are truly able to grow the finest teas.

In addition to geography, the method of harvesting also determines the quality of the tea. The finest picking method, known as “two leaves and a bud”, from the prime season contains the highest amount of antioxidant properties and the lowest levels of fluoride, a potentially dangerous poison. Only this highest standard of tea can be truly said to have the optimum medicinal value. Fine Teas are consumed, not only for their taste and aroma, but for their medicinal properties such as polyphenol, theanine and flavonoid content.

Newby Teas was born out of passion and respect for tea, and the rich history of this drink is a constant influence on how we operate. One-hundred percent of Newby’s profits go to charitable causes and we have spared no efforts to preserve the history and culture of this incredible drink. Through careful procurement, rigorous tastings and careful scientific vetting of the chemical contents and the levels of fluoride in all Newby Teas we hope to revive the glory of tea and ensure that the consumer can be confident that they drinking the safest and healthies brew possible. Newby Teas is the most awarded luxury tea company in the world and independent laboratory testing has shown that our teas contain the lowest levels of fluoride compared to a large range of well-known tea brands. For more information about fluoride in our tea, read our latest Fluoride Report. Shop our range of healthy and delicious teas.