Research is exciting! It's also generally very slow. Although the incredibly fast development of the COVID-19 vaccination may lead us to believe that science moves quickly—and it certainly did in this case—the usual course is far more plodding. Take the studies into how and/or whether drinking tea produces tangible and measurable health benefits. This sort … Continue reading Is Tea Helpful after Heart Attack or Stroke?
My late mother-in-law chided me for being skeptical, a trait I attributed to: –my science background (must be data-driven and reproducible!) –the fact that my mother was an auditor (look for misrepresentations or falsified info!) –my years as an editor (identify all errors and weak arguments!) but my MIL was correct: I tend to start … Continue reading Reviewing “The Wellness Tea” (with an objective look at health claims)
The Question You have an excruciating headache. Someone tells you to have a cup of tea. Do you want to comply or do you want to throw the kettle at them? Well, anyone who's had a really bad headache might try something as simple as having tea. It may, after all, alleviate the pain. But … Continue reading The Role of Tea and Caffeine in Headaches and Migraine
The Issue I know the season of thanks–giving probably isn't the best time to rant, but I was recently asked yet again to send someone a sample of tea with "medicinal qualities." So here goes: All tea as well as most herbals provide health benefits (unless, of course, they contain high levels of contaminants, which is why … Continue reading Can Tea Relieve Migraine? A Look at Herbal Tea
The news is impossible to ignore these days. While I wouldn't describe myself as much of a worrier normally, if I think about what's taking place outside my door, "sobering" doesn't even begin to describe it. "Terrifying" might be a more apt descriptor. Especially when my mind strays to all those dedicated health care workers, to … Continue reading Chamomile Tea: A Help for Sleep and Stress?
This week, yet another study was published in which tea makes its appearance. Should we be excited? Should coffee drinkers throw up their hands and join the tea cohort? Can we use this as an excuse to buy that pricy tea we've been eying? Well, like the tea-longevity study that I recently looked at (Drink … Continue reading Does Tea Help Prevent Alzheimer Dementia?
It's well known that blueberries—loaded with antioxidants and nutrients—are particularly good for you. But what about their leaves? One study indicates that blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry leaves contain more antioxidants than the berries! Granted, I don't know if this would be true outside a lab setting, or if you'd have to eat the leaves rather … Continue reading Blueberry Leaves Abound with Flavor and Antioxidants
Eating matcha cookies lowers stress! This is according to bona fide scientists. Yeah yeah we all know that tea can reduce stress, but did you get the cookies part?! When I'm stressed, I eat cookies. Lots of cookies. Especially my own made-from-scratch cookies. Usually with a cup of tea. But now I have scientific proof to … Continue reading Lower Your Stress: Eat Matcha Cookies
Working from home. The words alone conjure up such a satisfying picture of amazing creativity, sustained productivity. A steaming cup of tea, natural light, a comfortable workspace, prevailing quiet. Except when it's not. When focused attention is punctuated by the dog needing to go out (my husband's duty most of the time, until this week's … Continue reading Working from Home (in Theory) and Contemplating the Temperature of My Tea
It's More Than Tea 