Tea

[breakingtime91]

After talking to a family friend who is a doctor, I have decided to take up drinking tea (especially hibiscus) to help combat high blood pressure and other heart issues that run in my family. I come from a family with heart issues on both sides and my father/his father both passed away within a week of each other because of -complications after heart surgery. Does anyone have any teas they recommend or certain things that you do to make it more enjoyable? I have been drinking it three times a day for a week now and while I don't have high blood pressure I have already seen my systolic pressure drop 5 points! Pretty cool.

[orionz06]

Before I got snobby about my coffee I had some really killer tea and had a tea phase after visting a Teavana store. Not sure if it's good or if it's the Starbucks of tea but they did have some really killer teas that were expensive but well worth it. Gyokuro and dragonwell were my favorite greens. Here are a few links to current stuff on their site. Again, no idea if they're a good place or a Starbucks like joint.

http://www.teavana.com/us/en/tea/green-tea/gyokuro-imperial-green-tea-31359.html?navid=all-tea&start=4
http://www.teavana.com/us/en/tea/black-tea/golden-monkey-black-tea-31360.html?navid=all-tea&start=7
http://www.teavana.com/us/en/tea/green-tea/sencha-jade-reserve-green-tea-31436.html?navid=all-tea&start=1

To do it right you'll need to be up on the water temps, a thermometer is a must.

[Joe in PNG]

I drink about a liter of hot tea a day. Normally, just plain decaff Lipton black tea. For the most part, the best stuff comes loose, so you'll want some sort of infuser and teapot.
Some of my favorites:
-Earl Grey- way better as a loose leaf then in a bag
-Oolong
-Pu-er- a 'red tea' from China.
-Roobioos- not really a tea, but pretty good. Plus, no caffeine!
I'm not super fond of green tea, but Japanese Genmaicha (brown rice tea- green tea with toasted rice grains) is really good

[breakingtime91]

I drink about a liter of hot tea a day. Normally, just plain decaff Lipton black tea. For the most part, the best stuff comes loose, so you'll want some sort of infuser and teapot.
Some of my favorites:
-Earl Grey- way better as a loose leaf then in a bag
-Oolong
-Pu-er- a 'red tea' from China.
-Roobioos- not really a tea, but pretty good. Plus, no caffeine!
I'm not super fond of green tea, but Japanese Genmaicha (brown rice tea- green tea with toasted rice grains) is really good

I have been trying to give up caffeine for the most part, should of mentioned that in the earlier post. I find that most teas have much less then the coffee I used to drink (switched to decaff this week... its been interesting as far as my energy levels).

[Malamute]

Its just plain black tea, but I like the Twinnings English Breakfast tea. Their Irish Breakfast tea is also good, but I like it for a change of pace more than a regular thing.

Used to alternate back and forth between coffee and tea, but have become more of a coffee addict the past few years.

I'm lazy, when I feel like tea, I just put the water in my coffee maker with no coffee, and drop a couple tea bags in the pot. Its tea in a few minutes.

Had another brand of tea from a Paki guy, it was pretty good. I think it was an English brand. ETA: Tetley

[Nephrology]

re: Blood pressure - what do you usually run and when do you take your blood pressure? It's worth mentioning that caffeine actually doesn't substantially increase your blood pressure long-term or your overall risk for mortality. Caffeine can cause a small but potentially significant short-term increase in your blood pressure (14/10mmHg in the classic 1978 NEJM paper) that is sustained for about 3 hours or so. Unless you are in the pre-hypertensive range (>130/80mmHg), you probably aren't really threatening your health with caffeine. That said, it is always good to cut down on caffeine - will help if you have problems with insomnia or anxiety. Here is some more info below:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/expert-answers/blood-pressure/faq-20058543
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1112010?viewType=Print&viewClass=Print
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21880846

There are other lifestyle modifications that are probably more pressing if you are worried about heart disease - regular cardiovascular exercise, smoking cessation (if you smoke or use other tobacco products), and reducing the amount of red meat & animal fat in your diet all will probably be 'higher yield' than 100% giving up caffeine. However, as I said before, if it is making you feel better to have cut down on caffeine, by all means keep it up.

[TheRoland]

Again, no idea if they're a good place or a Starbucks like joint.


Teavana appears to be despised by tea aficionados, but I don't know enough about tea to know why. It's really only the brick-and-mortar place I can buy loose-leaf tea within driving distance.

[orionz06]

Teavana appears to be despised by tea aficionados, but I don't know enough about tea to know why. It's really only the brick-and-mortar place I can buy loose-leaf tea within driving distance.

It's probably like Starbucks for tea then.

[Nephrology]

It's probably like Starbucks for tea then.

Aka just fine for most people who want something better than whatever McDonalds is selling?

[breakingtime91]

re: Blood pressure - what do you usually run and when do you take your blood pressure? It's worth mentioning that caffeine actually doesn't substantially increase your blood pressure long-term or your overall risk for mortality. Caffeine can cause a small but potentially significant short-term increase in your blood pressure (14/10mmHg in the classic 1978 NEJM paper) that is sustained for about 3 hours or so. Unless you are in the pre-hypertensive range (>130/80mmHg), you probably aren't really threatening your health with caffeine. That said, it is always good to cut down on caffeine - will help if you have problems with insomnia or anxiety. Here is some more info below:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/expert-answers/blood-pressure/faq-20058543
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1112010?viewType=Print&viewClass=Print
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21880846

There are other lifestyle modifications that are probably more pressing if you are worried about heart disease - regular cardiovascular exercise, smoking cessation (if you smoke or use other tobacco products), and reducing the amount of red meat & animal fat in your diet all will probably be 'higher yield' than 100% giving up caffeine. However, as I said before, if it is making you feel better to have cut down on caffeine, by all means keep it up.

see thats the weird thing about my blood pressure. I exercise 6 times a week (cardio and weights), eat healthy, and for a long time never got above a 120. I had a high reading at the Dr's once (130 systolic, my diastolic has always been good) and became concerned. I am usually 115/70 something but I get really nervous now that I have to take it a couple times to get an accurate reading lol. The biggest thing that I think was causing it to be higher then normal was
1)I drank energy drinks a lot, completely stopped after the doctor visit
2)drinking a lot of coffee and said monsters before my appointment
3) I used to "binge" drink quite a bit with a friend of mine.

I have limited those three and got a 120/78 and a 115/76 today.


anyone know how much salt effects blood pressure?

[orionz06]

Aka just fine for most people who want something better than whatever McDonalds is selling?

No, McD's sells better coffee than Starbucks, by coffee people standards. But that's for the coffee thread (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?16508-Coffee-Java-Joe), not the tea thread.

[GardoneVT]

I use Teavana . Didn't know they had haters, don't care.

The loose leaf teas can be steeped five times. I drink their black tea, although the White Jasmine is pretty nice stuff if rather pricey.

I use one of their black thermoses with the internal basket , and its a rad way to get good tea on the go. Tazo, Lipton, they're all like the tea version of Taurus handguns to me.

[Nephrology]

see thats the weird thing about my blood pressure. I exercise 6 times a week (cardio and weights), eat healthy, and for a long time never got above a 120. I had a high reading at the Dr's once (130 systolic, my diastolic has always been good) and became concerned. I am usually 115/70 something but I get really nervous now that I have to take it a couple times to get an accurate reading lol. The biggest thing that I think was causing it to be higher then normal was
1)I drank energy drinks a lot, completely stopped after the doctor visit
2)drinking a lot of coffee and said monsters before my appointment
3) I used to "binge" drink quite a bit with a friend of mine.

I have limited those three and got a 120/78 and a 115/76 today.


anyone know how much salt effects blood pressure?

130 systolic is still considered normotensive, FYI... current guidelines don't recommend treatment for hypertension until you get above 140/90 mmHg, and first line is always lifestyle modification anyway. As a male, you can also expect your blood pressure to slowly increase as you age, anyway. This is normal.

Dietary salt, unless it is truly extreme (i.e. you eat a traditional Mexican diet made largely from canned ingredients, or you are eating McDonalds for every meal of the week), shouldn't contribute substantially to hypertension. The exception are "salt sensitive" individuals who are predominantly African American. You can read more about that here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8522721

[Matt O]

It's probably like Starbucks for tea then.

It most assuredly is. My biggest problem is they can't seem to leave the tea well enough the fuck alone, as in, they have to mix classic green tea or pu'er tea with dried fruit and other bullshit. Remind me and I'll bring you back some legit long-jing (dragon well), wulong or pu'er tea when I go back to visit the fam in March.

[breakingtime91]

130 systolic is still considered normotensive, FYI... current guidelines don't recommend treatment for hypertension until you get above 140/90 mmHg, and first line is always lifestyle modification anyway. As a male, you can also expect your blood pressure to slowly increase as you age, anyway. This is normal.

Dietary salt, unless it is truly extreme (i.e. you eat a traditional Mexican diet made largely from canned ingredients, or you are eating McDonalds for every meal of the week), shouldn't contribute substantially to hypertension.

Good to know thank you. My nerves cause my systolic to spike, sometimes 20/30 points higher. I have to settle down and take it again and its within a normal range. Pisses off the person taking it usually but I always make them take it again.

[Nephrology]

Good to know thank you. My nerves cause my systolic to spike, sometimes 20/30 points higher. I have to settle down and take it again and its within a normal range. Pisses off the person taking it usually but I always make them take it again.

Haha, that is called 'white coat hypertension' and is extremely common. If you are very invested in monitoring your blood pressure, you can buy an electronic blood pressure cuff and measure it at home by yourself.

[JAD]

You can do better at whole foods than teavana. More important is to look for a local shop with knowledgeable snotty hippies. Knowing you can kill them makes it bearable.

If you want a low or no caf hot beverage I'd learn to love weak oolong -- there's a whole largest workforce in the world that chucks a tbsp in a nalgene at 6am and tops it off all day.

I do the same with two bags of red zinger but I like it iced.

If you're interested in whole health I like nettles.

[Jay585]

I have been trying to give up caffeine for the most part, should of mentioned that in the earlier post. I find that most teas have much less then the coffee I used to drink (switched to decaff this week... its been interesting as far as my energy levels).

Funny timing, making this post. I also quit coffee (about 3 weeks ago now) and switched to decaf tea. I've found that when I wake up (3 Am during weekdays) I no longer feel groggy and zombie-like when I wake - even if I've woken up in the midst of a dream. Have you had a similar effect? I'm wondering if the lack of caffeine (I used to drink 36 fl oz of coffee a day) has improved my sleep quality or if it is a placebo effect.

I'm still experimenting with tea brands, but I went to Reddit's Tea section and found an online shop that many recommend: www.uptontea.com/ I've yet to puchase anything, but I'll be trying their samplers.

So far I'm liking the Earl Grey teas - I really like that Bergamot taste. Especially when I drink it during my fasting hours and burp - it's a pleasant tasting burp.

[GardoneVT]

You can do better at whole foods than teavana. More important is to look for a local shop with knowledgeable snotty hippies. Knowing you can kill them makes it bearable.

If you want a low or no caf hot beverage I'd learn to love weak oolong -- there's a whole largest workforce in the world that chucks a tbsp in a nalgene at 6am and tops it off all day.

I do the same with two bags of red zinger but I like it iced.

If you're interested in whole health I like nettles.

I live in the sticks, where the choices are Teavana or Lipton at the Flying J.

[breakingtime91]

Funny timing, making this post. I also quit coffee (about 3 weeks ago now) and switched to decaf tea. I've found that when I wake up (3 Am during weekdays) I no longer feel groggy and zombie-like when I wake - even if I've woken up in the midst of a dream. Have you had a similar effect? I'm wondering if the lack of caffeine (I used to drink 36 fl oz of coffee a day) has improved my sleep quality or if it is a placebo effect.

I'm still experimenting with tea brands, but I went to Reddit's Tea section and found an online shop that many recommend: www.uptontea.com/ I've yet to puchase anything, but I'll be trying their samplers.

So far I'm liking the Earl Grey teas - I really like that Bergamot taste. Especially when I drink it during my fasting hours and burp - it's a pleasant tasting burp.

I have found that I was really dependent on the "feeling" that coffee gave me. Right now I have supplemented it by drinking decaf and I honestly feel the same as I did after a regular cup. I have found that I wake up "quicker" now but that may be because I thought I needed the coffee to wake up. Time will tell but so far it hasn't been a big deal. I found the quickest/best way for me to wake up is to run a mile on the tread mil and a quick PT shower.

[YVK]

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/expert-answers/blood-pressure/faq-20058543
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1112010?viewType=Print&viewClass=Print
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21880846



The NEJM study above suggests an inverse relationship, doesn't it? And the second study only descries acute BP change?

[JAD]

I live in the sticks, where the choices are Teavana or Lipton at the Flying J.

I would browse the Internet and Amazon stuff.

[Nephrology]

The NEJM study above suggests an inverse relationship, doesn't it? And the second study only descries acute BP change?

Correct on the first count. Like the authors of the NEJM study, I didn't mention the positive association between caffeine intake and mortality because I don't think you can claim it is causative in nature.

As for the 2nd paper, it is a meta-analysis (saves me a lot of effort ;) whose conclusions suggest that a) caffeine does cause a short term, mild elevation in BP (~8/~5 mmHg) but that b) this does not necessarily cause a long term chronic elevation in BP.

[YVK]

A recent (within 2 years) meta analysis in JACC suggested overall health benefits, don't remember the outcomes, I think overall mortality, CV and cancer.

My tea fix is Darjeling first flush.

[Cookie Monster]

I am a tea snob of the highest order. Teavani is corporate and just poor quality and really expensive.

Tea Source is the place - tea source.com or the bulk aisle of the local natural food store. The best tea I every got was in Chinatown in Seattle.

I suffer huge from white coat, especially at the Dentist. Also a lot of the nurses who take blood pressure manually are rushing and estimating, they freaked my pregnant wife out a bunch. I took it and she was in her normal range which is barely enough to keep from fainting. The nurses just robotically called out 125 over 95.

[GardoneVT]

I am a tea snob of the highest order. Teavani is corporate and just poor quality and really expensive.

Im a tea novice, and it would seem after some research I got suckered. Looks like id have been better off sticking to Lipton at the gas station, as it seems that's the same place Teavana gets their stuff.

Thanks for the tips guys. At least the thermos is good to go.

[Matt O]

With the caveat that going back to China is vacation for me and I don't run an import operation, if several serious tea drinkers were interested, I could bring back a couple kilos (total) of wulong/tieguanyin, pu'er, jasmine or longjing tea at cost. If interested, send me a PM and we'll see if this can be worked out.

[Lon]

What are the best tea k cup variants to look at? I have purchased Twinnings and Celestial before and really like the twinnings English breakfast black tea. I ordered a couple sampler packs of different brands off amazon, but was curious what you more experienced tea drinkers think. K cups are all I use anymore for tea/coffee.

[Kyle Reese]

Anyone here make their tea with a samovar?

[Cookie Monster]

Im a tea novice, and it would seem after some research I got suckered. Looks like id have been better off sticking to Lipton at the gas station, as it seems that's the same place Teavana gets their stuff.

Thanks for the tips guys. At least the thermos is good to go.


I've got a lot to learn about a lot of stuff. Get a tea ball or a mate straw and a few ounces of tea in bulk and figure out how you like it.

[Cookie Monster]

Anyone here make their tea with a samovar?

I learned something new today, thank you Fred and Google.

[YVK]

Anyone here make their tea with a samovar?

Going to as back as I can remember, those were used just to heat water. Ive never seen the tea being brewed on top of one, and I've never seen anything but electric stuff.
Samovars came really handy when water management turned off hot water in the middle of russian winters.

[Malamute]

Does anyone else settle the acids in the tea before drinking it? I believe that was part of the reason for "swinging the billy" in Au. When I first heard of the idea, I started making a half to full cup extra of tea in a pot, letting it all sit a few minutes before drinking, and pouring so the acids that go to the bottom of the pot arent disturbed. Dont use that last, sacrificial half to full cup. Sort of like pouring camp coffee so as not to disturb the grounds at the bottom of the pot. It seems to improve teas like Lipton, it takes some of the acidic flavor out of it.

[Chuck Whitlock]

What are the best tea k cup variants to look at? I have purchased Twinnings and Celestial before and really like the twinnings English breakfast black tea. I ordered a couple sampler packs of different brands off amazon, but was curious what you more experienced tea drinkers think. K cups are all I use anymore for tea/coffee.

You could also use loose tea in the k-cup strainers. I'm just using Lipton k cups right now. A cup with a shot of honey whiskey makes a nice toddy when under the weather.

I used to keep a pot of tea going on the Bunn coffee maker at work in the winter. A large bag of regular tea and a small bag of spiced chai made a pleasant pot, but I am a knuckle dragger when it comes to this stuff.

[SamAdams]

I am usually 115/70 something but I get really nervous now that I have to take it a couple times to get an accurate reading lol


Tea is for old ladies and snooty Englishmen ! :p

No actually, I like tea as a change from coffee once in awhile. If you get to a town with a tea shop they can tell you all the details & suggest varieties that best fit you. The tea will be fresh. (And bonus, - the shop closest to me has a real hottie working there.)

Emotional state can very quickly raise blood pressure. I had a physical many years ago & the b.p. reading was extremely high. The corpsman probably thought I might keel over any minute ! Turns out a hose had a leak and needed to be replaced. The reading was still a little high after he fixed it - due to my concern. For a long time afterwards, my readings would run high at the doctor's office.

If you ever need to have a physical where you might have a lot at stake (for job, insurance, etc) here's what you can do to have an accurate b.p. reading - Get an electronic b.p. cuff that automatically inflates and records your readings. One with a tape printer is even better. Get in the habit of taking your b.p. every day. For me, first thing in the morning is good while still lying in bed. After awhile, taking your b.p. is so hum drum routine, that it no longer brings on that automatic physiological reaction that it did before. And, if a little elevated at the doctor's office, you have a tape record of what your actual readings have been over time to give the physician. A lot of people have experienced this.

I no longer need to take my b.p. every day. This calming effect has seemed to carry over. At the doc's office I just think "No big deal, I've done this a hundred times before.'

[Joe in PNG]

I'm not big into herbal teas- far too many are basically hot koolaid. However, dried, ground licorice root or peppermint leaves make a pretty good mellow, soothing tea.

[Coyotesfan97]

Haha, that is called 'white coat hypertension' and is extremely common. If you are very invested in monitoring your blood pressure, you can buy an electronic blood pressure cuff and measure it at home by yourself.

I was told I have "white coat syndrome" long ago. Interestingly the only time I don't seem to have it is when my GP Doctor takes it. The last time I was 124/78 at his office.

[Coyotesfan97]

I like Earl Gray when I drink tea. I usually get mine from Market Spice on Pike Street in Seattle. It's one of my must visits when I travel there. Fortunately they have a website.

http://www.marketspice.com

They have a lot of herbal "teas" that are caffeine free.

I think this is the tea they brew in house for customers to drink while they're shopping. I like it.

http://www.marketspice.com/store/products/marketspice-tea-4oz-box

[Drang]

I think this is the tea they brew in house for customers to drink while they're shopping. I like it.

http://www.marketspice.com/store/products/marketspice-tea-4oz-box

It is.
If I should ever venture into the belly of the beast (Seattle; Pike Place Market is fun, but it's in The City) again I may ask them how they prepare it, we've never been able to duplicate the taste.

[FNFAN]

I enjoy tea and it keeps me from getting burnt out on coffee on 3rd shift. I am sometimes alarmed at the number of energy drinks the younger folks at work drink. We also have one guy that's 45; had a previous heart attack and consumes about 4 Monster's a night. The guy is pretty highly sprung without supplements and borderline manic with them.

I also find that loose tea is far superior to bagged and I tend towards black tea or oolong with green tea when I can find the naturally sweeter varieties.

[JAD]

For Amazon-bound folks, Kusmi teas are money. I'm going to have a cup of their Anastasia right now.

[rauchman]

Excellent thread.

I currently work for a large tea company (and coffee company as well) and have been in the natural foods/specialty foods world since '91. I grew up drinking mate, herbals and standard blacks.

My wife is REALLY into tea also and we have a cabinet full of differing teas...probably better than 30 varieties. From Oct through about Apr, we have tea just about every night after dinner, ranging from a variety of herbals and some specialty blacks. We do not add sugar to any tea. Twinings, Bigelow, Yogi and Celestial Seasonings, even Lipton and Tetley, all make offerings that are pretty damn tasty. Some fav's are Twinings Earl Grey, Lady Grey and Breakfast teas. Bigelow Constant Commons, Lemon Lift and Chamomile. There is a local Teavana nearby that I've frequented prior to the Starbucks buyout, and while very pricey, thought it was very robust in flavor. Haven't been there since Starbucks purchased them.

I've been working for the tea company for just under 1 year and have learned, steeping temp and duration play larger roles in flavor than I would have realized. I've learned to let boiling water cool a bit before steeping and steep for about 1.5 minutes. This works especially well for Green teas. By the way, I don't want to sound like a doctor, but Green tea seems to have great benefits for health. Ginger related is great for digestive and heart. Chamomile for calming and digestive.

Some excellent tips in this thread I'll be taking advantage of.....thanks!

[tea_lover24]

After talking to a family friend who is a doctor, I have decided to take up drinking tea (especially hibiscus) to help combat high blood pressure and other heart issues that run in my family. I come from a family with heart issues on both sides and my father/his father both passed away within a week of each other because of -complications after heart surgery. Does anyone have any teas they recommend or certain things that you do to make it more enjoyable? I have been drinking it three times a day for a week now and while I don't have high blood pressure I have already seen my systolic pressure drop 5 points! Pretty cool.

On my dad's side of the family high blood pressure is common and although currently i do not have this problem it is a great possibility that i do in the future, great to know that hibiscus tea helps, I personally love hibiscus tea especially with some lemon and honey. You can find some here: http://www.republicoftea.com/hibiscus-tea/c/25/ along with many other different types of tea. My dad also finds that linden tea helps him alot, i enjoy it as well its very soothing and relaxing.

[Hemiram]

I'm a coffee hater, I just don't understand it's appeal at all. It ruins everything it's in, kind of like I feel about green peppers. I like most kinds of black tea, but hate Earl Grey, and almost all herbal teas. Lipton is fine with me, iced, is much preferred. Strange, since I didn't have iced tea the first time until I was about 10 years old. A relative of ours had a giant pitcher of it, and I took a small glass of it to try, and ended up drinking most of the pitcher. I can't think of anything plant based that smells better than fresh black tea, and after it's brewed it's almost as good smelling. I don't want it really sweet, just enough to taste the sugar, and I want no lemon in it. Like lemon on fish, I don't understand it's appeal. It's always better without.

[mtnbkr]

I love coffee and tea. Most of the time, when I have tea, I want a stronger tea like Irish or Scottish Breakfast with a bit of milk, or Lapsang Souchong with or without milk. I do like Earl Grey from time to time though, but make it stronger by steeping longer or using two tea bags.

Coffee and Tea are my only non-water beverages (as in to drink with meals or when I'm simply thirsty). I don't drink sodas.

Chris