English Breakfast Tea Blend

English Breakfast Tea

English Breakfast Tea has been marketed as a “Breakfast Tea” in England for over a century. It is a blend of several black teas derived from various locales including India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Malawi and China.

English Breakfast Tea was actually invented in Edinburgh, Scotland in the 19th century as a blend of black teas designed to be consumed with the large meat-heavy English breakfast instead of as a traditional afternoon tea. A tea master by the name of Drysdale came up with the idea of marketing his blend as “Breakfast Tea”. The concept soon spread to England where tea had become enormously popular.

English Breakfast Tea is a robust, full-bodied beverage with light floral undertones (sometimes referred to as “coppery”). When blended with milk, it produces a comforting aroma eerily similar to warm toast and honey.

Try English Breakfast tea instead of coffee one day this week. It has enough caffeine to provide your daily kick-start. Plus, it’s one more chance to experience how diverse this amazing meal we call breakfast can be.

ACCORDING TO:
English Breakfast Tea Nutrition
POSTED: Apr 26, 2011 | By Bridget Coila

http://www.livestrong.com/article/296253-english-breakfast-tea-nutrition/

Basic Nutrition
English breakfast tea, like all black teas, contains 2 calories in each 8 oz. cup. Of the 237g that makes up 1 cup, over 236g is water. The carbohydrate content is 0.7g and there is no fat, protein, fiber or cholesterol in English breakfast tea. One cup of tea has 7mg sodium, less than 1 percent of the daily recommended limit.

Micronutrients
English breakfast tea contains 12mcg folate, about 3 percent of the daily recommended value. It also has 0.5mg manganese, 26 percent of the daily recommendation, and 88mg potassium, about 3 percent of that mineral’s daily value. There are 883.8mcg fluoride in English breakfast tea. Other nutrients in English breakfast tea include phosphorus, magnesium, choline, riboflavin, iron, zinc, copper and pantothenic acid.

Phytochemicals
Phytochemical components called polyphenols are found in English breakfast tea in high amounts. The compounds theaflavin and thearubigin are particularly high in black teas, since they are created during the oxidation process used to make this type of tea. English breakfast tea also contains catechins, which make up about 3 to 10 percent of the total content of the tea leaves before infusion.

Caffeine
The caffeine content of an 8 oz. cup of English breakfast tea is 47mg. Caffeine can boost mood, increase alertness and stimulate metabolism. In amounts over 400 to 500 mg per day, however, it can cause headaches, irritability and anxiety. Some people are more affected by caffeine than others and some medical conditions, such as pregnancy, require that caffeine consumption be kept to lower levels. Decaffeinated English breakfast tea contains between 2 and 10 mg per 8 oz. cup.

Health Benefits
Three cups or more of English breakfast tea a day can help prevent cardiovascular disease, according to the “European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.” While more investigation is needed, there may be a correlation between black tea consumption and a reduced risk of osteoporosis. The fluoride in English breakfast tea might reduce the incidence of dental caries. Drinking between 1 and 6 cups of English breakfast tea every day raises antioxidant levels in the body and might help protect against cancer.

References
USDA National Nutrient Database: Tea, Black
Tea Infusion: English Breakfast Tea
Nutra Ingredients: Tea polyphenols – antioxidants or prebiotics?
“European Journal of Clinical Nutrition”; Black Tea — Helpful or Harmful?
The Fragrant Leaf: Caffeine