Month: June 2023

All The Flavor Options for Tea

Unlike coffee, tea is not reduced down to a single flavor with minimal variation. Taking into account the wide range of tea blends – those from the camellia sinensis plant and herbal options, or tisanes – here is a list of all flavor possibilities.

Dark and Malty

Breakfast black teas reflect the strong flavor of coffee without one element – a lack of acidity. Although darker, and described as malty at times, such blends, including English, Irish, and Scottish breakfast teas, provide the jolt of caffeine needed to get the day started. While flavor varies between each type, breakfast teas have a considerably darker flavor than their afternoon, green, or white counterparts.

Lighter

For teas originating from the camellia sinensis plant, most fall within this lighter range – moderately flavorful, still caffeinated, but without the impact of breakfast black teas. Falling within this range are afternoon black teas, such as Darjeeling or Earl Grey, the latter of which enhances the lighter flavor with bergamot oil.

Aside from black, green and white teas – both of which are processed less – fall within this range. Taste is less strong and caffeine amounts not as high, but along with the lighter, more palatable flavor, these two blends have greater concentrations of antioxidants – purported to have heart disease-, cancer-, and weight-fighting benefits.

Herbal

Although tea purists may balk at the notion, tisanes, or herbal blends, are included within the wide scope of this beverage. “Tisane,” on the other hand, is a nebulous term, and such teas have innumerable variations of spices, herbs, and fruits. Popular ones, however, include spice teas, vanilla, rooibos, mint flavors, and chamomile blends. Because of variation, tisanes tend to range from sharp or spicy to mild to sweet.

Fruity

Although tisanes made exclusively from dried fruit or rinds are one option, even black teas can have such a flavor infusion. Fruit flavors, for black, green, or white teas, play off the natural taste, adding a lighter side to a stronger blend or filling out and enhancing the flavor. For these teas, either loose or in bagged varieties, the fruit pieces are included in the blend. Nevertheless, adding your own fruit infusion to ordinary black tea is also a possibility.

For tisanes and infused black teas, however, there are no limitations on the types of fruits used. Orange is popular but by no means the only option. Black currant, raspberry, peach, lemon, apple, pomegranate, and mango are just some of the possibilities brands carry.…

High Blood Sugar FAQ – Causes and Complications of Diabetes

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a malfunction of the body’s metabolism. The Islets of Langerhands in the pancreas produce little or no insulin at all. Glucose is not processed and it builds up as blood sugar. This buildup causes several complications, which can be fatal when untreated. It has two types:

• Type 1 is where the pancreas fails to manufacture insulin.

• Type 2 is where the body tissues develop an abnormal resistance to insulin utilization.

Both types are chronic; thus, they cannot be completely cured. However, they can be treated through various methods such as insulin injection, therapies, diets and food supplementation.

What are the medical implications of low insulin levels?

• Blood becomes more saturated with glucose, making it more viscous. Thus, its function of supplying oxygen and energy to the body is retarded.

• The body gets less energy, since glucose is stuck in the bloodstream. Glucose is wasted as it is expelled through the urine.

What causes this condition?

• Adults older than 50 years old are more vulnerable to developing the disease.

• Pregnant females may develop high blood sugar in the case called “gestational diabetes.”

• The disease can be genetic, and can be passed across generations in families.

• Overeating fatty and sweet food items may cause obesity, which will increase the risks of diabetes.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

• Dizziness due to concentration of blood sugar

• Frequent urination due to urine viscosity

• Unquenchable thirst due to dehydration

• Fatigue and weakness due to unavailability of energy source

• Neuropathy or numbness in the hands, legs and feet

• Dry skin

• Blurred vision and weakening of senses

• Bruises and wounds that do not heal quickly

When the mentioned symptoms persist, there are chances that the condition is already diabetes, or blood sugar is abnormally high. It is advised to immediately seek a doctor for diagnosis. Diabetes can accurately be identified through blood tests.…

Type 2 Diabetes – Taking Care Of Your Mouth And Teeth

Periodontitis is a complication people with Type 2 diabetes and their dentists would like to avoid. The disease occurs as the result of gum inflammation, or gingivitis, that is allowed to progress until it affects the underlying bone.

Having diabetes increases the incidence of several mouth problems, including:

increased plaque (the sticky film of bacteria that develops on your teeth),

fungal infections,

interferes with taste, and

periodontal disease.

High levels of blood sugar means higher amounts of sugar in your saliva. Saliva contains a small amount of bacteria and with “more food” (sugar) around, bacteria can grow more quickly. Problems with plaque occur more often in people diagnosed with diabetes.

Investigators at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, looked at proteins in the saliva of Type 2 diabetes volunteers to determine whether the presence of certain proteins could predict the tendency to develop periodontitis.

This study was published in April 2012 in the International Journal of Molecular Science, and compared proteins in the saliva of Type 2 diabetics with and without periodontitis.

Seven proteins were found in different quantities in the two groups. The proteins included:

polymeric immunoglobulin receptor,

plastin-2,

actin-related protein 3,

leucocyte elastase inhibitor,

carbonic anhydrase 6,

immunoglobulin J, and

interleukin-1 receptor antagonist. (Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist is known to cause destruction of pancreatic beta cells and reduce insulin secretion).

From this information it was concluded testing for the seven proteins could help to predict which diabetics are likely to develop periodontitis. That would give diabetics and their dentists the opportunity to take extra care to prevent periodontitis before it has the chance to develop.

Periodontitis is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, and it is particularly common in Type 2 diabetics. According to the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, about 95 per cent of Americans with diabetes have at least some periodontal disease and almost a third have periodontitis.

The National Institute of Health in the United States, states diabetics are two to three times more likely to develop periodontitis than non-diabetics and they say the signs and symptoms include:

bad breath,

shiny, purplish red, tender, bleeding or swollen gums,

gums that bleed easily, and

lose teeth.

Complications include:

infections of the soft tissues of the face, jaw bones, or heart,

tooth cavities, movement, or loss, and

trench mouth.

When periodontitis is present in diabetes, controlling blood sugar levels becomes more difficult.

What should you do to take care of your mouth?

brushing and flossing after meals gets rid of particles of food that feed bacteria and lead to plaque.

professional cleaning should be performed at least twice a year.

not smoking also helps to prevent periodontitis.

contact your doctor if you have persistent bad breath or taste impairment.

Eat a healthy diet, and if you can’t brush after a meal, at least rinse your mouth with water.

Some day it might be possible to take a sample of each dental patient’s saliva and determine who needs extra care. In the mean time, follow your dentist’s instructions for healthy teeth and gums.…

Take a Darjeeling Tour to See Where This Very Special Black Tea Comes From

Darjeeling is well known as the “champagne” of black teas. Just like fine wine, this tea comes from very special area. You can even take a “Darjeeling Tour” to see this beautiful region of India. In fact Darjeeling is a hill station of West Bengal. The place is surrounded by hills and mountains and in fact you may be able to see Mount Everest on a clear day from Tiger Hill – the highest point in the area.

The best and most spectacular way to get there is by train as it passes through forests and waterfalls. You travel through valleys, mountains and tunnels. In fact only just over a mile away there is the highest railway station in the world.

The height of the area, the clear air and sunshine are all optimal growing conditions for the famous Darjeeling tea. This tea was first planted by a Dr. Campbell who was in the Indian Medical service. He brought the seeds from China and planted them in his garden there, 4000 feet above sea level in 1841. Others followed and also planted tea. By 1852 there were several tea plantations.

Today this tea is world renowned and as is known as the “Champagne of Teas” because of its unique flavor. There are a total of 86 tea gardens spread over an area of 19000 hectares. Over 50,000 people are employed on a permanent basis but this swells to 67,000 during the tea plucking season from March to November.

If you are a tea lover, or just a lover of beautiful scenery, taking a Darjeeling tour might be just the thing for you. Here you can escape the heat of the valleys and enjoy this wonderful tea in its own spectacular surroundings.…