An Irish Breakfast Tea is a blend consisting of several types of black tea, most notably Assam Teas. This has made the Irish breakfast tea to have a strong brew and flavor, and higher caffeine content as compared to the white tea, green tea or even the oolong tea.
When brewed, the Irish breakfast tea mostly appears as a dark red or brown liquid. The Irish breakfast tea is also commonly served with sugar or milk, the latter which is the most common way to serve the breakfast tea in its native Ireland. These are also the health benefits of oolong tea for eczema.
Differences in Between Irish Breakfast Tea and the English Breakfast Tea
Most of us are familiar with the English breakfast tea, but not so with the Irish breakfast tea. The English breakfast tea has its Chinese roots, which comes from the China black tea to be precise. However, modern English breakfast tea blends also contain Indian, Indonesian or Ceylon tea leaves. Compared to the Irish breakfast tea, the English breakfast tea has a lighter and a milder taste.
While in the mean time, the Irish breakfast tea is of course the stronger option, with higher black tea content. Its Assam based blend has given it a malty flavor. These are also the health benefits of black tea and lemon.
Brief History of the Irish Breakfast Tea
Tea in Ireland had been imported from England for a long time. The Irish tea drinking culture has evolved as far back as the 1800s, which eventually spread from the upper class to the lower class of the Irish society. Poor quality teas have made tea brewing to be done very strongly.
It was in the 1960s where the tea blend started to involve Ceylon and Kenyan teas. The Irish people prefer to have their tea with generous amounts of milk or sugar, perhaps as a way for them to balance the strong tea flavour.
The Health Benefits of Irish Breakfast Tea
Here are the health benefits that the Irish Breakfast Tea possesses.
- It Contains Anti-Cancer Properties
The Irish breakfast tea is very rich in antioxidants such as catechin, quercetin as well as phytochemical which counters the free radicals that cause terminal diseases such as stroke or cancer. Those antioxidants mute the cancer-causing DNAs.
- It is Good for the Overall Cardiovascular Health
The Irish breakfast tea also carries the potential to prevent the start of cardiac diseases through inflammation, which is done primarily by quercetin. Quercetin as well as catechin also lowers down the lower density lipoprotein or “bad proteins” that hardens the arteries to make way for stroke as well as cardiac arrests. Meanwhile, vitamin B1 as well as thiamine from this tea ensures a stabile blood flow which is the key to a healthy heart.
- Normalizes Blood Pressure Level
Blood pressure levels can be normalized through the help of quercetin.
- Ideal for Weight Loss
The Irish breakfast tea also turns out to be ideal for weight loss because it contains the flavonoids just like in Ceylon tea. Flavonoids help boost metabolism. Meanwhile, the Irish breakfast tea also contains the metabolism-friendly vitamin B1 that transforms carbohydrate compounds into energy.
- Prevents Allergies
This type of breakfast tea is thought to prevent the symptoms of certain allergies such as hives, runny noses, or watery eyes. All of this becomes possible thanks to its quercetin content that is believed to have a positive impact in retracting the release of histamines that triggers allergies. However, more research and scientific findings are yet to be found to better support these ideas.
- Controls Asthma
The allergy controlling ability of this beverage has also made it useful for people with asthma by minimizing their symptoms of asthma.
- Maintains a Healthy Skin
Antioxidants contained inside the Irish tea is also beneficial for protecting the skin from free radicals and ensure cell functions in return. Drinking a few cups of Irish tea from week to week also helps in reducing wrinkles as well as premature aging.
- Alleviates Dental Problems
The Irish breakfast tea also contains magnesium as well as fluoride found inside Assam tea within its blend, which combats the growth of bacteria that threatens oral health. In the long term, dental issues such as cavities or unhealthy gum can be prevented.
- It Relieves Stress and Provides Relaxation
Just like the typical tea, the Irish breakfast tea also helps in soothing your nerves, calming down your emotions while driving away tension.
- An Ideal Source of Caffeine
This tea contains decent amount of caffeine, although not as much as in coffee. Caffeine is useful to sharpen and improve the performance of the brain when taken in moderate amounts. A cup of Irish breakfast tea is said to have half or a third caffeine as to those found in a cup of coffee.
Precautions When Consuming Irish Breakfast Tea
The following are the side effects of Irish breakfast tea that one must take note of.
- Because the Irish breakfast tea is a strong yet thick beverage, excess consumption of it may cause nausea, dizziness, headache as well as stomach upset.
- As with other caffeinated beverages, excess consumption of the Irish breakfast tea may also lead to insomnia, restlessness and much more other caffeine side effects.
- Pregnant women should also be reminded that its high caffeine content may have unpleasant side effects to their offspring. In this case, it is suggested for pregnant women to consult their gynecologist beforehand for the best solution.
How to Prepare a Cup of Irish Breakfast Tea
- Take one teaspoon of the tea leaves and brew it together with boiling hot water.
- Steep for approximately 5 minutes. To get a caffeine-free one, steep the tea bags twice or thrice for approximately 30 seconds per steeping session.
- Finally, before serving you can add some sugar, honey, or milk, whichever suits your preferences. These are also the 10 proven health benefits of drinking fresh cow milk.
Where to Buy the Irish Breakfast Tea?
The Irish Breakfast Tea blend is widely available in supermarkets in the form of tea leaves or tea bags. The most trusted brands include Twinings, Bewley’s, Lyons as well as Barry’s.