Bergamot tea is one of the most popular flavored drinks. It is appreciated for its unusual taste with pleasant sourness, astringency, aroma and refreshing effect. But few people know that bergamot is a natural antibiotic and aphrodisiac, has antifungal, tonic effect.
Peculiarities
Bergamot tea is made by mixing black or green tea leaves with bergamot, also called princely pear. The result of this duet is a spicy, slightly tart drink with a pronounced refreshing effect.
The drink has a slightly perceptible citrus flavor, which is not surprising, since bergamot belongs to the rue family, a genus of citrus fruits. The princely pear is a fairly tall tree covered with thorns, native to Italy. Its fruit resembles lime, but has a rougher, bumpy surface and a sour taste. In this regard, they are not used for food.
An essential oil is made from the delicate inflorescences of the plant, leaves and peel of the fruit. The best is what is prepared by hand pressing. The oil is used for cosmetic purposes, cooking, added to tea compositions. Some teas also contain crushed bergamot leaves. It looks like ordinary black or green tea, sometimes with admixtures of dried princely pear leaves.
On sale you can find both packaged and loose teas, as well as the option in bags. The latter are convenient to use, but are considered less useful and tasty.
The benefits and characteristic taste are inherent only in natural tea with real essential oils of bergamot. Unfortunately, most brews only imitate this noble drink, without affecting the body in any way.
Bergamot can be added to both black and green tea, and the finished drink is also called Earl Gray. He probably owes this name to the English Earl Charles Gray, who received this tea as a gift from a Chinese nobleman and popularized it in his country.
How is it useful?
Bergamot tea is characterized by disinfecting, antiviral, tonic effect. In addition, the princely pear has a pronounced antibacterial effect, extracts and oil from this plant were used in Germany before the invention of antibiotics.
Terpineol and citral included in the composition act as antiseptics, have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. This allows us to recommend Earl Gray as a warm drink for sore throat and sore throat. It will also help at the first sign of a cold - it will remove a low temperature, relieve chills, muscle aches.
Linalool, also found in bergamot oil, is beneficial for heart muscle. It strengthens it, prevents the risk of developing vascular diseases.
Prince's Pear Tea has a mild antioxidant effect and works as a natural relaxant. It gently calms the nervous system, while increasing concentration and does not cause drowsiness. In addition, the L-theanine contained in the composition relieves anxiety, and in combination with caffeine, it improves the speed of reaction and perception, and restores peace of mind.
Due to its antiseptic effect, bergamot tea will help keep the gums healthy and breath fresh. At the same time, we must not forget that black tea stains the enamel of the teeth, therefore, after drinking it, it is better to brush your teeth or at least rinse your mouth.
Contraindications
A drink from a princely pear is primarily contraindicated in case of individual intolerance to the components of its composition, an allergic reaction to citrus fruits. Allergies usually manifest as skin rashes. A rare, but also more dangerous, manifestation is edema of the mucous membranes, larynx, up to Quincke's edema. In such cases, immediate medical attention is required.
Due to the high content of acids in the essential oil of bergamot, the drink should be abandoned in the acute phase of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (ulcers and gastritis with high acidity), diseases of the urinary system, kidneys.
In the presence of these ailments in a chronic form, it is better to consult a doctor regarding the possibility and amount of drinking the drink.
Chronic ailments (pyelonephritis, diabetes mellitus, pancreatitis) are not a contraindication to the consumption of Earl Gray, however, during an exacerbation, when the body is already working in a more intensive mode, it is better to refuse complex foods and drinks.
For diabetes mellitus, it is important to consume unsweetened bergamot tea, or use stevia as a sweetener. Reviews of people with this disease who consume bergamot tea suggest that it prevents "surges" of insulin in the blood.
Pregnant and lactating women, as well as children under 12 years old, drinking tea with bergamot is undesirable.
Like any drink, bergamot tea, if consumed excessively, can be harmful - cause poisoning and deterioration of well-being. Despite the low content of caffeine in it, if you consume more than 10 cups a day, you may encounter such troubles as headaches, tremors, nausea, and vomiting.
People suffering from hypertension, or, on the contrary, low blood pressure, are invariably interested in how bergamot tea affects their condition. Clinical studies have shown that the plant itself does not affect blood pressure in any way.
Another thing is in what form tea is consumed. Like any strong hot drink, princely pear tea slightly increases blood pressure. Green tea itself lowers blood pressure a little, and if we are talking about its chilled version, then this effect is further enhanced. It should be noted that such changes are minor and short-lived.
Tea with princely pear has a tonic and invigorating effect, so you should not use it at night - the likelihood of insomnia is high. But drinking it in the morning, as well as during the day (including before important and responsible events) is very useful. The drink invigorates, tones, improves the ability to concentrate.
In the absence of contraindications, it is still important to adhere to certain norms of daily consumption of a drink with a princely pear.
Women
In small volumes, natural tea with bergamot can be drunk even by pregnant women. The tonic effect provided by its constituent essential oils will allow the expectant mother to increase the defenses of the immune system and feel more invigorated.
During gestation, the receptors and hormones of a woman may function differently, so the taste of the drink may seem overly sour. However, some women, on the contrary, like it, since it allows them to suppress the manifestations of toxicosis.
However, such a drink in large volumes can cause uterine bleeding and an increase in the tone of the uterus, which is dangerous for the mother and fetus. In this regard, you should not abuse tea during pregnancy. By the way, for the same reason it is not recommended for women suffering from vaginal bleeding of various origins.
When breastfeeding, such tea drinking is not prohibited. Moreover, such tea drinking is desirable for a nursing mother, since the prince's pear helps to improve lactation, acts as a mild soothing. If, of course, the mother has no contraindications, and the baby, who is on HB, reacts well to the composition of such tea.
Pregnant women and nursing mothers, as well as with gynecological diseases, are not recommended to drink more than 2 cups of bergamot tea per week.
For ladies who watch their figure, "Earl Gray" will also be useful. It contains substances that contribute to the destruction of fat cells, as well as improve metabolism. Of course, it is impossible to lose weight just by using a bergamot drink. It is important not to forget about a balanced and moderate diet and regular physical activity.
Men
Bergamot is considered to be a rather strong aphrodisiac, so Earl Gray can be brewed for your beloved man to increase libido. In addition, it is believed that the prince's pear helps to restore some sexual dysfunctions.
Strongly brewed black tea with a high bergamot oil content is suitable for these purposes. To enhance the positive effect of bergamot on men's health, you can combine it with eucalyptus. In this case, the drink should contain 3 parts of eucalyptus and 1 part of bergamot tea.
It is important to remember the dosage, because if you drink too much, instead of increasing libido, you can provoke lethargy or irritability.
For children
It is not recommended to give tea with bergamot to children under 3 years old. This is due to the fact that the digestive system of babies is not yet fully debugged. Tea with a princely pear, like any complex tea blend, can provoke allergies, increased agitation, hyperactivity, which will subsequently cause restless sleep or insomnia.
The optimal age for the introduction of tea with bergamot into the child's drinking ration is no earlier than 10-12 years. However, you should not brew the tea too strong. The acceptable rate is 1-2 cups a day, preferably in the first half.
In the presence of the above diseases (acute phase of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, and so on), children should not drink bergamot tea.
How to brew?
It is important not only to choose a high-quality tea composition, but also to properly brew a drink with bergamot. It is better to use a teapot for brewing. Its walls should first be scalded with boiling water, and then put the tea leaves. Traditionally, as many teaspoons of tea leaves as there will be at the table are put in, and one additional one. The amount of tea can be calculated like this - 4 tablespoons of tea leaves are placed on 200 ml of boiling water.
Do not pour boiling water over bergamot, this destroys the healing properties of essential oils. The boiled water should be allowed to stand for 3-5 minutes, then pour the tea. After that, you should insist it for 5-7 minutes.
If bergamot tea is not available, it can be prepared from regular black or green tea. To do this, you need to brew a delicious large leaf tea, then add 3-4 drops of natural bergamot oil (you can buy it in specialized stores and health shops). Let the drink brew for 5-7 minutes and pour into cups.
Serve Earl Gray with lemon, candied fruit. But the drink does not go at all with milk and cream. Sugar and substitutes, natural honey will help to make the taste sweeter.
For information on the benefits of bergamot tea, see the next video.
One of the most popular types of flavored black tea is Earl Gray- black tea with the addition of bergamot oil. This tea got its name Earl Gray (translated as Earl Gray) thanks to the 19th century English diplomat Charles Gray, who was the first to bring this type of tea to Europe.
How did the idea of making tea with bergamot come about?
In those days, the tea leaf was transported to Europe by ships and one day during a strong storm, barrels of bergamot oil overturned, and it fell on bales of tea leaves. Since the cargo was quite expensive, the owner could not just throw it away, and thus for the first time tea with bergamot oil hit the market. But so to speak, the "spoiled" tea really liked the British, and the variety was named after Lord Gray, who was presented with tea plantations in India.Typically, bergamot tea is made from Indian and Ceylon teas with bergamot peel oil.
What is bergamot and how is bergamot tea useful?
Bergamot is a citrus plant, somewhat similar to lemon. Oil is extracted from its peel, which is subsequently used to flavor tea.
Bergamot fruits are very easy to peel off, and the pulp is quite juicy with a small amount of seeds. Bergamot is quite tasty and slightly sour fruit, but in bitterness it is not inferior even to grapefruit.
Bergamot has soothing properties, improves digestion, and is a good antiseptic. Thanks to this property, bergamot is useful for those who suffer from diseases of the digestive, urinary and respiratory systems.
Black tea with bergamot will help you to cheer up, forget about fatigue, give clarity of thoughts and help you concentrate. Also bergamot tea is very beneficial for the skin. With regular use of this tea, age spots and freckles disappear.
How to make bergamot tea
Before brewing tea, warm up the teapot by pouring boiling water over it. Add one teaspoon per cup of tea leaves and cover with hot water, let it brew, then pour it into cups and enjoy the incredible taste and aroma. Enjoy your tea!
In England, where this tea is especially loved, it is served at the traditional evening tea, combined with milk, sweets and various snacks.
Useful video about bergamot
Very useful information about preparing bergamot oil for further use in cooking
Surely, each of us has tried aromatic black tea with bergamot at least once in our life. Slightly tart, spicy and at the same time fresh taste of this drink is difficult to confuse with anything else. Having tried it once, many become fans of tea with bergamot for life and prefer it over all other varieties and types of tea.
What is bergamot
What is the mysterious bergamot? Many people mistakenly think that this is an herb that is added to dried tea leaves, such as mint or lemon balm. In fact, bergamot is a small citrus plant that vaguely resembles lemon or lime. In order for the tea to acquire the taste and aroma of this plant, bergamot essential oil is added to it.
Initially, bergamot was grown in the Italian city of Bergamo, in the homeland of Trufaldino, the hero of the well-known comedy by Carlo Goldoni. It was in honor of this city that bergamot got its name.
The most common type of black tea is Earl Gray(translated as Count Gray), bears the name of an Englishman who first brought black tea with bergamot to Europe. Today this classic variety is most often found on the shelves of Russian supermarkets. It is prepared by mixing mainly black varieties of Ceylon or Indian teas with oil obtained from the peel of ripe bergamot fruits.
In addition to its taste characteristics, this drink is notable for its beneficial properties, primarily for the skin of the face. Regular consumption of bergamot tea will allow you to forget about acne, freckles and age spots. It helps to smooth out fine wrinkles and rejuvenate the skin, so girls should adopt this miraculous drink.
A cup of black tea with bergamot in the middle of the working day - it is also an excellent tool for raising strength and relieving fatigue.
How to make bergamot tea
When brewing such tea, it is important to take into account that, like tea with lemon, it is completely incompatible with milk. The teapot needs to be heated by rinsing with boiling water, then put the tea leaves into it at the rate of a teaspoon per mug of water. Pouring tea with hot (but not boiling) water, let it stand for 4 minutes and pour into cups. As a sweetener, honey is best combined with bergamot aroma.
On supermarket shelves and in online stores, the price for 100 grams of black tea leaves with bergamot fluctuates around 100 rubles. However, there are varieties, the price of which reaches 500-700 rubles for the same amount of tea leaves. But whatever the cost - the unique aroma of fragrant bergamot that fills the apartment during tea drinking - this is what you should definitely try this variety of black tea for.
Bergamot is a plant in the citrus family. It looks a lot like a lemon. It is usually grown in Calibria, a province of Italy known for its warm climate.
Types of tea with bergamot
bergamot tea photo
The most popular in the modern world is black tea with bergamot. It is delicious and goes well with any table. With its regular use, the appearance of the skin improves, it becomes healthier. In the middle of the working day, it helps to relieve fatigue and gives strength.
Another variety, green tea with bergamot, is a lesser known variety. In combination with green tea, which contains a large amount of caffeine, the tonic effect of bergamot is somewhat softened. This drink is useful for both internal and external use. For this reason, some cosmetic manufacturers include bergamot and green tea extracts in their composition.
Beneficial features
tea benefits from bergamot essential oil
At its core, the plant itself is inedible, but tea with bergamot (or rather, with its essential oils) is very useful for the human body. The pulp of the bergamot tree is not used. Basically, the essential oil is extracted from the peel of ripe fruits and "orange nuts" (green fruits).
Bergamot is grown in the same way as an orange or lemon. It is not as whimsical as its other citrus "relatives", it is quite possible to grow it at home.
They say that good tea should be like a kiss: sweet, hot and strong. And the British add: "And always with the taste and aroma of bergamot!" In the thirties of the nineteenth century, Earl Charles Gray Jr. introduced the fashion for tea with bergamot. Since then, the British have adored the soft taste and refreshing tropical aroma of this exotic plant, which simultaneously resembles orange, kiwi and lemon.
Regarding what bergamot is in tea, it is worth noting the following. This small heat-loving plant contains essential oils with a fresh, invigorating taste and aroma. It was the essential oil that made bergamot famous. It is obtained by squeezing ripe fruits from the peel, from the flowers and leaves of the plant. Even young shoots are used for pressing. The essential oil has a light emerald green color and a floral aroma with sweet citrus notes. The best quality oil is obtained by hand pressing.
Healing properties
bergamot tea has a pronounced sedative effect
Bergamot essential oil contains over 300 different healing substances. They were discovered and used in the early seventeenth century. The main medicinal ingredients are limonene, linalyl acetate, and linalool.
The usefulness for humans lies in the fact that tea with bergamot has an antispasmodic and sedative, antiviral, antiseptic and disinfectant character. The herb contains such a unique antiseptic as thymol, which is quite actively used in dentistry.
Bergamot tea improves appetite, helps to cope with problems of the gastrointestinal tract. It relaxes smooth muscles and blood vessels, improves the functioning of the digestive system. Its disinfecting, antiviral and antiseptic properties are invaluable in the treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases. When treating sinusitis, flu or colds, it is recommended to drink bergamot tea three times a day. Inhalation with bergamot is very effective (inhale the healing vapors of boiling water with several tablespoons of dry herb added to it).
The cooling effect of bergamot tea allows to reduce heat, has an anti-fungal effect. This miraculous drink strengthens the immune system, increases concentration and influences the brain activity in general in the best possible way. It is an excellent antidepressant that helps to fight stress and stress, get rid of unnecessary fears and anxieties. It has strong tonic properties, normalizes sleep and invigorates during the daytime.
Even at a time when there were no antibiotics, bergamot was used to prepare a balm that was excellent for treating skin infections and inflammations. The fruit was cut open and applied to the wound, even with serious injuries.
Currently, the antiseptic and tonic properties of bergamot are widely used in cosmetology. Bergamot tea normalizes the work of the sebaceous and sweat glands, helps relieve inflammation. This tea is able to cleanse the skin well, get rid of enlarged pores and age spots, acne, irritation and pustules.
Contraindications
bergamot tea can cause uterine contraction in women
Since bergamot, like all medicinal herbs, is a powerful natural remedy, tea with bergamot also has contraindications in some cases. Drinking tea in large doses in women can stimulate menstruation, in extreme cases, even cause the uterus to contract. For this reason, women who have problems in gynecology are advised to refrain from this drink.
It is best not to abuse it and absolutely healthy women and drink it intermittently: one week, and then take a ten-day break. The healing effect of the medicinal herb is manifested primarily in a reasonable approach to its use.
Wandering in the store and looking at the many boxes, people often wonder: is bergamot in tea good or bad for the body? And how to prepare the drink?
Bergamot is a pear-shaped fruit from the citrus family. It is grown in many countries - such as Italy and Algeria, Argentina and Tunisia, Brazil and Turkey. Whole plantations can be found in some Asian regions. Green or yellow fruit oil is often used for medicinal and dietary purposes.
Classic bergamot tea is a combination of black tea and bergamot extract. It is better known to amateurs as Earl Gray. Other leaves, such as green tea, can be added to the infusion. The amount of caffeine in the drink most often depends on this. And in the manufacture of wild bergamot is used - a plant called monarda.
Types of tea with bergamot
The popularity of Earl Gray has contributed to the creation of its varieties. Here are just a few of them:
- Russian Earl Gray - a classic with the addition of pieces of citrus peel;
- Lady Gray - classic tea with cornflower flowers;
- French Earl Gray - with rose petals;
- Earl Gray Green - green tea with bergamot;
- Earl Gray White - similar to the previous one, only the leaves are used for white tea.
Some manufacturers offer their products with beautiful names - for example, Mademoiselle Gray or Lord Gray. But the essence remains the same - various spices, dried flower petals or other ingredients are simply added to classic tea.
Some cafes also offer a drink called "London Fog". This is a classic Earl Gray, but added milk and vanilla extract during preparation.
Useful properties of tea
Benefits of using:
- Calming effect. A 2007 study showed that drinking this drink reduced the incidence of seasonal mental disorders.
- Antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help prevent age-related changes in cells and maintain youthfulness. It has been proven to contain over 40,000 antioxidants in 100 grams of this drink.
- Improving digestion. Drinking tea allows you to get rid of debilitating nausea and frequent indigestion, so American scientists back in 2009 suggested prescribing the extract to patients with complaints of digestive problems. That is why people with such ailments are advised not to go to the pharmacy, but to brew tea with bergamot.
- Antibacterial action. Research in 2007 revealed that the extract of this plant is a potent antimicrobial agent. Herbal medicine lovers now recommend bergamot tea to get rid of urinary tract infections and when a fungus appears, although the mechanism of its action in this direction is not well understood.
Contraindications for tea with bergamot
In moderate doses, Earl Gray is safe and beneficial for many people, but in large amounts, it causes side effects. They are similar to those of black tea. but bergamot extract also works in its own way. Possible problems from him are as follows:
- Effects of caffeine. Earl Gray, like other teas, contains caffeine, a central nervous system stimulant. 5 cups a day will be enough, but if you drink more, excessive amounts of caffeine will begin to affect the body. A person experiences anxiety, his heart rate increases, tremors and insomnia are observed, you can get addicted to caffeine and all the delights of withdrawal.
- Iron deficiency. The drink contains tannins and gallic acid - all of these compounds slow down the absorption of non-heme iron obtained from plant products (beans and lettuce).
According to nutritionists, drinking bergamot tea can cause the level of absorbed iron to decrease by 75%. Please note that the number depends on the brand and strength. To avoid subsequent deficiencies, it is drunk between meals rather than during meals.
Rules for brewing tea with bergamot
Making Earl Gray is easy - you just need a little tea leaves and hot water. The drink is made directly in the teapot.
One teaspoon of tea leaves is enough for a regular cup. Pour boiling water over it and let it brew for 4-5 minutes, then remove unnecessary leaves. You can add not only sugar to this tea, but also a slice of lemon and a few drops of milk. And then your Earl Gray goes well with candy and cakes.
