Celebrate the King's Coronation with a cup of Rosie Lee

For Brits, tea is not just tea – it's a national institution.

So what better way to mark the official Coronation day of King Charles on Saturday, May 6, than with a cup of warm goodness?

Various studies have shown a variety of teas may boost your immune system, fight off inflammation, and even keep cancer and heart disease at bay.

So put the kettle on because there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that regularly drinking tea can have a lasting impact on your wellness.

White Tea Benefits

Known to have a delicate flavour, white tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant that’s native to China and India. It is also the least processed tea variety.

It contains a high source of fluoride, catechins and tannins that can strengthen teeth and fight plaque, as well as being the variety that offers the least amount of caffeine.

Chamomile tea

A great choice if you are hoping to reduce menstrual pain and muscle spasms, or any general aches and pains.

It is also know to improve sleep, aid relaxation, and reduces stress.

Rooibos

Improves blood pressure and circulation, boosts good cholesterol while lowering bad cholesterol, keeps hair strong and skin healthy, and provides relief from allergies.

Peppermint

A popular choice, this infusion contains menthol, which can soothe an upset stomach and serve as a cure for constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and motion sickness.

This tea variety also offers pain relief from tension headaches and migraines.

Many people drink mint tea before bed as it can help relax the mind and body.

Green tea

Exceptionally high in flavonoids that can help boost your heart health by lowering bad cholesterol and reducing blood clotting, green tea is popular everywhere.

Studies show green tea has also shown to be anti-inflammatory, which helps keep your skin clear and glowing.

In recent years, matcha – a form of green tea – has grown in popularity.

Matcha is a very fine, high-quality green tea powder made from the entire leaves of tea bushes grown in the shade.

Some studies have suggested that one cup of matcha is the equivalent to 10 cups of regular green tea.

Black tea benefits

Black tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, the same plant that’s used to make green tea. However, the leaves are dried and fermented, giving black tea a darker colour and richer flavour.

Black tea is caffeinated (unless you opt for the decaf version), but when you do pour yourself a cup of black tea, you benefit from flavonoids that combat inflammation and support healthy immune function.

It's all history

People all over the world have been drinking tea for thousands of centuries, and for good reason — it tastes great.

The exact history is a little sketchy, however the first European interactions with tea date back to the mid-16th century.

The earliest mention of tea in European literature was by Giambattista Ramusio, a Venetian explorer, as Chai Catai, or the "Tea of China", in 1559.

Tea was mentioned several more times in various European countries afterwards, but Jan Hugo van Linschooten, a Dutch navigator, was the first to write a printed reference of tea in English in 1598 in his Voyages and Travels.

The earliest known reference to tea by an Englishman wasn't actually until 1615 in a letter from a Mr. R. Wickham, an agent for the East India Company stationed in Japan, asking a Mr. Eaton, who was stationed in then-Portuguese Macao, China, to send him "a pot of the best sort of chaw", or"chàh", the local Cantonese dialect word for tea.