Slightly old news but I couldn't find it being posted... So here you go

Very hot tea may cause throat cancer
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/200.../27/2527642.htm

27 March 2009

Drinking hot tea may cause throat cancer, say Iranian researchers, suggesting people let their steaming drink cool before consuming them.

Previous studies have linked tobacco and alcohol with cancer of the oesophagus, and the research published in the British Medical Journal suggests that scalding beverages may also pave the way for such tumours.

Drinking very hot tea at a temperature of greater than 70 degrees Celsius was associated with an eight-fold increased risk of throat cancer compared to sipping warm or lukewarm tea at less than 65 degrees, the researchers write.
Timing

Professor Reza Malekzadeh of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and colleagues studied the tea-drinking habits of 300 people with oesophageal cancer and another 571 healthy men and women from the same area in Golestan Province in northern Iran.

That region has one of the highest rates of throat cancer in the world, but smoking rates and alcohol consumption are low, say the researchers. Nearly all the volunteers drank black tea regularly, consuming on average more than a litre each day.

People who regularly drank tea less than two minutes after pouring were five times more likely to develop the cancer compared to those who waited four or more minutes, the researchers say.

British studies have reported people prefer their tea at an average temperature of 56 degrees to 60 degrees, they note.

It is not clear how hot tea might cause cancer, but one idea is that repeated thermal injury to the lining of the throat somehow initiates it, say the researchers.

Cancers of the oesophagus kill more than 500,000 people worldwide each year, with the bulk of the disease occurring in discrete populations in Asia, Africa, and South America. The tumours are especially deadly, with five-year survival rates of 12 to 31%.

Earlier this week, US and Japanese researchers reported that about a third of East Asians - Chinese, Japanese and Koreans - have an enzyme deficiency that puts them at higher risk of developing oesophageal cancer when they drink alcohol.

Steaming hot tea linked to cancer
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7965380.stm

27 March 2009

Drinking steaming hot tea has been linked with an increased risk of oesophageal (food tube) cancer, Iranian scientists have found.

The British Medical Journal study found that drinking black tea at temperatures of 70C or higher increased the risk.

Experts said the finding could explain the increased oesophageal cancer risk in some non-Western populations.

Adding milk, as most tea drinkers in Western countries do, cools the drink enough to eliminate the risk.

The oesophagus is the muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach.

Oesophagus cancers kill more than 500,000 people worldwide each year and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type.

Tobacco and alcohol are the main factors linked to the development of oesophageal cancers in Europe and America.

But it has not been clear why other populations around the world have high rates of the disease although there has been a theory that regularly drinking very hot drinks damages the lining of the gullet.

A litre a day

Golestan Province in northern Iran has one of the highest rates of OSCC in the world, but rates of smoking and alcohol consumption are low and women are as likely to have a diagnosis as men. Tea drinking, however, is widespread.

The University of Tehran researchers studied tea drinking habits among 300 people diagnosed with OSCC and compared them with a group of 570 people from the same area.

Nearly all participants drank black tea regularly, on average drinking over a litre a day.

Compared with drinking warm or lukewarm tea (65C or less), drinking hot tea (65-69C) was associated with twice the risk of oesophageal cancer, and drinking very hot tea (70C or more) was associated with an eight-fold increased risk.

The speed with which people drank their tea was also important.

Drinking a cup of tea in under two minutes straight after it was poured was associated with a five-fold higher risk of cancer compared with drinking tea four or more minutes after being poured.

There was no association between the amount of tea consumed and risk of cancer.

Because the researchers had relied on study participants to say how hot their tea was, they then went on to measure the temperature of tea drunk by nearly 50,000 residents of the same area.

This ranged from under 60C to more than 70C, and reported tea drinking temperature and actual temperature was found to be similar.

Tea lovers

Writing in the BMJ, the researchers led by Professor Reza Malekzadeh, said: "Our results showed a noticeable increase in risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma associated with drinking hot tea.

"A large proportion of Golestan inhabitants drink hot tea, so this habit may account for a substantial proportion of the cases of oesophageal cancer in this population."

Previous studies from the UK have reported people prefer their tea to be about 56-60C - cool enough not to be risky.

In a BMJ editorial, David Whiteman from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia said: "The mechanism through which heat promotes the development of tumours warrants further exploration and might be given renewed impetus on the basis of these findings."

Dr Whiteman advised tea-drinkers to simply wait a few minutes for their brew to cool from "scalding" to "tolerable".

Oliver Childs, a spokesman for Cancer Research UK, said: "Tea drinking is part of many cultures, and these results certainly don't point to tea itself being the problem.

"But they do provide more evidence that a regular habit of eating and drinking very hot foods and drinks could increase your risk of developing cancer of the oesophagus."

He added: "People in this region of northern Iran often drink very hot tea as part of their daily routine. We're a nation of tea lovers in the UK, but we don't tend to drink tea at such high temperatures and we usually add milk, which cools it down."

Correct if I am wrong, i.e. Pu-er (especially raw one) should be stored in an open, well ventilated (odorless environment), no direct sunlight. Also if you store them in boxes, you should remove them from box so that it can speed up the fermentation (especially the raw one).

I stored mine in open bookshelves, just stacked them according to their types, years, it's good to reshuffle quarterly (every 4 months) within the stacks.

It's time to enjoy my regular afternoon tea during weekend, i.e. Yihu raw 2008, cheers !

This post has been edited by auronthas: Nov 28 2010, 04:56 PM

Yeah, my storage method may not be the best. It may slow down the aging process. It is temporary storage method till my new house is ready next year.

Anyway, I think puerh stored in boxed is still ok as I don't think people that buys in big boxes will take em out air it right?

Free Samples

Dayi - Guangzhou 2010 Asian Spirit - 7+2

Hi there. From what I've learned, it's not good to expose the tea with too much air. While it may age faster, this type of aging is not what we desire. The tea will lose its flavor more quickly as oxidation is ongoing instead of fermentation.

For me I just store my teas in the cardbox that came along when I bought them and open the box once every few weeks to "swap" out the air inside.

2010 - Dayi Gao Shan Yun Xiang Shu (High Mountain) - Ripe


*Picture not mine

Took some sample of this. It is nice to drink but seems like any other ripe. No "wu dui" fermentation taste. Nothing memorable.

Now the leaves...



...not fully fermented eh?

Usually, I do not open the box if the tea is for aging. I just place it in a room away from sunlight. Those bricks or toucha I place it lowest on the rack to 'absorb' the earth qi and to speed up the aging since fermentation is hard due to its tight compression. I break up those that I want to drink and place it in a canister. I will bring it to along with me whenever go out makan outside and ask the waiter to brew them.

2010 - Dayi 70th Anniversary Ripe


*Picture not mine

There is 2 version of this. Ripe and Raw. I didn't have the chance to taste the Raw, but managed to get some Ripe samples.

It is quite unique as in it has some additional taste in it compared to the usual ripe. I cannot tell what kind of taste, and not sure whether that kind of taste is good or not but it sure is quite unique.

Tasted for the 3rd time, but the feeling of ??? is there every time... hmmm

Thanks for sharing your method of storing Pu-Er.

Previously I stored my Pu-Er at ground floor (next to staircase) in paperback until I read some articles and advise from teashop (during my recent visit to Tea exhibition) saying the Pu-Er should be stored in open, well ventilated, away from direct sunlight best to store at 1st floor to prevent moisture at ground floor (my house is quite cooling at ground floor even though during hot day).

The teacakes are still wrapped in original paper. For those opened teacake, I store them in a clay (ZhiSha) pot as most of you do

There are many ways of storing depends on your method and room conditions; most crucial is stay away from wet area, odor area, hazardous area.

Cheers.

Some of the tea that are stored for a couple of years in China will have the 'wet' smell. I stored this type at the 1st floor. Usually the smell will be gone in 6 months.

It depends on which part of China though. If it's stored in guangdong, where its humidity is higher, the tea stored there, if not stored properly, will have that "wet" flavor, as the weather there is close to wet storage by default. Whereas in yunnan, the tea stored there normally doesn't have this problem, but they experience slower aging because of its dry weather. Unfortunately, most merchants in Malaysia get their stock from guangdong because of the cost.

Gargling green tea can fight flu
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-...o=feeds-newsxml

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 12:14 AM on 30th November 2010

Gargle green tea to fight off flu bugs

Could gargling with green tea prevent flu? It contains compounds called catechins, which have been shown, in lab research, to prevent the ­infection.

One small Japanese study at the University of Shizuoka showed that nursing home residents who gargled with green tea three times a day for three months were less likely to get flu than those who did not.

Larger clinical trials are now under way, involving more than 600 teenagers. Young people were chosen because flu spreads quickly and easily among students.

Researchers have yet to discover exactly how catechins work, but it is believed they have a general anti-viral effect. Gargling is thought to be a more ­effective way to tackle viruses than drinking, because this way the bugs are exposed to the liquid for longer.

How going for a swim (or drinking herbal tea) could ruin your smile
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-...ruin-smile.html

Last updated at 1:27 AM on 30th November 2010

So you brush your teeth after every meal, choose herbal tea over fizzy drinks, and snack on fruit not sweets.

It might sound like the ideal formula for perfect teeth, but, actually, it’s not. In fact, any one of those habits could increase your risk of dental erosion or decay.

Here, we reveal some of the other surprising things that could ruin your smile:

<snip>

HERBAL TEA

Fruit-flavoured tea can be three times more damaging than orange juice, a study ­carried out by the University of Bristol Dental School found. Many fruit teas are acidic and eat away at tooth enamel, with lemon and blackcurrant among the most damaging.

REDUCE THE RISK: Stick to black or green tea. Compounds in black tea can attack the bacteria that form plaque and prevent the plaque from sticking to teeth, U.S. researchers found.

More recently, a study at the University of Tohoku in Japan found that drinking one or more cups of green tea a day reduces the risk of cavities. It is thought antioxidants, called catechins, in the tea stop bacteria in the mouth from producing acid.

</snip>

The fizzy drink that claims to burn more than 200 calories in three hours
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-...o=feeds-newsxml

Last updated at 10:15 AM on 30th November 2010

It sounds like a slimmer’s dream – a fizzy drink that actually makes you thinner.

Cranberry-flavoured Aspire is said to burn off 209 calories within three hours of drinking it.

Scientists at Leeds Metropolitan University found that when caffeine and green tea were combined with amino acid and ginger, there was a ‘thermogenic effect’, whereby the body generates more heat to digest food and temporarily stimulates metabolism.

However the drink, available from the health retailer Holland & Barrett at £1.59 for a 250ml can, was tested on only 20 subjects – 11 men and nine women.

There are just 12.5 calories per can. Aspire said that while there are no known side-effects, it was not advisable for those sensitive to caffeine.

The drink has been launched by Fahrenheit 60, a company based in Milton Keynes.

A spokesman said: ‘This is a UK first – a fully-researched and proven calorie-burning soft drink for the mass market.

‘Thermogenic products have been used by athletes for many years.

‘Yet what we’ve managed to create with Aspire is to bring those calorie burning properties to many more people in a unique and convenient drink with proven functional benefits.

‘It’s an exciting place to be, and could spark more companies to innovate and offer customers new food and drink products which are suited for their lifestyles.’

Dr John O’Hara, who led the research study, said: ‘The finished case study data from 20 participants suggests that Aspire increases energy expenditure on
average of 1.16 calories per minute. Over a three hour period Aspire expends an average of 209 calories.’

The £13,500 research project was conducted over three months.

The drink is available from health retailer Holland & Barrett, Selfridges and health supplement chain GNC.

A spokeswoman said: ‘Functional food is growing fast as customers look for new products which are targeted to their individual lifestyles.

‘Aspire offers proven benefits and could prompt more brands to research new ranges which combine active ingredients for extra functionality.’

In 2006, Coca-Cola and nestle developed a green-tea drink that claimed to burn calories.

Researchers have found that green tea stimulates the brown calorie-burning adipose tissue.

Coca-Cola claimed that drinking three cans of Enviga could help burn 60 to 100 calories. The drink was never launched in the UK.

Colourful Dayi - 8852 (2004)


*Picture not mine

Colour of tea is quite right being 2004. Drinking this leaves my mouth dry but full of the tea taste. Though dry, my saliva keeps flowing out. Touch bitter cum sweet.

2nd Brew


8th Brew


Leaves

My cheapo cabinet collapse yesterday night due to overload and nearly broke my teawares..


So, got this... look at all the extra space I have to fill up

I can assured you will not have extra space soon. Collecting tea is never ending especially when you can find quality tea at reasonable price.

Yalo, but I think the extra space should last me 1 year++ as I roughly counted, can fit another 20 new toongs.

Young pu are priced ok, but for aged pu not too reasonable / cannot afford.

last time my bro got a tin of "tie guan yin" with fruity scent from his fren
dunno where she bought...it was super nice

i try the mint tea with honey in a middle east shop...super nice
lot's of fresh mint leaves in the tiny pot of tea with hint of honey