humantenacity wrote:
> Must respectfully disagree here on this point Dominic! Decade upon
> decade of harsh bidding, clawing and fighting to get the best spring
> harvest of West Lake Long Jing from a speficic grower and consuming
> same said year after year has left me only wanting more and with this
> years price over $1,000USD a kg it's become a terribly expensive habit
> but one I have yet to grow tired of drinking! I have a similar pu'erh
> addiction and believe me that is another area that after decades I have
> yet to even feel a tinge of boredom!

Hey no offense taken, but I think my point is still valid. Sometimes
you don't *want* to hunt for subtle nuances, sometimes you don't have
the time to properly enjoy it, sometimes you just want plain and
normal. At least I do. I would doubt that the only tea to cross your
lips for decade after decade was purely West Lake Long Jing... c'mon,
fess up

Variety is fine, it is normal, and generally the "low-end" product is
created for mass appeal... it is not so much that it is low-end but
just lacking certain characteristics that would not be universally
appreciated.

> As for the health benefits of Lipton's green tea versus others I point
> to several studies by the AMA, Johns Hopkins and others. These mass
> studies were done using similar "lowly" green teas such as Lipton's
> uses and not the "premium" green teas preferred by the likes of me.

Exactly correct. Freshness will undoubtedly increase the potency, but
in something like tea it is a minor issue. As I stated with things like
this, it is prolonged small doses that add up to offer some benefit. It
is not a one week regimine that will turn things around. A long time
tea drinker of say 10 years, will no doubt have gained some benefit. I
know that I do not get sick as much and I would attribute some of that
to tea, also just the plain benefit of drinking so much tea increases
my water intake daily that I otherwise would not do and it is better
for me than coffee or soda in a number of ways.

I still say that liquid extracts (still over a long time frame) are the
best way if you are purely trying for the health benefits. Starting
with an unhealthy body will decrese the amount of benefit is actually
absorbed in any substance, absorbing 5% of standard tea benefits from a
regular cup or 5% from a concentrated extract is no comparison.

I think it was Space Cowboy who said that he didn't dwell on the health
benefits of the tea he drinks, if it keeps him alive one day longer...
then great it was a bonus. (I paraphrased of course, but I liked the
essence of the comment)

- Dominic
Drinking: PG Tips w/Honey