The world is celebrating International Tea Day today on 21 May. While most of the countries, including India, are reeling under the second wave of coronavirus pandemic, tea remains the favourite beverage to calm stress and anxiety during this difficult time. For centuries, tea has also been used for its medicinal properties. The United Nations had declared International Tea Day in 2020 to promote its health benefits due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Tea has many health benefits due to its anti-inflammatory & antioxidant properties.
On Thursday’s first #InternationalTeaDay, find out more about one of the world’s oldest beverages. https://t.co/EfW1b5J6zk pic.twitter.com/d2K1iARvOL
— United Nations (@UN) May 21, 2020
Significance of Tea Day
The day was first announced in the year 2019 to celebrate the history and culture based around tea. The United Nations aims to ensure the availability of tea around the world with the help of sustainable agriculture. It also aims to provide a good quality of life to tea farmers, workers and traders.
Earlier, this day was celebrated on 15 December since 2005. But in 2015, a proposal was sent to the UN to make it an international day which got accepted in 2019. May month has been selected to mark this day as tea production starts in this month.
Over the years, many varieties of tea have been developed including white tea, oolong tea, green tea, yellow tea, black tea, or dark tea.
Benefits of tea
As compared to coffee, the caffeine in tea is less in quantity. It is non-addictive and is a great detoxifier for the body. Some studies have found out that tea reduces heart attack risks, protects bones, and can help in reducing weight.
India as Tea Exporter
India is the second-largest tea producer in the world. Due to COVID-19, the tea export saw a dip by 18 percent in 2020. The country exported 208 mkg of tea in 2020 as compared to 252 mkg in 2019.