jan 1, 2737 BC - Tea
Description:
While the origins are shrouded in conflicting urban myths, the earliest is that tea tree leaves fell into the boiling pot of water belonging to the Chinese emperor of the time, and he found the taste agreeable. The (to some) famous philosopher Lao Tzu even thought the stuff was a key ingredient to some elixir or another that was beneficial to life. By 1610, tea had spread to Amsterdam, and within 50 years it had reached England (who adopted it as the national beverage 90 years later, mind you). The contradictory bit is that, while tea contains caffeine, it doesn’t seem to have many agreed-upon health benefits. Some claim reductions in cancer rates, others claim reduced blood pressure or chance of stroke. Either way, caffeine is caffeine regardless, eh?
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